Best time to visit
- After rain for maximum drama in the falls (expect spray and wet surfaces)
- Early morning or late afternoon to dodge bus tour crowds
- Midday can be the busiest and harshest for photography
Overview
About The Chasm
A swift, rewarding stop on the Milford Road, The Chasm is where the Cleddau River has carved a narrow gorge into fantastically smooth basins and potholes. You don’t get a classic wide waterfall panorama here—you look down into a thundering slot where water has sculpted the rock into wild shapes.
Why stop
- Spectacular water‑sculpted potholes and roaring cascades from bridge viewpoints
- Quick, easy loop right off Milford Road with a large car park
Heads up
- Often crowded with tour buses during midday
- Sandflies can be relentless
Centuries of river flow, plus gravel and stones trapped in eddies, have ground the bedrock into polished basins and unusual patterns. It’s mesmerizing—and tricky to photograph well because of the depth and angles, so set expectations accordingly.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy It’s SpecialMap
Where it is
Loading the Fiordland map
Full mapLocal know-how
Tips for visiting The Chasm
Visit after rain for maximum power and drama.
Go early or late to miss the tour bus rush.
Bring strong insect repellent—sandflies are persistent.
There are no facilities here; plan bathroom and water stops in advance.
Mind your footing and keep gear secure when leaning over railings.
Plan your stop
Before you go
Best time to visit
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Fiordland Tour Guide
Your drive to The Chasm, 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 tourRecorded for this place
The Chasm's Sculpted Rock and Powerful WaterListen
“Up ahead is the stop for The Chasm, and it's a great use of twenty minutes. An easy loop walk on boardwalks takes you over a narrow, roaring gorge.”
Plays as you drive up to The Chasm in the Parkwolf Fiordland Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Avalanche Alley: Keeping the Milford Road Safe
- Why Fiordland's Water Changes Color
- Namu: Fiordland’s Sandflies—Why They’re Here and How to Outsmart Them
- Tawaki, the Rainforest Penguin
- 126 audio storiesacross Fiordland’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, Fiordland Penguin, Blue Duck, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 68 trails, 124 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!!!!”
Guide
More about The Chasm
What You'll SeePowerful waterfalls funneled through a tight rock chasm
- Powerful waterfalls funneled through a tight rock chasm
- Intricate, smooth rock bowls and potholes carved by swirling stones
- Lush beech rainforest framing the walkway and bridges
The WalkFrom the signposted car park, a short loop (about 400 m; roughly 10–20 minutes return) leads…
From the signposted car park, a short loop (about 400 m; roughly 10–20 minutes return) leads over boardwalks and bridges to vantage points directly above the chasm. It’s an easy add-on en route to or from Milford Sound.
WildlifeKea—the cheeky alpine parrots—are commonly seen around this stop, along with forest birdsong in…
Kea—the cheeky alpine parrots—are commonly seen around this stop, along with forest birdsong in the surrounding beech.
PracticalitiesThere’s a dedicated car park and marked trailhead, but no facilities—plan bathroom and water…
There’s a dedicated car park and marked trailhead, but no facilities—plan bathroom and water stops elsewhere. Sandflies are common. Stay on the path and use railings; rocks can be wet and the water is powerful. The track was damaged in a 2020 storm and has since been largely repaired; check current DOC updates before you go.
Is It Worth It?Absolutely as a quick stop: it’s a distinctive, sensory experience—more about the sound and…
Absolutely as a quick stop: it’s a distinctive, sensory experience—more about the sound and sculpted geology than big vistas—and a no‑brainer 20 minutes on the Milford run.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Fiordland
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 mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Fiordland. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
