Lake Howden Track

6.8 km return via the same track makes this a compact way to sample the Routeburn without an overnight trip. Allow about 3 hours for the out-and-back from The Divide carpark to Lake Howden. The route is about 3.4 km each way, an intermediate tramping track through silver beech forest with a short descent to the lake after the Key Summit Track turnoff.

The forest and changing mountain views do most of the work here, while Lake Howden gives you a quiet place to stop. For a useful photo, wait until the lake comes into view and frame the water through the beech trunks; the foreground makes the scale and setting clearer than a close-up of the shoreline. Lake Howden Hut was damaged in a storm in early 2020 and is permanently closed, so do not expect hut facilities at the lake.

Start at The Divide carpark on the Te Anau–Milford Highway, about 85 km from Te Anau. This route ends at Lake Howden and returns on the same track; the Key Summit branch is a separate detour and is not included in the listed distance. Expect mud or slick footing after rain, and carry waterproof layers because Fiordland weather changes quickly. Winter can bring ice or closures.

I would choose this when you want a properly wild-feeling walk rather than a paved viewpoint. It suits visitors happy with an intermediate track and a steady three-hour outing. If you have more time and good conditions, the signed Key Summit detour is the natural add-on, but Lake Howden itself is the simpler destination.