Luxmore Caves

Overview

About Luxmore Caves

Tucked just below Mt. Luxmore and a short walk from Luxmore Hut, Luxmore Caves are a wild, undeveloped limestone cave system right off the Kepler Track. They’re an adventurous detour if you’ve already made the climb to the hut—no handrails, no lights, just your beam cutting across ancient rock.

Why stop

Beautiful limestone features like stalactites, stalagmites and shawl formations
Easy side trip from Luxmore Hut on the Kepler Track

Heads up

Completely unlit and can be slippery or icy
Requires a long hike to reach the area

Map

Where it is

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Full map

SightLuxmore Caves-45.38977, 167.61534

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Local know-how

Tips for visiting Luxmore Caves

Bring a powerful headlamp and spare batteries—there’s no lighting inside.
Wear shoes with great grip; the cave floor and side track can be slick or icy.
Only explore as far as you’re comfortable—this is an undeveloped cave.
Plan time conservatively: allow 5–6 hours to reach Luxmore Hut from the Control Gates.
Use toilets and water at Luxmore Hut; there are no services at the cave.

Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to visit

The Great Walks season (late October to late April) offers the safest mix of weather and track conditions. Outside this window, the side track can be icy and the alpine environment is far less forgiving. Visit during daylight hours so the approach and return are straightforward; bring your own lighting for the cave itself.

Getting There

Reach the area via the Kepler Track from the Control Gates car park near Te Anau. Plan for a solid climb: some guides quote 5–6 hours (about 14 km) to Luxmore Hut one way, and others faster—plan conservatively. From the hut, it’s a short signed side track (roughly 10–15 minutes) to the cave entrance.

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 Luxmore Caves, 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

More about Luxmore Caves

What You'll SeeExpect classic cave formations: stalactites, stalagmites and thin, rippling “curtain” or…

Expect classic cave formations: stalactites, stalagmites and thin, rippling “curtain” or “shawl” features that look dramatic under a strong headlamp. There are several small chambers and passages to poke around—go as far as you feel comfortable.

Safety and GearThis is true “wild caving.”

This is true “wild caving.” Bring a bright headlamp (plus spare batteries) and wear sturdy footwear with good grip. Surfaces inside and on the side track can be slick, and in winter or shoulder seasons the approach may be icy. There’s no infrastructure in the cave; only enter as far as you’re confident.

AmenitiesThere are no amenities at the caves.

There are no amenities at the caves. Luxmore Hut (nearby) has toilets and seasonal water; use the hut facilities before or after your cave visit.

WildlifeAround the hut, you may spot alpine birdlife (keep an eye out for cheeky kea).

Around the hut, you may spot alpine birdlife (keep an eye out for cheeky kea). Inside the cave, keep impacts to an absolute minimum—don’t touch formations.

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.