Parking
Start at the named Coral Track carpark on SH73, about 1 km west of Arthur’s Pass village. Capacity, fees, and trailhead facilities were not confirmed.
Overview
About Coral Track
Why go
- A direct climb to broad Bealey Valley views.
Heads up
- Very steep, exposed ground and a slippery descent.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Arthur's Pass map
Full mapElevation799–1,404 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 Coral 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 0.8 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Arthur's Pass Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Jacks Hut and Bealey Chasm
- Arthur's Pass Café and Store
- Avalanche Peak from the Village
- Avalanche Creek Shelter Campsite
- 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 Coral Track
The routeCoral Track is a steep 1.87-mile (3.
Coral Track is a steep 1.87-mile (3.0 km) out-and-back from its car park on SH73 to treeline above the Bealey Valley. The mapped track is about 0.93 miles (1.5 km) each way; the route line is stored once, and you return the same way. The reward is a high view into the valley. The published time is two hours to treeline, with no separate return estimate; allow about four hours for the full outing.
The climbExpect a very steep ascent through forest.
Expect a very steep ascent through forest. Near the upper forest edge, the track is exposed, with precipitous drops on both sides. The descent is especially slippery, so take care on the way down and turn back if the footing or exposure is beyond your comfort.
Treeline is the turnaroundThis walk ends at the forest edge.
This walk ends at the forest edge. Beyond it, the route becomes the serious Rome Ridge and Mount Rolleston climbing continuation, which calls for previous climbing experience and mountaineering equipment. That alpine extension is not part of this mapped walk.
Park rulesDogs are not permitted in Arthur's Pass National Park.
Dogs are not permitted in Arthur's Pass National Park.
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.
