Parking
Park at The Divide Shelter car park on Milford Road (SH 94), about 85 km from Te Anau; the road-accessed start has a shelter, tables, and toilets.
Overview
About Routeburn Track to Earland Falls
Why go
- Earland Falls' 174 m drop is a strong payoff for a Routeburn day walk.
- The Divide has road access, a shelter, tables, and toilets.
Heads up
- The 13.3 km return is a substantial day for a waterfall viewpoint.
- Rain, spray, and out-of-season snow or avalanche conditions can slow or stop you.
This is an out-and-back of about 8.3 miles (13.3 km) return from The Divide Shelter to Earland Falls, following the same Routeburn Track corridor both ways. Allow about 6 hours for the walk, including time at the falls. It is a long day, but the route trades a full Great Walk commitment for beech forest, mountain views, and a 174-metre waterfall.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe payoffMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Fiordland map
Full mapElevation536–1,025 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 Routeburn Track to Earland Falls, 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
The Divide: Gateway to the Routeburn and Key SummitListen
“You're approaching The Divide, which isn't so much an overlook as it is the gateway to some of Fiordland's most famous trails.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Fiordland Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Great Watershed
- Pop's View Lookout and the Hollyford Valley
- Jamestown: Fiordland's Ghost Town
- Lake Marian: A Classic Fiordland Alpine Hike
- 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 Routeburn Track to Earland Falls
Follow the RouteburnFrom the shelter, the track climbs and undulates through silver beech forest, with boardwalks,…
From the shelter, the track climbs and undulates through silver beech forest, with boardwalks, roots, rocks, and open stretches near the Routeburn's lakes and valleys. Earland Falls drops from Lake Roberts, and the track viewpoint sits close enough to feel the spray. You may not see the full height of the falls from below, so the sound and changing flow are part of the experience.
Plan for Fiordland weatherExpect wet conditions and slick footing, especially after rain.
Expect wet conditions and slick footing, especially after rain. Waterproof layers and a way to protect your phone or camera are sensible. Outside the Great Walks season, snow, ice, and avalanche hazard can affect this section; check the Department of Conservation before setting out. If you continue beyond the falls as an overnight walk, arrange the required hut bookings first.
Start and take the photoThe Divide Shelter is about 85 km along Milford Road (SH 94) from Te Anau.
The Divide Shelter is about 85 km along Milford Road (SH 94) from Te Anau. The road-accessed car park has a shelter, tables, and toilets, but the walk itself is a backcountry track, so bring what you need for the day. At the falls viewpoint, include a person or the track edge in the frame to give the 174-metre drop some scale, and keep your camera protected when spray is blowing across the route.
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.
