Lake Howden

Overview

About Lake Howden

Lake Howden is a small, pretty basin lake tucked into silver beech forest just east of Key Summit. It’s a natural crossroads where the Routeburn, Greenstone, and Caples Tracks meet—perfect for catching your breath between big Fiordland days or sneaking in a mellow side trip.

Why stop

Peaceful lake right at the Routeburn–Greenstone–Caples junction
Easy half-day add-on from The Divide, often paired with Key Summit

Heads up

Lake Howden Hut is permanently closed and there’s no accommodation
Expect wet, muddy sections and pesky sandflies after rain

Map

Where it is

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Full map

SightLake Howden-44.81984, 168.13688

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Local know-how

Tips for visiting Lake Howden

Pair it with the Key Summit side trip for big alpine views.
There’s no lodging at the lake—book nearby huts/campsites or use Greenstone Saddle Campsite.
Carry rain gear and warm layers; weather turns fast in Fiordland.
Bring strong insect repellent for sandflies.
Start from The Divide for an easy half‑day out-and-back.

Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to visit

Shoulder months (early November or April) help dodge peak Routeburn demand while still offering good walking conditions. If you’re planning overnights on adjacent tracks, book DOC huts/campsites well in advance during the December–March peak.

Getting There

Most day hikers reach Lake Howden from The Divide on the Routeburn/Key Summit corridor. It’s an easy half-day outing and commonly combined with the short Key Summit detour for broader alpine vistas.

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Fiordland Tour Guide

Your drive to Lake Howden, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Fiordland 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.

See the Fiordland audio tour

Recorded for this area

The Great Watershed

Listen

“This area is known as The Divide, where every raindrop has to pick a side. From here, water either flows west to the Hollyford River and the Tasman Sea, or east to the Eglinton River and the Pacific Ocean.”

Plays on the road 1.6 km from Lake Howden in the Parkwolf Fiordland Tour Guide.

More about Lake Howden

What You’ll SeeApproaches to the lake pass reflective tarns, mossy forest, and glimpses of the surrounding…

Approaches to the lake pass reflective tarns, mossy forest, and glimpses of the surrounding mountains. From the shore you get open views across dark, still water to steep, forested slopes—classic Fiordland mood.

Facilities and ClosuresThe former Lake Howden Hut was damaged in a 2020 storm and is permanently closed and removed.

The former Lake Howden Hut was damaged in a 2020 storm and is permanently closed and removed. There’s no accommodation at the lake and no services; the nearest legal camping is Greenstone Saddle Campsite about 20 minutes away on the Greenstone Track. Road access, parking, and services are at The Divide carpark, not at the lake.

WildlifeThe surrounding beech forest can be good for native birds—keep an eye and ear out for robins,…

The surrounding beech forest can be good for native birds—keep an eye and ear out for robins, tomtits, fantails, and, if you’re lucky, kea overhead. Quiet moments on the shore may reveal waterfowl.

Trail Notes and ConditionsFiordland is famously wet.

Fiordland is famously wet. After rain, expect muddy sections and occasional flooding in places along nearby tracks. Sandflies are common near water—pack repellent.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Fiordland

All Fiordland wildlife maps

1,181 sightingsKeaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map

199 sightingsFiordland PenguinMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

228 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map

32 sightingsBottlenose DolphinMost seen around 5 PMSighting map

247 sightingsNew Zealand Fur SealMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

58 sightingsKākāMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Fiordland. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.