The Lake Marian Track is one of the most popular walks in Fiordland National Park, along the Milford – Te Anau Highway.
At just over 6km return, it’s a relatively short track with a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains at the end. It’s a little technical on the track along the way, but that’s not a bad thing.
This post will give you all the details you need to know about walking the Lake Marian Track along with plenty of photos.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Lake Marian Track Details & FAQ
2. Lake Marian Track Map
3. How To Get To The Trailhead
4. My Lake Marian Experience
1. LAKE MARIAN TRACK DETAILS & FAQ
How difficult is the Lake Marian Track?
I rate this as a medium-difficulty track.
It’s not long, at just over 6km long, but for about 5km of this, you’re going through a rocky, rooty track that can be muddy. That said, I’ve heard of people of all ages (included young kids) completing this hike.
How much elevation gain is there on the Lake Marian Track?
Based on my Strava entry there’s 482 metres of elevation gain. The majority of this is on the way to Lake Marian. Here’s the elevation graph:
How long is the Lake Marian walk?
The DOC website states the track is 3.1km each way, which is exactly what my Strava entry recorded.
This is the distance to the beginning of Lake Marian. You can add more distance to that if you plan to walk along the side of the lake while you’re there.
How long does the Lake Marian Track take?
DOC suggests a 3-hour return walk which is going to be pretty accurate for a good portion of people given the technicality of the track.
My total walking time was 1 hour 41 minutes…this was about 1 hour to get to Lake Marian and 40 minutes return. I am a reasonably fast hiker though and was making good time on the way back.
So somewhere in that range will work for most…don’t forget to add on the time you plan to spend at the lake 🙂
Can you drive to Lake Marian?
No, you can not drive to Lake Marian. You’ll need to hike in the 3.1km (one way) to reach the lake.
Where is Lake Marian?
Lake Marian is in Fiordland National Park (GPS Co-ordinates: -44.7859982,168.0677137).
The Lake Marian trailhead is on Lower Hollyford Road which leads to the Hollyford Track, just off the Milford – Te Anau Highway (SH 94). The Lake Marian car park is about 37km from Milford Sound, and 88km from Te Anau.
Are dogs allowed on the track?
No. With no exceptions.
Are there toilets on the track?
There are two toilets. One at the car park, and the second one is about 200 metres before you reach the lake. Please use them!
Can you swim in Lake Marian?
You sure can! But it’s a little cold for my liking 🙂
Can you book this as a guided walk?
Yes! Fiordland’s Trips & Tramps offers this option. They’re not cheap, but you’ll learn a whole lot about Fiordland and get a unique experience.
2. LAKE MARIAN TRACK MAP
If you click on the topo map below it’ll open up the map in a new file.
The map above is the Strava GPX file overlaid on a topo map.
You can also see the trail on Maps.me (offline maps) and on Google Maps.
While you shouldn’t get lost as there’s plenty of orange markers, it might be a good option to have the map downloaded on Maps.me as there’s no reception out there.
A friend did say he walked way off track at one point…he somehow ended up going up the river bed, despite there being a big orange triangle showing you where to go.
3. HOW TO GET TO THE TRAILHEAD
The best way to get to the Lake Marian Track is by driving. As mentioned earlier, the Lake Marian car park (above) is about 37km from Milford Sound and 88km from Te Anau.
If you’re driving from Te Anau, it took us a little over one hour to get to the trailhead, but that was early in the morning with no traffic and no road works. During the busy times and with road works it could take 90 minutes or so from Te Anau.
You can hitchhike along this road pretty easily, and the trailhead is only 1km from the highway so that makes it easier. I waited about 10 minutes to get picked up when I was going to Milford Sound after the hike.
Another option is to use Track Net which provides transport services in the region. They do a drop-off to the Divide for the Key Summit Track ($68 return) so I’m sure if you contact them they’d happily arrange for you to be dropped off at the Lake Marian Trailhead. It’s only a few more kilometres.
RELATED POST: HOW TO GET TO THE ROUTEBURN TRACK
4. MY LAKE MARIAN TRACK EXPERIENCE
I started the Lake Marian walk early in the morning (7 am) after being dropped off at Marian Corner. There was only one car in the car park, so it looked like I might have the track to myself for a while…perfect!
The start of the track takes you over a suspension bridge which leads to a well-graded path that’s more or less flat. I wasn’t sure what condition the track would be in, but I was definitely surprised it was so well maintained.
The first 600 metres flew by, and that led to a section where they’ve built boardwalks right next to the river where there are rapids/waterfalls flowing below. This was a stunningly beautiful start to the track. I was sneaky impressed.
At the trailhead, there’s a viewing gantry they mention, which is a 20-minute return walk. If you’re super short on time and can’t do the full track, stop at the carpark and walk to the gantry…check out these photos (I love the first photo with the log balancing on the rock):
After you get past this section of beautiful waterfalls the track becomes a lot less graded, and the orange triangles on the trees will be useful at times when the track seemingly disappears.
The track is also at a steady climb most of the way from now. If you stop in at Pop’s View on the way to the track, you’ll get an idea of where you’re walking. In the photo above, Lake Marian is above the saddle.
It’s not crazy steep, but it’s definitely a push. It’s similar incline to the Tiki Trail at parts, but the path is lined with lots of ferns, moss-filled trees and other natives.
That said, it’s not a super long hike so just keep chipping away and you’ll get there. There’s one section where it flattens out for a few hundred metres, but it’s still technical as you’re in the forest all the way (there’s one short section where you get some views).
I did like that you could hear various birdsongs as you move away from the river after the waterfalls.
It’s interesting as it’s not until you’re at Lake Marian that you see it. You’ll know you’re nearly there when you see the toilet!
And then you’re at the lake with all the peaks surrounding you. How good! In the first photo below you can see I arrived not too long after sunrise.
It’s pretty rocky around the lake where you approach it from, so don’t get silly and roll an ankle. But there are some spots where you can clear a flat area and spend plenty of time here.
And for those who can’t sit still? You can swim, or take a walk to the other end of the lake (the lake is about 2km long). But let’s be honest, you know how to entertain yourself 😉
And then it’s time to make your way back. You should be able to get back faster, but the technical terrain doesn’t make progress easy.
Lake Marian is stunning! And what I like is that although the Lake Marian Track is quite popular, the whole track hasn’t been graded beyond the first 500 metres.
This will keep a few people away, but given the distance, there’s no reason why you can’t make it to lake Mariana and enjoy one of Fiordland’s beautiful pieces of nature.
If you have any questions about the Lake Marian Track, drop a comment below, or email jub@churnewzealand.com
RECOMMENDED READING
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How to get to Te Anau from Queenstown
Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland National Park
40+ Hikes in the South Island
Some of the best walks in the South Island are on this list.
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.