Parking
Park at Pearl Harbour in Manapouri and arrange a water taxi or private boat to the jetty opposite the harbour; the walking route starts from that far-side jetty.
Overview
About Hope Arm Track
Also listed as the Pearl Harbour to Hope Arm Track, this is an out-and-back tramping route through Fiordland beech forest to Hope Arm Hut on the shore of Lake Manapouri. The hut sits at the far end of a pleasant beach, with the lake and surrounding mountains opening up after the forested approach.
Access is part of the experience: park at Pearl Harbour in Manapouri and arrange a water taxi or private boat to the jetty opposite the harbour. The stored line begins at that far-side jetty, follows the track to the Hope Arm junction, then takes the Hope Arm branch to the hut. The boat crossing is not walking distance. Allow about 17.2 km (10.7 miles) return and 4–6 hours, depending on conditions and stops.
This is an advanced tramping track rather than a groomed Great Walk. Expect roots, mud, uneven footing, wet sections and route-finding in places, especially after rain. Hope Arm Hut is a basic 12-bunk DOC hut; bring the equipment and food you need, and check current access and transport arrangements before setting out.
The route is best for experienced hikers who want a quiet Fiordland forest walk with a lakeside hut and beach destination. Do not add The Monument, Circle Track or Back Valley Hut to this line: they are separate options and would change the represented visitor experience.
Why go
- Quiet Fiordland beech forest leads to a lakeside beach and basic hut
- A genuine backcountry day out with water-taxi access and wide mountain scenery
Heads up
- A water taxi or private boat is required from Pearl Harbour to the far-side jetty
- Advanced tramping track with roots, mud, wet sections and uneven footing
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Fiordland map
Full mapElevation180–241 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 Hope Arm 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 tourRecorded for this trailhead
Pearl Harbour: A Quiet Walk to a Swimmable BayListen
“You're passing the trailhead for the Pearl Harbour Track. This is a great choice for a classic Fiordland walk through mature beech forest, often without the crowds of the more famous trails.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Fiordland Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Old Coach Road: A Lakeside Stroll
- Manapouri Track: A Lesser-Known Fiordland Hike
- Where the Waiau Was Tamed: Manapouri’s Managed River
- Pomona and Rona: Manapouri’s Island Sanctuaries
- 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!!!!”
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.
