Lodging · Nelson Lakes National Park
An overnight stop between two four-hour legs in the D’Urville Valley.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Nelson Lakes Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Nelson Lakes 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.
“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!!!!”
Guide
Morgan Hut is a standard ten-bunk DOC hut at 545 m in the D'Urville Valley. It's an overnight stop on multi-day routes through Nelson Lakes, not a roadside visit. DOC's listed walking time is about four hours from both D'Urville Hut and George Lyon Hut, so plan it as part of a full traverse.
The approach from George Lyon Hut opens onto grassy flats with a view toward the northern Ella Range before returning through forest. This is remote valley travel; the hut makes more sense as the end of a long leg than as a short detour.
Inside are ten bunks with mattresses, a woodburner and a longdrop toilet. Water comes from a rainwater tank and is untreated, so treat it before drinking. DOC says bookings aren't needed and huts are first-come, first-served; bring a hut ticket or pass, plus your food and cooking gear. There is no food service here.
The current building dates to 2003, replacing an earlier hut threatened by floods. Its broad verandah and rainwater tank are useful in this remote valley, but this is a basic hut rather than a staffed facility.
Wildlife
20 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
39 sightingsWekaMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
11 sightingsKererūMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
55 sightingsBlack SwanMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
23 sightingsParadise ShelduckMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
17 sightingsTūīMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Nelson Lakes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingRotomairewhenua/Blue Lake Track15.4 km · 7 hr · 5.1 km awayThe clearest water comes after a long, serious alpine climb.
ModerateSabine Track15 km · 6 hr · 5.2 km awayOpen flats, a river gorge and a hut above Lake Rotoroa.
ChallengingMole Saddle–Tiraumea Track5.8 km · 4 hr · 5.2 km awayAn undulating ridge walk down to a backcountry hut.
Lodging · 5.2 km awayWest Sabine HutA warm, 30-bunk stop on the high Travers–Sabine Circuit
Lodging · 5.4 km awayMole HutFour bunks put you within reach of a tarn-dotted ridge.
Lodging · 6.3 km awayMount Misery HutA three-bunk hut high on the ridge, with wide range views.
Lodging · 7.5 km awayGeorge Lyon HutA 16-bunk backcountry refuge deep in the D’Urville Valley.Parkwolf’s Nelson Lakes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
