Parking
The walk starts at the end of Lodge Road near Rotoiti Lodge. A marked public parking area, capacity, fees and trailhead facilities were not confirmed; do not assume the lodge car park is public.
Overview
About Black Hill Walk
Why go
- A compact loop with a varied, steep forest climb.
- A clearing near the top looks toward St Arnaud and Big Bush.
- The volcanic hill has a distinctive glacial history.
Heads up
- The climb and descent are steep.
- The return includes a roadside stretch beside SH63.
- The published 3.2 km distance does not match the roughly 2.2 km mapped loop.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Nelson Lakes map
Full mapElevation635–745 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Nelson Lakes alerts
- ClosureRotoroa Route permanently closedThe Rotoroa Route is permanently closed along the eastern side of Lake Rotoroa between Rotoroa village and Sabine Hut.Official details
- CautionUnbridged stream between Sabine and D’Urville hutsThe bridge on the track between Sabine Hut and D’Urville Hut has been removed; trampers must cross an unbridged stream at GR E1571366 N5359831.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Nelson Lakes Tour Guide
Your drive to Black Hill Walk, narrated.
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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Lodge Road and Black Hill Walk0:00 / 0:22
“You're nearing Lodge Road, the access for Black Hill Walk. This is a steep forest loop with a small clearing near the top looking toward St Arnaud and Big Bush Conservation Area.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Nelson Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Nelson Lakes Visitor Centre
- West Bay, Lake Rotoiti
- St Arnaud: Food and Village Stops
- Kerr Bay and Lake Rotoiti
- 26 audio storiesacross Nelson Lakes’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor New Zealand Falcon, Weka, Kererū, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 57 trails, 47 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 Black Hill Walk
The loopBlack Hill Walk is a short, steep loop from the end of Lodge Road near Rotoiti Lodge.
Black Hill Walk is a short, steep loop from the end of Lodge Road near Rotoiti Lodge. It climbs through forest to a clearing near the top, descends steeply to SH63, then follows the roadside and Lodge Road back. Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes. The published route figure is 3.2 km return, while the connected mapped loop is about 2.2 km (1.4 mi); that roughly 1 km difference remains unexplained, so treat the mapped distance as approximate.
Climb and returnThe climb passes through beech forest mixed with mānuka and kānuka.
The climb passes through beech forest mixed with mānuka and kānuka. The descent to the highway is steep, and the return follows the road edge before turning up Lodge Road. Take care around traffic on SH63.
A clearing above St ArnaudA small opening near the top gives views toward St Arnaud and Big Bush Conservation Area.
A small opening near the top gives views toward St Arnaud and Big Bush Conservation Area. Forest covers much of the route, so expect the view at the clearing rather than an open ridge walk.
A hill shaped by iceBlack Hill is a volcanic roche moutonnée: a bedrock hill sculpted by glacial ice.
Black Hill is a volcanic roche moutonnée: a bedrock hill sculpted by glacial ice. The Travers Glacier shaped this landscape during the last ice age, around 20,000 years ago.
Conditions and rulesCold or wet conditions can occur here in any season.
Cold or wet conditions can occur here in any season. Sandflies are especially noticeable in summer, and wasps are more common from December through April. Domestic animals are not allowed. There are no rubbish facilities, so carry everything out.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Nelson Lakes
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.
