Parking
Use the Routeburn Shelter car park at the end of Routeburn Road. The route starts at the Shelter and follows the Routeburn Track 7.5 km to Routeburn Flats Hut before the North Branch turn.
Overview
About Routeburn North Branch Track
Why go
- The sheltered Routeburn approach opens onto a broad, mountain-framed valley.
- The North Branch adds a rougher side route beyond the Great Walk hut.
Heads up
- A full 13.5-mile day from the Shelter.
- Intermittent markers and washouts make the branch harder to follow.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Mount Aspiring map
Full mapElevation475–853 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
1 active Mount Aspiring alert
- CautionRob Roy Track: stop at lower lookout during avalanche seasonFrom May through November, end your Rob Roy Track hike at the lower lookout; DOC strongly recommends against continuing to the upper lookout because the track crosses active avalanche paths.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Aspiring Tour Guide
Your drive to Routeburn North Branch Track, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Mount Aspiring 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 Mount Aspiring audio tourRecorded for this area
Routeburn Shelter: Choose Your Walk0:00 / 0:26
“You're coming up on Routeburn Shelter, where you can explore without tackling the full Great Walk. For a short stop, choose the Nature Walk, a forest-and-river loop taking forty minutes to an hour.”
Plays on the road 0.3 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Mount Aspiring Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lake Sylvan and the Old Tramline
- The Sugar Behind the Soot
- The Routeburn's Unfinished Gold Route
- The Warbler's Oversized Chick
- 80 audio storiesacross Mount Aspiring’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, Rockwren, Yellowhead, and 8 more
- Works offlinemaps, 50 trails, 52 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 North Branch Track
A full-day valley walkRouteburn North Branch Track is an out-and-back from Routeburn Shelter, following the Routeburn…
Routeburn North Branch Track is an out-and-back from Routeburn Shelter, following the Routeburn Track to Routeburn Flats Hut before turning up the North Branch valley. The full mapped outing is about 13.5 miles round trip and takes 8 to 9 hours. The first part is the familiar Great Walk; the branch is rougher and intermittently marked. If you want a shorter day, turn around at the hut: it is 7.5 km each way from the Shelter.
Through the Routeburn flatsThe approach climbs gently through beech forest beside the Route Burn, then opens onto broad…
The approach climbs gently through beech forest beside the Route Burn, then opens onto broad grassy flats with views toward the Humboldt peaks and Routeburn Falls. Routeburn Flats Hut sits near the branch junction. It has 20 bunks, toilets and a seasonal water supply; overnight stays need a booking during Great Walks season.
Finding the North BranchFrom the hut, cross a stream and follow the true right side of the North Branch.
From the hut, cross a stream and follow the true right side of the North Branch. The exact channel at the crossing is unclear; check the route and water before committing. The branch crosses grass, passes through a small patch of forest, and follows a tread that can disappear where it has washed out. Occasional poles or cairns help, but don't expect Great Walk marking once you leave the Flats.
The upper valleyA short, steeper rise beside the river opens into a wider valley under steep granite walls and…
A short, steeper rise beside the river opens into a wider valley under steep granite walls and snow-streaked Humboldt peaks. The last grassy flats, just before the valley narrows, make a sensible turnaround. For a sense of scale, frame the river below the steep headwall. Beyond them the route gets harder to follow and another stream crossing is involved. This route follows the named North Branch track only, not the remote North Col or Serpentine circuit.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Mount Aspiring
60 sightingsKeaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
112 sightingsRockwrenMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
26 sightingsYellowheadMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
13 sightingsTūīMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
27 sightingsBellbirdMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
35 sightingsRiflemanMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Mount Aspiring. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
