Parking
Start at the Hawdon Shelter campsite parking area. Follow the Hawdon Hut Track for roughly 500 m before crossing the Hawdon River toward the bivvy.
Overview
About Sudden Valley Bivvy Route
Why go
- A remote two-bunk bivvy beneath the Polar Range.
- A varied route from gravel flats to gorge and mountain views.
Heads up
- Difficult route-finding and repeated unbridged crossings.
- A steep, loose bypass around Barrier Falls.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Arthur's Pass map
Full mapElevation571–959 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Arthur's Pass alerts
- CautionFlood damage on route to Sudden Valley BivvyMentions this trailSignificant flood damage makes the route to Sudden Valley Bivvy passable only when rivers are low.Official details
- 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Arthur's Pass Tour Guide
Your drive to Sudden Valley Bivvy Route, 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
Hawdon Shelter and Woolshed Hill0:00 / 0:35
“Hawdon Shelter Campsite is ahead, on broad grassy flats edged by beech forest and mountain slopes.”
Plays near this trailhead in the Parkwolf Arthur's Pass Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Wrybill’s Sideways Beak
- A Duck Built for Rapids
- The Bird with Almost No Tail
- Andrews Shelter Campsite and Casey Hut
- 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 Sudden Valley Bivvy Route
A remote route to a basic bivvyThe Sudden Valley Bivvy Route is an about 8-mile (12.
The Sudden Valley Bivvy Route is an about 8-mile (12.9-km) out-and-back from Hawdon Shelter campsite to a two-bunk shelter tucked into the upper valley. It starts on the Hawdon Hut Track, then follows open riverbed into a narrow gorge, climbs around Barrier Falls and finishes on flats below the Polar Range. Allow roughly four to six hours return; the linked route line measures 6.45 km to the bivvy, while another published estimate is longer at 15.7 km. Treat the distance as approximate on this untracked corridor.
This is a serious backcountry outing, not a maintained DOC track. Markers are sporadic, navigation is difficult, and the route crosses several unbridged waterways. DOC says the bivvy is reachable only when rivers are low. Check current river and route conditions before leaving, and turn back if a crossing is unsafe. Dogs are not permitted in Arthur’s Pass National Park.
From track to riverbedFrom Hawdon Shelter, follow the Hawdon Hut Track for about 500 m, then cross the Hawdon River.
From Hawdon Shelter, follow the Hawdon Hut Track for about 500 m, then cross the Hawdon River. A sign points toward the bivvy; beyond it, expect only scattered markers. The route follows gravel flats and stream margins before the valley tightens into a boulder-filled gorge. You will cross water repeatedly and pick your way over uneven rocks, so the short distance hides slow going.
Around Barrier FallsBarrier Falls blocks the upstream route.
Barrier Falls blocks the upstream route. The bypass climbs a steep scree slope on the true left, gaining about 100 vertical metres, then sidles through beech forest on a narrow ground track before rejoining the stream above the falls. The loose climb and route-finding are the most demanding parts of the walk.
The upper valley and bivvyBeyond the falls are more slippery boulder hops and stream crossings. After roughly 1.
Beyond the falls are more slippery boulder hops and stream crossings. After roughly 1.5 km the valley opens onto river flats, with the Polar Range rising beyond them; the bivvy is about 2 km farther on, tucked among beech on the true right of the stream. The open flats make the best place to frame the river with the sharp mountain skyline behind it.
The basic bivvy has two bunks and was built in 2007 to replace an older crawl-in shelter. No food service or toilet is listed for the route, so carry what you need for a remote backcountry trip.
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.
