As you drive into Mount Cook Village you can’t help but feel excited about some of the Mount Cook walks and hikes you’ve got coming up. The scenery is bucket list-worthy.
That’s if you’ve got clear skies, otherwise, you might not see much 😀
This post will cover 11 stunning hikes and walks starting in/close to Mount Cook Village. If you’re really keen you can knock them all out in a few days, but for the majority, you’ll choose 2-3 before moving on.
What do I think are the best Mount Cook hikes and walks? For walks, it has to be Hooker Valley Track. But for hikes, it’s got to be close between Mueller Hut and Sefton Bivvy.
THE MOUNT COOK WALKS
1. Hooker Valley Track
2. Mueller Hut Route
3. Sealy Tarns Track
4. Kea Point Track
5. Sefton Bivvy Hike
6. Tasman Valley Track
7. Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier View Track
8. Ball Hut Route
9. Governors Bush
10. Bowen Bush
11. Red Tarns Track
12. A map of the walks
13. FAQ’s about hikes in Mount Cook
1. THE HOOKER VALLEY TRACK
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Distance: 10-11km return.
The Hooker Valley Track is an easy, yet super rewarding track people put on their Aoraki/Mount Cook bucket list. Why?
- The views are amazing.
- It’s more or less flat.
- The path is well constructed.
- It’s a reasonable 10 – 11km out-and-back
- When you get to Hooker Lake, you get to see some amazing icebergs with Aoraki/Mount Cook in the background.
I’ve got plenty more details in the full post linked below, but my top tip for this track is to start as early as possible. The crowds start walking the track at around 8 – 9 am, so start as early as you can. It’s worth it.
2. MUELLER HUT ROUTE
- Difficulty: Hard.
- Distance: 10-11km (from the village).
The Mueller Hut Route is another popular track in Mount Cook National Park. But this one isn’t for everyone with over 1000 metres of climbing in about 5km. It’s not easy, and in the winter should only be attempted by people experienced with using ice axes/crampons.
But in the summer, it’s amazing! The hut is photogenic and the views you get on the way up are epic. You’ll get awesome views of the lakes, valley, and all the surrounding peaks.
Then when you get to the hut you can spend hours taking in the views and get a taste of what nature can offer with an avalanche party.
I’ve been up to Mueller Hut twice on day trips, but am excited for a chance to see sunset and sunrise while staying at the hut at some point.
3. SEALY TARN TRACK
- Difficulty: Medium.
- Distance: 7 – 8km return (from the village)
The Sealy Tarn Track is a track that’s a good challenge as you ascend 2000 or so stairs up to a tarn (small mountain lake).
This is the same track that takes you up to Mueller Hut, but if you’re short on time, this is a solid alternative where you’ll get the epic views of Mueller Lake, Hooker Lake, the valley, surrounding peaks, and of course Aoraki/Mount Cook.
Once you reach the tarn (a small mountain lake) there are good spots for a picnic/relax before you make your way back down the stairs.
This is a bit of a weird route in that you’re about halfway up to Mueller Hut which is epic…so you really should continue. But if you’ve only got a day in Mount Cook, this combined with the Hooker Valley Track will leave your cup full.
It’s also a good spot to reach in the winter when the snow further up the track makes reaching Mueller Hut treacherous.
4. KEA POINT TRACK
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Distance: ~6 km return (from the village)
If you’re short on time, the Kea Point Track is something you can do instead of the Hooker Valley Track. You won’t get to see Hooker Lake, but the track takes you up above Mueller Lake and you get some nifty views.
It’s an easy walk with only a little elevation. This is also a good after-dinner/sunset walk option if you’re staying at the campground or in town.
And the views at the end are top-notch. As you’d expect.
5. SEFTON BIVVY HIKE
- Difficulty: Hard.
- Distance: 13 to 14 km return.
Sefton Bivvy is one of the top bucket list hikes in Mount Cook. It’s not for the faint-hearted and not a hike to do if you’ve never been on an overnight hike before. But if this one is now on your radar, put it on the priority list. The climb up is rugged, but it’s not a long hike so you’ll be able to make it with some persistence.
You’ll want to take your tent on this hike as there’s only enough room for two people in Mount Cook’s oldest hut. On a stunning night though, you’ll have one of the best star views nature can offer. This is a truly magic trail if you’re lucky enough to go.
6. TASMAN LAKE TRACK
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Distance: ~2.6 km return.
The Tasman Lake Track will have you heading right at the junction after the shelter. From here you’ve got a pretty flat walk through the old terminal moraines of the Tasman Glacier with some plant life starting to come through. It’s crazy to think the glacier used to be way out here.
The track leads you to the end of the lake, the source of the Tasman River. You can even go down a little sidetrack to get to the lakeside where I was brave enough to put my feet in for a little bit. Yes, it’s cold.
If you want, you can take a direct route across the technical moraine terrain to the Tasman Glacier View. Otherwise, it’s an out-and-back path from the car park.
7. BLUE LAKES AND TASMAN GLACIER VIEW TRACK
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Distance: Less than 2km return.
This is an action-packed short walk. Walking past the Tasman Lake shelter, stay left at the junction and you’ll soon find yourself going up an incline. At the next junction, you can turn left to head to the blue lakes, or continue walking up to the Tasman Glacier view.
Stick right, and go to the viewpoint first (you can see the lakes from the viewpoint too). The view over the lake is pretty epic. In the winter the lake freezes over apparently. When I visited in early summer I was treated to icebergs.
As for the glacier, it’s way in the distance as it continues to recede. If you’re reading this a few years after I publish this post the glacier might even be out of view 🙁
After you’ve taken in the view, wander down to the blue lakes for a little bit. They’re greener these days. You can read about why on some of the information boards.
Of the two above walks, this is the most popular option.
8. BALL HUT ROUTE
- Difficulty: Hard.
- Distance: ~19km return.
This is another one of the walking tracks in Mount Cook that isn’t well known. But if you’re after backcountry huts with a little charm, the Ball Hut track to Ball Hut is where you need to go.
This is not an easy track to navigate. What was once a nice lovely 4WD track all the way to the hut is now a slip/avalanche path-filled track that’s only going to be suitable in the summer months for most people.
The first 4.5km or so will see you on the 4WD road, but after that, you’ve got to deviate off the main path which involves some technical sections.
But the hut is on a stunning little plateau and you get awesome views of Tasman Lake and the glacier.
This is not a good overnight hike if you’ve never stayed in a hut before due to the technical nature of the route. I’d recommend something like Meg Hut for that. Check out the full post for more details on the route.
p.s. you can consider this a cheap form of accommodation in Mount Cook too ($5/night or free with your Backcountry Hut Pass)
9. BOWEN BUSH
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Distance: Less than 1 km.
If you’ve got a little time (less than 20 minutes) to kill in Mount Cook Village and want to stretch the legs, the Bowen Bush is a nice wee loop track within the village. It’s a bush walk so you don’t get any views, but you do get to hear and see some birds which isn’t always the case on some of the other Mount Cook walks.
This is a walk you shouldn’t put on your must-do list, but if you have some time to spare and/or enjoy a quick morning jaunt the Bowen Bush loop will fit the bill perfectly.
10. GOVERNORS BUSH LOOP
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Distance: Less than 2km loop.
This is a nifty little bushwalk, and probably the best of the Mount Cook Village walks (inside the village itself). Longer than the Bowen Bush Loop above, but again one that’s more of a time filler than one where you’ll go out of your way to experience. It’s also a good option on a wet day.
It’s a bush-filled walk with a couple of little viewpoints along the way. With minimal elevation it’s not going to be tough on the legs, so a good option for a stretch of the legs before tackling Mueller Hut the next day.
You can also combine this loop with the Red Tarns Track (#5 above).
11. RED TARNS TRACK
- Difficulty: Medium.
- Distance: ~4 km from the public shelter
When I mention the Red Tarns Track most aren’t aware of this track. It’s a smaller version of the Sealy Tarn Track starting in the Mount Cook Village. And yes, that means the incline involves stairs more or less the entire way up.
If you’re planning to do the Mueller Hut Track, the Red Tarns Track is a good warm-up the night before. Or if you’re not sure about doing the Mueller Hut Track, this is a good option to see how your legs are with climbing.
And the walk is lovely. Crossing the bridge leads you into a climb through the bush before you start getting views of the village and valley with Cook in the background. At the top, there’s a small tarn, but in my mind, it wasn’t exactly red!
For the super-ambitious, you can continue on past the Red Tarn to Mount Sebastopol.
12. A MAP OF THE MOUNT COOK WALKS
Note: The markers in the map are of the turnaround points for the majority of the tracks, not the trailheads.
12. FAQS ABOUT MOUNT COOK HIKES
Can you walk to the top of Mount Cook?
Yes…but very few people should. It’s not high compared to many of the peaks around the world, but it is in terms of difficulty…and why you’ll likely never see me at the summit of Aoraki/Mount Cook.
What is the best walk in Mount Cook?
Most people will say Hooker Valley. For me? It’s close between Mueer Hut an Sefton Bivvy.
Are dogs allowed in Mount Cook?
No. This includes Mount Cook Village as there are no dogs allowed in Mount Cook National Park.
What is the best way to get to Mount Cook?
Driving. Having a car is the easiest way to get to Mount Cook. There are also plenty of tours that can take you to Mount Cook, and you can also easily hitchhike there too.
Is it possible to walk in Mount Cook in winter?
Yes. The Hooker Valley Track is walkable all year round (provided there’s no extreme weather events). The same goes for other walks like Kea Point, Tasman, and the ones around town. Most of the hikes are going to be possible at times in winter, but there may be times when they’re not possible without mountaineer’s experiment.
Always check in with the DOC Visitor Centre before you head out hiking and/or walking in Mount Cook.
I hope this post has helped you choose the best Mount Cook walks and hikes for you to put on your itinerary.
If you have any questions or comments about anything related to Mount Cook, let me know in the comments below or email jub@churnewzealand.com and I’ll do my best to help.
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.