7 HIKES IN FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK

No doubt you already know there are lots of amazing walks and hikes in Fiordland National Park.

Some only take a few minutes, while others included rate as some of the best multiday hikes in the South Island with the Milford Track one of, if not the most famous hike in NZ.

This post will document the various Fiordland National Park hiking adventures I experience. Some are popular, others, not so much.

IMPORTANT: Hiking in Fiordland National Park during winter can be hazardous for a variety of reasons. Before doing any of these Fiordland walks in winter/spring (well, anytime) you should get to DOC for the most up-to-date information.

6 HIKES IN FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK

1. Routeburn Track
2. Kepler Track
3. Milford Track
4. Hollyford Track
5. Lake Marian Track
6. Deadmans Track
7. Gertrude Saddle Route

1. ROUTEBURN TRACK

• Distance: 33km
• Elevation Gain: ~1300 metres

I’m yet to do all of the great walks, but so far the Routeburn Track is my favorite.

I think it’s because of the various ways you can tackle it, and at 33km there’s a lot of variety. And when you add in the side trips like Deadman’s Track (below), Conical Peak, Valley of the Trolls, it’s awesome.

The Routeburn takes in both Fiordland National Park and Mt Aspiring National Park, with the Harris Saddle being the place where you change from one national park to the other (from my research).

There are some eic day hikes from the Divide (Key Summit being the most popular), but if you can do the full Routeburn Track, it’s awesome.

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2. KEPLER TRACK

• Distance: 60km
• Elevation Gain: ~2000 metres

The Kepler Track doesn’t get as much love as the other two great walks in Fiordland National Park (Routeburn and Milford), but that doesn’t mean that it’s rubbish.

The Kepler is a great three/four-day walk that takes you through the forest at the start and end, with the middle section taking you along some stunning alpine terrain with epic views.

There’s a good chance you’ll see kea here. If I could choose a hut in Fiordland to spend a few days at Luxmore Hut would be a top pick.

And given the trailhead is so close to Te Anau, the logistics of sorting out your Kepler Track transport isn’t such a big deal as the Milford and Routeburn which is nice.

There are lots of day walk options you can do on the Kepler too.

p.s. If you’re planning to do one of these Great Walks in winter, the Kepler Track is the best chance of the three…but there are still times when there’ll be dangerous levels of avalanche risk.

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3. MILFORD TRACK

• Distance: 53km
• Elevation Gain: ~1800 metres

The Milford Track is the most popular great walk based on how fast the huts sell out over the Great Walks season. For the 2022/2023 season? 3 minutes!

I talk more about other ways you can experience the Milford Track in the full FAQ post.

Why is it so popular? I’m going to put it down to remoteness, word of mouth, and because Milford Sound was called the 8th Wonder of the World back in the day.

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4. HOLLYFORD TRACK

• Distance: 56km
• Elevation Gain: ~1300 metres

The Hollyford Track is one of the tracks in Fiordland National Park that takes you to the coast! Depending on your recent

And it’s one of the best multiday hikes in Fiordland National Park to do in the winter, provided the weather is half decent. Despite being a relatively flat track, there are some tough sections on the hike (e.g. the Demons Track).

But there are so many different ways to tackle this hike, with the ability to fly in/out to the coast, or you can link it up to make a circuit. Or you can take a jet boat back…

And of course you can always hike in and out all the way both ways.

There are five huts along the way, so you can easily send a week out here if you wanted. Just be aware of the sandflies in the summer!

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5. LAKE MARIAN TRACK

• Distance: 6km return.
• Elevation Gain: ~482 metres

If you’re looking for a day hike along the road between Te Anau and Milford Sound that gives you a sample of what Fiordland NP is about, then the Lake Marian Track is a great option.

Located a short distance off the main road to Milford Sound, the first 500 metres of the walk is easy and leads you towards some beautiful rapids and waterfalls. For some people seeing this is enough, and it’s a beautiful spot to stretch the legs.

Carrying on, you get a technical track that climbs steadily up through the thick bush. Once you pop out 3km later, you’ve got the stunning Lake Marian to sit next to…or swim in if you’re brave.

You can easily spend a few hours hanging out here, but remember you’ve got to go back down and the descent isn’t much faster than going up given the difficult terrain.

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6. DEADMANS TRACK

• Distance: ~4.2km
• Elevation Gain: ~100 metres

This is the least popular trail on this list, it’s a little random but if you love ticking off walks or ideally like seeing no people on your hikes, go for the Deadmans Track. Note: You will need to be confident in dense bush.

The trailhead starts on Hollyford Road and connects to the Routeburn Track less than 2km from Harris Saddle.

Starting from the road, it’s a tough grind going straight up the majority of the time. As long as the weather has been fine recently, the regular orange track markers will keep you on track. It’s not easy going though and you’ll need to bash through sections that are quickly overgrown.

Given you reach the Routeburn Track, it could be a different way to begin your Routeburn. You could make it a long day hike and have things arranged so you get picked up at the Divide.

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7. GERTRUDE SADDLE ROUTE

• Distance: ~8.7km return
• Elevation Gain: ~650 metres

The Gertrude Saddle Route is fast becoming popular with Instagram photos and word of mouth doing their trick. At less than 10km, there’s a good amount of variety on the track and the views at the turnaround are insane!

But this is a track that needs to be treated with the utmost respect. If it’s dry, the rocks are grippy, but when it’s wet/icy they’re an ice rink and become dangerous.

There’s a couple of awesome accommodation options for this track too. You can stay at Homer Hut right by the trailhead, or camp at the saddle…how good to have such easy access to one of the best day hikes in Fiordland National Park.

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Fiordland National Park is huge, and a lot of it is near impossible to reach (not a bad thing!).

If you have any questions about any of the walks/hikes in Fiordland National Park, let me know in the comments below or email jub@churnewzealand.com.