Parking
The State Highway 6 entrance beside Our Lady of the Alps church has a very small parking area; additional parking is available in Franz Josef village a short walk away.
Overview
About Terrace Walk
Why go
- Glowworms around large fallen trees after dark
- A short rainforest walk close to Franz Josef
Heads up
- Very short for a daytime hike
- Glowworms can be hard to spot, and sightings aren’t guaranteed
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Westland Tai Poutini map
Full mapElevation162–182 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 Terrace 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
Terrace Walk: Glowworms Among Fallen Trees0:00 / 0:23
“Terrace Walk is coming up at the southern end of Franz Josef. I'd choose it after dark, when you may find glowworms in and around the large fallen trees beside the path.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Westland Tai Poutini Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- St James Church: the Peace Stamp View
- Cowan Street Walks: Callery Gorge
- West Coast Wildlife Centre: Finding the Kiwi
- Westland Visitor Centre and Waiho Hot Tubs
- 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 Terrace Walk
A quick forest walk, best after darkTerrace Walk is an easy out-and-back on a short gravel path through rainforest at Franz Josef’s…
Terrace Walk is an easy out-and-back on a short gravel path through rainforest at Franz Josef’s south end. The mapped route is about 0.6 miles round trip and takes roughly 30 minutes; leave extra time if you stop to look for glowworms. It’s a quick local outing rather than a substantial hike.
Follow the path and returnStart at the State Highway 6 entrance beside Our Lady of the Alps church, walk to the end, and…
Start at the State Highway 6 entrance beside Our Lady of the Alps church, walk to the end, and return along the same track. It winds along bush-clad terraces and gives you a short introduction to the region’s rainforest.
Published distances disagree. The Department of Conservation lists 1.8 km return, while the named path mapped from the entrance is about 0.49 km each way; a separate trail listing is close to 0.6 miles total. This guide follows the mapped line and reports about 0.61 miles return. Check the current DOC map if the longer figure matters to your plans.
Look around fallen treesAfter dark is the reason to make this walk.
After dark is the reason to make this walk. Glowworms can be found in and around large fallen trees beside the path. DOC recommends taking a torch; use it to follow the track, then give your eyes time to adjust. Sightings aren’t guaranteed, and visitors say the small lights can be easy to miss.
Parking and dogsThe entrance has very little parking.
The entrance has very little parking. There’s more parking in Franz Josef village, a short walk away. Dogs aren’t allowed on the track.
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.
