Parking
Start at Morrison Footbridge on SH73. A roadside layby beside the bridge is reported as the parking area; its capacity and facilities have not been independently confirmed.
Overview
About Pfeifer Bivvy via Waharoa Saddle
Why go
- A two-bunk bivvy waits in a tussock basin with broad valley views.
- The saddle and upper ridge add a proper alpine finish to the overnight tramp.
Heads up
- The bouldery stream approach has several crossings and easy-to-miss forks.
- No DOC-maintained track; the upper route needs reliable navigation and good visibility.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Arthur's Pass map
Full mapElevation294–1,405 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 Pfeifer Bivvy via Waharoa Saddle, 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 trailhead
Morrison Footbridge to Pfeifer Bivvy0:00 / 0:27
“You're coming up on Morrison Footbridge, the start of a remote mountain route to Pfeifer Bivvy. The two-bunk hut sits in a tussock basin with views across the Taramakau Valley in clear weather.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Arthur's Pass Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Mountains Still on the Rise
- The Bird That Winters Above the Trees
- Why the Mountains Catch the Rain
- A Roroa Duet After Dark
- 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 Pfeifer Bivvy via Waharoa Saddle
The climb to the bivvyThis is a remote 9.5 mi (15.
This is a remote 9.5 mi (15.3 km) out-and-back from Morrison Footbridge on SH73 to Pfeifer Bivvy, retracing the same corridor. Allow 4–6 hours each way on the rough climb; most people should plan an overnight stop in the free, two-bunk hut. The reward is a tussock basin on the Aicken Range, with a small creek spilling over its rim and views across the Taramakau Valley.
Finding Paratu CreekCross Morrison Footbridge and follow the signed approach along the true-right side of the…
Cross Morrison Footbridge and follow the signed approach along the true-right side of the Deception River, then leave the track across open farmland for Paratu Stream. Route descriptions differ on the first marked connector, so check current signs and route notes at the turn. Once you reach the stream, the climb is mostly a bouldery creek bed with several crossings that can wet your feet. At about the 560 m contour take the true-right fork; around 820 m, leave the main flow for the less obvious true-left tributary toward Waharoa Saddle. Both turns are easy to miss.
Over Waharoa SaddleThe stony, open saddle sits at about 975 m, with views toward Otira and Lake Kaurapataka.
The stony, open saddle sits at about 975 m, with views toward Otira and Lake Kaurapataka. Above it, a rooted climb through alpine scrub opens onto tussock, a tarn near Pt 1364, and a rocky knoll around 1460 m. From the knoll, drop east across a rock field and benches into a tussock basin, then follow the fault scarp around the next spur to the bivvy's basin. This upper section is unmarked alpine travel; poor visibility makes route-finding harder.
The overnight stopPfeifer Bivvy sits at about 1295 m. It is free, has two bunks, and does not take bookings.
Pfeifer Bivvy sits at about 1295 m. It is free, has two bunks, and does not take bookings. Nearby tarns and a small creek are the reported water sources, so bring a way to treat water. The current shelter was built in 2008 to replace a New Zealand Forest Service B55 bivvy from 1962. Kiwi have been heard in the basin after dark, though a call is never guaranteed.
Keep the extensions separateThe Mt Pfeifer summit scramble is a separate outing from the bivvy, about 45 minutes up when…
The Mt Pfeifer summit scramble is a separate outing from the bivvy, about 45 minutes up when snow-free; it is not included in this distance or route line. The 22.1 km Lake Kaurapataka exit is a different full-loop route, not the same-way return described here.
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.
