Routeburn Track

The Routeburn Track is a 33.1 km one-way Great Walk from Routeburn Shelter in Mount Aspiring National Park to The Divide in Fiordland National Park. You can walk it either way; this route runs west from the Shelter to The Divide. Plan on two to four days; the standard three-day itinerary includes about 11.5 to 15.5 hours of walking across its stages. The payoff is a proper alpine crossing, from a river gorge and beech valleys to a high pass and the lake country beyond. The two road ends are 325 km apart, so arrange transport at both ends before you start. For a day walk, Routeburn Flats Hut is 7.5 km from the Shelter; return the same way for about 15 km.

The first 7.5 km follows the clear Route Burn, passes Sugarloaf Stream, then climbs to Bridal Veil Waterfall and continues above a gorge. A swing bridge opens onto Routeburn Flats, a broad grass clearing with a hut and campsite. From there, another steady 2.3 km climb runs through beech forest, with views of the Humboldt Mountains, to Routeburn Falls Hut near the bushline and cascade. This section is marked, but the full track has steep, rough stretches that can be muddy or slippery, especially in poor weather.

The second day climbs through wetlands and tussock flats, then traverses bluffs above Lake Harris to Harris Saddle / Tarahaka Whakatipu at 1,255 m, the track’s high point. The day-use shelter just beyond the saddle has toilets and a place to get out of the weather. A short, steep climb to Conical Hill is a separate side trip with a view down the Hollyford toward the sea; it is not part of the 33.1 km route. The Great Walk continues across the exposed Hollyford Face, with wide views toward the Darran Mountains, then descends beside alpine plants to Lake Mackenzie and its hut. In marked rockfall areas, keep moving and follow the signs.

From Lake Mackenzie, the track climbs back to the bushline and drops past the open grassy Orchard and ribbonwood trees to 174 m Earland Falls. It then follows beech forest to Lake Howden; the former hut there was destroyed by storm damage in 2020. A final climb of about 15 minutes reaches the Key Summit junction before the track descends through silver beech to The Divide at 532 m. Key Summit is another separate return walk from the junction, so allow extra time if you add it. The Divide is described as the lowest crossing of the Southern Alps in New Zealand.

Three huts and two campsites are spaced along the route. During the Great Walk season, from November through April, book huts and campsites ahead. Huts have bunks and mattresses, heating, toilets, basic cooking facilities and cold untreated running water; they do not provide food, utensils, bedding or showers. There is no food for sale on the track. For a view that captures why the pass is worth the climb, frame Lake Harris below the Darran peaks from the Harris Saddle area, with the route visible across the slope.

During the Great Walk season the route is intermediate. From May to early November, it is an advanced or expert undertaking: snow and ice, avalanche terrain, and swift side streams can make the crossing dangerous, and avalanche-prone bridges may be removed. Conditions change quickly in the mountains. The Hollyford Face is exposed, and some sections are steep and rough. Dogs are not allowed on the track.

Didymo has been found in Potters Creek, Deadman’s Creek and No Name Creek between Harris Saddle and Lake Mackenzie. Follow Check, Clean, Dry guidance between streams, and do not take water from those creeks. Sandflies and wasps also occur along the route.