Parking
Use the Franz Josef Glacier car park at the end of Glacier Access Road / Te Ara a Waiau, about 4 km from Franz Josef/Waiau. Paid parking applies.
Overview
About Sentinel Rock Walk
Why go
- A broad Waiho valley view for a short stop
- Historic retreat photos at the viewpoint add context
Heads up
- The short climb feels steep to many walkers
- Cloud can obscure the glacier, which now sits well up-valley
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Westland Tai Poutini map
Full mapElevation224–259 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Westland Tai Poutini alert
- CautionActive landslide zones on Copland TrackDo not stop in either of Copland Track’s signposted active landslide zones; take extra care during and after heavy rain.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Westland Tai Poutini Tour Guide
Your drive to Sentinel Rock Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Westland Tai Poutini 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 Westland Tai Poutini audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Franz Josef Glacier Valley: Sentinel Rock0:00 / 0:27
“You're approaching the Franz Josef Glacier valley car park, where I'd choose Sentinel Rock for a short look over the valley. Allow twenty to thirty minutes return, with a short, steady climb.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Westland Tai Poutini Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Alex Knob or Lake Wombat
- St James Church: the Peace Stamp View
- Canavans Knob: Two Views from a Granite Hill
- Terrace Walk: Glowworms Among Fallen Trees
- 49 audio storiesacross Westland Tai Poutini’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, Blue Duck, Kererū, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 31 trails, 53 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 Sentinel Rock Walk
A quick viewpoint walkSentinel Rock Walk is a 0.56-mile round-trip out-and-back from the Franz Josef Glacier car park.
Sentinel Rock Walk is a 0.56-mile round-trip out-and-back from the Franz Josef Glacier car park. Follow the short shared access path, then climb to the rock and return the same way. Allow 20 to 30 minutes. It’s a good choice for a quick look across the Waiho valley and a useful story about how glaciers shape rock.
The climb and viewThe climb is short and steady, though plenty of walkers find the rise steeper than they…
The climb is short and steady, though plenty of walkers find the rise steeper than they expected. From the summit viewpoint, look across the Waiho River toward Franz Josef Glacier and the valley. The ice now sits well back up the valley, and cloud can hide it, so the river and the whole glacial landscape are part of the payoff too. Panels at the top compare the view with older glacier-retreat photographs. Dogs aren’t allowed.
Rock shaped by iceSentinel Rock emerged from beneath the glacier in 1865.
Sentinel Rock emerged from beneath the glacier in 1865. Ice ground its hard schist into a roche moutonnée, or “rock sheep.” Franz Josef Glacier has retreated more than 3 km since 1909; the panels make that change easier to picture against the valley below.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Westland Tai Poutini
89 sightingsKeaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
10 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
80 sightingsKererūMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
38 sightingsTūīMost seen around 5 AMSighting map
10 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
28 sightingsYellow-crowned ParakeetMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Westland Tai Poutini. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
