Parking
Use the Punchbowl Road car park. Follow the Devils Punchbowl Walking Track, cross the first bridge, then look for a small rise on the left about 30 m before the second bridge. The Cons Track branch is easy to miss.
Overview
About Cons Track
Why go
- A clear-day view back to Arthur’s Pass village and Rome Ridge.
- A direct climb to a distinct bushline turnaround.
Heads up
- 475 m of climbing packed into about 1 km each way.
- Wet roots and steep drop-offs make the descent demanding too.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Arthur's Pass map
Full mapElevation776–1,206 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Arthur's Pass alerts
- CautionFlood damage and rockfall risk on Harper Pass RouteFlood damage and an active slip affect the Harper Pass Route below Kiwi Hut and near Locke Stream Hut.Official details
- CautionFlood damage on route to Sudden Valley BivvySignificant flood damage makes the route to Sudden Valley Bivvy passable only when rivers are low.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Arthur's Pass Tour Guide
Your drive to Cons Track, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Arthur's Pass National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Devils Punchbowl Falls0:00 / 0:25
“You're approaching the start of the Devils Punchbowl Falls walk, where a hundred-and-thirty-one-metre waterfall drops from a glacial hanging valley.”
Plays on the road 0.2 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Arthur's Pass Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Arthur's Pass Café and Store
- Avalanche Peak from the Village
- Avalanche Creek Shelter Campsite
- Arthur's Pass Visitor Centre
- 42 audio storiesacross Arthur's Pass’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, New Zealand Falcon, Blue Duck, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 49 trails, 59 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Cons Track
What this route coversCons Track is a steep 2 km (1.
Cons Track is a steep 2 km (1.24-mile) out-and-back from its junction with the Devils Punchbowl Walking Track to the bushline on Mount Cassidy. It gains 475 m and returns the same way. Allow 3 to 4 hours. This is an advanced tramp for fit, experienced hikers, not a quick warm-up.
Finding the branchPark at the Punchbowl Road car park and follow the Devils Punchbowl Walking Track.
Park at the Punchbowl Road car park and follow the Devils Punchbowl Walking Track. Cross only the first bridge. The Cons Track turns left onto a small rise about 30 m before the second bridge, and it is easy to miss. The 2 km return distance begins at this junction; the approach from the car park adds walking.
A steep forest ridgeThe route climbs hard through beech forest on the north side of Punchbowl Creek.
The route climbs hard through beech forest on the north side of Punchbowl Creek. Expect uneven ground and tree roots to scramble over; the lower section can be wet and slippery. The ridge has serious drop-offs toward the creek, so stay on the marked track. As you climb, look for Rome Ridge and Mount Rolleston. Near the treeline the route dips briefly and turns right before its final steep push.
The bushline is the turnaroundThe marked track ends at the bushline, where bluffs and cliffs can disappear in cloud.
The marked track ends at the bushline, where bluffs and cliffs can disappear in cloud. On a clear day, the view back toward Arthur's Pass village is the payoff. Turn around here: there is no marked route to Mount Cassidy's summit, which is a separate alpine trip beyond this walk. Dogs are not allowed.
Winter adds avalanche terrainSnow and ice can cover the track in winter, and unmarked avalanche paths cross it.
Snow and ice can cover the track in winter, and unmarked avalanche paths cross it. When snow is present, this needs winter mountaineering equipment and avalanche assessment skills. The route is exposed to fast-changing mountain weather, and low cloud can hide the cliffs near the bushline.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Arthur's Pass
982 sightingsKeaMost seen around noonSighting map
39 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
190 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
20 sightingsKākāMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
15 sightingsWekaMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
15 sightingsParadise ShelduckMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Arthur's Pass. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
