Parking
Park at The Divide carpark and shelter on SH94, about 85 km from Te Anau; toilets are available at the trailhead.
Overview
About Routeburn Track to Lake Mackenzie
Why go
- A continuous 11.3 km traverse from The Divide to Lake Mackenzie Hut.
- Earland Falls and The Orchard break up the beech-forest climb.
- The lake and hut make a satisfying destination for a long day.
Heads up
- Point-to-point logistics require a shuttle or a 14.1-mile return.
- Wet footing, bridges, and sustained mountain terrain demand steady pacing.
- Winter brings snow, ice, avalanche hazard, and shorter daylight.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Fiordland map
Full mapElevation544–1,055 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 Lake Mackenzie, 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 Lake Mackenzie
The routePoint-to-point, 11.3 km / 7.0 miles one way.
Point-to-point, 11.3 km / 7.0 miles one way. From The Divide Shelter to Lake Mackenzie Hut, allow 4.5 to 6 hours. If you are walking back to your vehicle, the same corridor makes a roughly 14.1-mile return; otherwise arrange a shuttle between the two ends.
What you will seeThe track climbs through beech forest past the Key Summit junction, then reaches Earland Falls…
The track climbs through beech forest past the Key Summit junction, then reaches Earland Falls and the open Orchard before easing toward Lake Mackenzie. The route is well formed but sustained, with rock steps, bridges, and wet footing common in Fiordland. Lake Mackenzie Hut sits beside the lake and makes a satisfying destination for a long day.
Plan itThe Divide is on SH94, about 85 km from Te Anau.
The Divide is on SH94, about 85 km from Te Anau. A shelter, toilets, and parking are at the trailhead. This is a Great Walk route, and huts and campsites require bookings during the Great Walks season. Dogs are not allowed. In winter, snow, ice, avalanche hazard, and short daylight raise the stakes. Heavy rain can affect the Earland Falls and Orchard section, so bring rain gear and check the track information before setting out.
Make time for the viewsAllow a minute at Earland Falls, especially when the falls are running strongly, and include…
Allow a minute at Earland Falls, especially when the falls are running strongly, and include the water and hut in photos at Lake Mackenzie for scale. If a bridge detour is signed at the falls, use it. This route suits hikers comfortable with a long mountain day more than anyone looking for a casual stroll.
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.
