Ball Hut Track

Ball Hut Track is an advanced 19.2 km out-and-back from Tasman Valley car park to a small hut on the west side of Tasman Glacier. The mapped corridor is about 9.6 km each way; allow roughly 6–8 hours. You follow the old Ball Hut Road for the first 5 km, then continue over exposed moraine to the hut and return the same way. A 9 km return figure does not fit that first 5 km section or the 3–4 hour one-way estimate, so plan for the longer walk. For a short glacier outing instead, the 1.5 km Tasman Glacier View Track starts at the same car park and climbs more than 300 steps to its viewpoint.

The lower approach follows a historic 4WD road along the moraine beside the glacier. Once the road ends, the route becomes harder and the views open onto the glacier and surrounding peaks. The moraine wall is unstable, with collapsed sections along the way, so the old road should not be mistaken for a maintained, easy walking track.

A severe-weather event in 2019 cut a large gorge at Husky Flat. Beyond it, there is no marked route; reaching Ball Hut means navigating exposed, unstable backcountry around the gorge and collapsed moraine. The mapped line follows the best available route corridor, but it is not on-the-ground wayfinding. Take high-country navigation and tramping skills, and check current access advice before setting out.

The small standard hut has three bunks, mattresses, a non-flush toilet and untreated tap water that must be boiled. It is first come, with no booking; DOC advises carrying a tent in summer in case the bunks are full. Overnight stays require an intentions form and hut fee through the visitor centre. From the grassy hut flats, look toward the Tasman Glacier and the surrounding peaks; the red hut makes a clear foreground for the alpine skyline.