Parking
There is no road access or trailhead parking at Hauroko Burn Hut. Arrange a boat across Lake Hauroko or an air transfer, then arrange transport from West Arm near Lake Manapouri.
Overview
About Dusky Track
Why go
- Exceptional wilderness and solitude across rainforest, alpine country and river valleys.
- Lake Roe, the Pleasant Range and views toward Tamatea/Dusky Sound reward the effort.
- A true hut-to-hut journey for experienced trampers who want a demanding route.
Heads up
- Boat or air access at the start and transport planning at the finish are essential.
- Mud, unbridged rivers, wire bridges and rough terrain can make progress very slow.
- Basic huts and weather delays demand extra food, navigation backup and flexibility.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Fiordland map
Full mapElevation40–1,090 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Fiordland Tour Guide
Your drive to Dusky Track, 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- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Dusky Track
Take the full commitmentThe primary through-route is about 35.
The primary through-route is about 35.5 miles (57 km) one way, from Hauroko Burn Hut to the Wilmot Pass Road/West Arm end near Lake Manapouri. Allow 8–10 days. DOC's brochure describes the wider route system as 84 km because it includes the optional two-day return to Supper Cove; that branch is not part of this mapped line.
Earn the big countryThis is an advanced, remote tramp through rainforest, river valleys and the open Pleasant Range.
This is an advanced, remote tramp through rainforest, river valleys and the open Pleasant Range. Lake Roe, the views toward Tamatea/Dusky Sound, the Seaforth Valley and Centre Pass are the rewards. The line finishes through Upper Spey country and onto Wilmot Pass Road.
Expect slow goingMud, fallen trees, steep rough sections and wire bridges are part of the deal.
Mud, fallen trees, steep rough sections and wire bridges are part of the deal. Several rivers and side channels can become impassable after rain, including the Seaforth and Hauroko crossings. Huts are basic and first-come, with untreated water; take a PLB, navigation backup and more food than a tight itinerary allows.
Sort out both endsThere is no road access to Hauroko Burn Hut.
There is no road access to Hauroko Burn Hut. Arrange a boat across Lake Hauroko or an air transfer, then plan transport from West Arm. For photos, pause on the open Pleasant Range and include the track or tarns in the foreground so the scale of the Fiordland valleys reads on a phone.
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.
