Parking
Use the Punchbowl Road car park, about 500 m north of the Arthur's Pass Visitor Centre. The Devils Punchbowl Walking Track starts at the north end of the village, just off SH73; the signed Mount Aicken turnoff is about 15 minutes uphill.
Overview
About Mount Aicken Track
Why go
- Big height gain reaches the bushline in a compact out-and-back.
- The old pipeline ties the climb to rail-tunnel construction.
Heads up
- The 540 m ascent comes quickly over rough, rooty ground.
- The marked route stops well below Mount Aicken's summit.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Arthur's Pass map
Full mapElevation759–1,283 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 Mount Aicken 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 Mount Aicken Track
A short route with a hard climbMount Aicken Track is a steep out-and-back from the north end of Arthur's Pass village to the…
Mount Aicken Track is a steep out-and-back from the north end of Arthur's Pass village to the bushline. The mapped line follows the Devils Punchbowl access to the signed Mount Aicken turnoff, then climbs to the bushline: about 3.1 km (1.9 mi) return. DOC lists 2.8 km. Expect 2–4 hours and roughly 540 m of climbing. That's a hard ascent in a short distance, best for fit, experienced trampers rather than a casual village walk.
The approach and climbStart on the Devils Punchbowl Walking Track and take the Mount Aicken sign about 15 minutes…
Start on the Devils Punchbowl Walking Track and take the Mount Aicken sign about 15 minutes uphill. After the junction, the route climbs steeply over uneven ground and tree roots. It gains height quickly through forest, then ends at the bushline. Return the same way; this isn't a loop.
A rail-tunnel relicLook for the old pipeline beside the climb.
Look for the old pipeline beside the climb. It once fed the generator that supplied electricity during construction of the rail tunnel, a surprising bit of engineering history alongside this rugged track.
Turn around at the bushlineThe bushline is the end of the marked walk.
The bushline is the end of the marked walk. Mount Aicken's summit lies a considerable distance beyond it, with no marked route. Bluffs and cliffs are hard to see in cloud, and DOC warns against following streams or cutting through the bush on the way down. Snow can cover the track in winter, when unmarked avalanche paths cross it. Dogs aren't allowed; check the mountain forecast and current DOC notices before setting out.
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.
