Queenstown-Lakes District, New Zealand, OT
A rugged 63 km Rees–Dart through-route for hut-based wilderness tramping
Overview
The Rees–Dart Track is a 63 km, four-to-five-day advanced tramping route through Mount Aspiring National Park, linking the Muddy Creek car park in the Rees Valley with Chinamans Bluff in the Dart Valley. It is a point-to-point traverse; arrange transport or a shuttle at the two ends if completing the classic Rees–Dart circuit. The route climbs to Rees Saddle, crosses exposed alpine country above Snowy Creek, and descends through beech forest and river flats toward the Dart.
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Queenstown-Lakes District Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Queenstown-Lakes District, New Zealand. 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 Queenstown-Lakes District audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Muddy Creek: Start of the Rees–Dart Alpine Circuit“The car park ahead is Muddy Creek, the starting point for the Rees-Dart Track. This is a demanding four to five-day alpine circuit connecting the Rees and Dart valleys.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Queenstown-Lakes District Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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
Big South Island drama: braided rivers, tussock basins, beech forest, and glacial country near Dart Hut. Keep an eye out for kea around the alpine sections. A conservation highlight: 18 takahē were released in the Rees Valley in February 2025—give them space and enjoy the rare sighting. Film buffs will recognize Dan’s Paddock near Paradise as the Isengard setting.
DOC times break down as: Muddy Creek → park boundary (12 km, 4–5 hr); park boundary → Shelter Rock Hut (7 km, 2–3 hr); Shelter Rock Hut → Dart Hut (10 km, 4–6 hr; narrow with steep drop-offs); Dart Hut → Daleys Flat (18 km, 5–7 hr); Daleys Flat → Chinamans Bluff (16 km, 5–7 hr). Together these sections make about 63 km one way and normally take four to five days. If the Dart road is flooded, you may need to walk the extra 6 km to Paradise. Strong parties can move faster, but most appreciate five days when rivers run high or for side trips from Dart Hut. Dart Glacier/Cascade Saddle is a serious, experienced-only outing; Whitbourn Valley requires a hazardous ford since the bridge was removed.
Serviced huts and campsites are available along the route; check DOC booking requirements and fees before departure. Camping is not allowed from Muddy Creek to the park boundary (private land) or between Shelter Rock Hut and Dart Hut (fragile alpine zone). Hut water is untreated—boil or treat it—and mice are common, so store food properly.
Start from Muddy Creek car park (Rees Valley, 68 km from Queenstown) or Chinamans Bluff (Dart Valley, 76 km from Queenstown). The Chinamans road is fine-weather only and can flood; you may have to walk to or from Paradise. Do not leave vehicles in risky washout spots. This is a point-to-point traverse, so arrange a shuttle or vehicle relocation between the two ends.
Rivers and side streams rise fast and can become impassable—carry spare food and an emergency shelter. The Waterfall Creek bridge between Clarke Slip and Shelter Rock Hut is structurally damaged; follow DOC directions and do not attempt hazardous crossings in high flows. The route has avalanche paths above the bushline, narrow sidles with steep drops between Shelter Rock Hut and Dart Hut, exposed terrain, and slippery conditions. Kea will chew unattended gear.
Wildlife
189 sightingsKeaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
18 sightingsKākāMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
195 sightingsKererūMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
48 sightingsWekaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
239 sightingsTūīMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
97 sightingsBellbirdMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Queenstown-Lakes District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateRouteburn Track33 km · 14 hr · 7.7 km awayIconic 33 km alpine Great Walk from Routeburn Shelter to The Divide
EasyRouteburn Nature Walk3.2 km · 54 min · 7.7 km awayEasy 3.2 km loop through beech forest from Routeburn Shelter
ChallengingEarnslaw Burn Track16.6 km · 10.5 hr · 12.2 km awayA rough, technical tramp to an icefall viewpoint in a glacier-carved valley
EasyGlenorchy Walkway5.5 km · 1.5 hr · 22.4 km awayFlat wetland loop with boardwalks, birdlife, and mirror-like mountain reflections.Parkwolf’s Queenstown-Lakes District ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
