The Rees Dart Track is an amazing 4-5 day hike in Mount Aspiring National Park following two stunning rivers. This article will help you plan your Rees Dart hike, from packing, transport, accommodation, what you can expect, and more (there’s no shortage of photos either).

The Rees Dart Track is regularly mentioned by people living in Queenstown as a hike on their must-do list. Having completed the 85km track (including the day trip to Cascade Saddle), it deserves to be on your must-do list.

Along the way, you’ll see two amazing rivers as you walk through beautiful valleys. You get some glacier action, waterfalls, reach one, maybe two saddles, and get a glimpse of how powerful nature can be.

But as this isn’t a great walk, it’s not a walk where you’ll have to put in a little bit more effort with your planning.

I’ve completed this route and learned a lot. Add in talking to a bunch of others about their experience and I’ve got enough experience to help you get ready for this hike.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Essential Rees Dart Track Info (& map)
2. Planning Your Rees Dart Track Trip
3. Rees Dart Track Hiking Itineraries
4. Is There A Good Day Hike On The Rees Dart?
5. Huts vs. Campsites On The Rees Dart
6. Where To Stay On The Rees Dart Track
7. When To Hike The Rees Dart Track
8. How To Book The Rees Dart Track
9. What To Pack For The Rees Dart Track
10. Notes From The Rees Dart Track

1. ESSENTIAL REES DART TRACK INFO

Trail Length: ~85km (including Cascade Saddle).
Elevation Gain: ~3,000 metres (including Cascade Saddle).

The elevation profile from Muddy Creek to Dart Hut:

The elevation profile from Dart Hut to Chinamans Bluff via Cascade Saddle:

Time: 4 – 5 days for the majority of people.
Type of Trail: Point to Point (it’s ~35km between the two trailheads).
Trailhead: You can start at Muddy Creek car park or Chinaman’s Bluff car park.

Rees Dart Track Map

Clicking on the image below will open the map in a new window.

While it’s not a great walk, the hut capacity along the Rees Dart Hut is an indicator this is one of the most popular hiking trails in Mount Aspiring National Park (in the summer). There are even flush toilets and hut wardens in the summer 😛

The tricky part about the Rees-Dart is the planning involved. While you don’t need to book the huts/campsites in advance, booking your transport…or at least making a plan is a good idea. Why? They say Glenorchy is one of the most isolated towns in NZ (though there are heaps of great trails in the area), and the trailheads are beyond Glenorchy so you’ll need to figure out how to get there and back.

And before you ask, forget about doing this hike in winter.

But with a little bit of planning, you’re in for an epic tramp on the Rees Dart hike.

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2. PLANNING YOUR REES DART TRACK TRIP

The majority of people will hike the Rees Dart Track the same way (anti-clockwise starting from Muddy Creek), but that doesn’t mean you can’t be different. Remember, this isn’t a loop track!

Step #1: Choose Your Trailhead

There are two trailheads on the Rees Dart Track.

• Starting from Muddy Creek Car Park (anti-clockwise): This is the most popular route, starting from the eastern side of the track where you’ll go up the Rees River and down the Dart River.
• Starting from Chinamans Bluff (clockwise): Starting a little beyond the settlement of Paradise, you’ll walk in a clockwise direction on this hike, walking up the Dart River and back down the Rees.

The two trailheads are 35km away from each other so you’ll want to figure out this part before you aimlessly head to a trailhead. I’ll mention the Rees Dart Track transport options later, but it’s something you’ll want to have at least an idea of what you’ll do as the 35km walk between trailheads is not a great way to start/finish the track.

Step #2: Decide how many days you’ll need

The majority of people spend 4 – 5 days hiking on the Rees-Dart Track. Four days if the Cascade Saddle side trip doesn’t happen, and 5 days if it does (it’s about a 20km return trip to Cascade Saddle from Dart Hut).

Keep in mind the elevation and the terrain when you’re planning your trip. There are only a few huts along the way, and they’re all roughly equally spaced apart so trying to cut the hike down to 3 days, while feasible, isn’t always the smartest of ideas.

The trip up to Cascade Saddle is the best part of the hike for most people (me included), and on a nice day, you can easily spend a couple of hours chilling there. Add in a side trip up to Kea Basin, and all but the most avid of trampers will be happy as doing this over five days.

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3. REES DART TRACK HIKING ITINERARIES

Hiking the Rees Dart Track over 5 days – Recommended Itinerary

• Day One: Muddy Creek to Shelter Rock Hut, 19 km
• Day Two: Shetler Rock Hut to Dart Hut, 10 km
• Day Three: Dart Hut to Cascade Saddle, return, 20 km
• Day Four: Dart Hut to Daley’s Flat Hut, 18 km
• Day Five: Daley’s Flat Hut to Chinaman’s Bluff, 16 km

If you were to do the hike over 4 days most people will miss day three of this itinerary. The best part. But sometimes there’ll be weather/time pressure/out and back nightmares that’ll stop you from going to Cascade Saddle…it’s not the end of the world if you don’t go.

If you want to go to Cascade Saddle and complete the trip in 4 days, you’ll need to be prepared for one big hiking day. I’d suggest combining days four and five…IF you have your own transport sorted. Otherwise you could leave Shelter Rock early on day two and plan to get up to Cascade Saddle in the afternoon depending on how the legs feel etc.

Can you do the Rees Dart in 1, 2, or 3 days?

Yes, like most multiday hikes in the South you can skip a hut or two. But it’s not for everyone. You’ll need to be very confident in your hiking ability. I completed the track (plus Cascade Saddle) in 2 days, but am a fit human. They were still two big days!

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4. IS THERE A GOOD DAY HIKE ON THE REES DART?

If you were to do a day hike on the Rees Dart, you’ll want to make it from the Chinamans Bluff end in my opinion. The Muddy Creek end of the track is boggy and not so much of an enjoyable trek.

An out and back to Daley’s Flat Hut isn’t practical so simply walk until you feel like it’s a good point to turn around.

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5. HUTS VS. CAMPSITES ON THE REES DART TRACK

There are some amazing spots you can camp along the Rees-Dart Track. While huts are always an amazing experience, if you’ve got a good weather window, don’t rule out camping. There are pros and cons to each.

HUTS ON THE REES-DART TRACK

HUTS ON THE REES DART TRACK

Pros

• Solid fuel fires
• Sturdy roof over your hut
• Easier to chat with others
• Matresses are provided

Cons

• More expensive than camping ($20/night/person for adults). Your Backcountry Hut Pass is not valid over the summer period.
• If you get snorers in your room you may not get much sleep
• People have a wide variety of sleeping ties

CAMPING ON THE REES-DART TRACK

Note: The only area you cannot camp on the Rees-Dart Track is between Shelter Rock Hut and Dart Hut.

Pros

• More freedom on where you can stay
• You can stay close to Cascade Saddle (by Cascade Creek where there’s a toilet)
• Cheaper with campsites close to the huts $5/adult (you can use the toilets but not the facilities inside the huts)

Cons

You need to carry a tent/sleeping mattress

If it’s wet, things can get messy. Fast

Harder to make friends unless you camp right next to others.

Harder to get wet clothes dry overnight

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6. WHERE TO STAY ON THE REES-DART TRACK

Shelter Rock Hut
This is about 19km from the Muddy Creek car park and is the first hut on the route when taking the most popular, anti-clockwise route. It’s a 22-bed bunk with mattresses and plenty of common room space and seating. There are flush toilets at the hut, heating, and tap water.

Dart Hut

This is the premier hut on the Rees Dart Track as you’ll stay here for two nights if you’re doing the Cascade Saddle side trip. This is pretty close to the level of facilities in a Great Walk Hut in my eyes.

Daley’s Flat Hut

Close to the river after navigating Cattle Flats, there were a lot of New Zealand sandflies here!

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7. WHEN TO HIKE THE REES DART TRACK

This is a hike that should be avoided in the winter…and thankfully most do with the logbooks showing a long gap between visits over the winter period (if I remember correctly no one stayed in the huts from mid-June to mid-October).

The reason for this is you’re walking through valleys, next to rivers that are high due to glaciers/snow melt from the surrounding mountains. So the risks are avalanches in parts, and simply the rivers are too high to be crossed safely (DOC remove the bridges).

If you prefer to have the track to yourself, you can consider hiking the Rees Dart Track in November. While the bridges probably won’t be in yet, the rivers can be low enough to cross…do speak with the DOC visitor centres for up-to-date information on the track.

The DOC wardens tend to show up at the start of December and are great people in my experience. They make the hike awesome and can provide weather updates each morning, this is particularly helpful for the Cascade Saddle day trip.

A big shoutout to Gareth and Sam, the wardens on the track while I was there.

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8. HOW TO BOOK THE REES-DART TRACK

Accommodation: There’s no need to book the huts on the Rees Dart Track in advance. But you may want to book your accommodation for the day before and after the hike in advance to ensure you’ve got a good night’s sleep on either side of the hike.

p.s. Don’t forget to buy pre-purchase your hut tickets.

Transport:

This is the part that prevents the majority of people from doing the Rees Dart Track in my experience. There are lots of ways to get there though, such as:

• Bus
• Car Relocation
• Buses
• Car Swap

For more information, check out the full Rees Dart Track Transport post. It’s imperative you put your post-hike transport plans into place before you begin hiking this track due to how remote the trails are.

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9. WHAT TO PACK FOR THE REES DART TRACK

For a 4-5 day hike, getting your packing right could be the difference between an enjoyable hike every day…or a super niggly hike. Somethings to consider bringing on the Rees Dart Track:

Food: There’s no food or snacks to buy along the way. It’s best to get your supplies in Queenstown as options are limited in Glenorchy. Don’t forget you’ll need to carry out all your garbage, so bring a couple of bags to deal with that.

Cooking things: Do you need a stove to cook your food? What about cutlery and vessels to eat with?

Sleeping bag: You’ll need a sleeping bag regardless of whether you’re staying in huts or campsites.
A tent/sleeping mat: Only required for campers. Those staying in huts are provided a bunk bed with a mattress.

Reusable water bottle: There’s no shortage of water sources on the Rees-Dart Track. You can get away with a 500 ml drink bottle, but you can’t go wrong with erring on the side of caution with a 750 ml /1 litre bottle.

Hut Tickets: Bring your hut tickets or Backcountry Hut Pass. You can bring along cash to pay for the huts as well, but pre-purchased hut tickets are the best option for all.

Battery pack: Even on airplane mode, many phones will do well to last the whole hike without needing to be recharged. And you might want to recharge other items like cameras, head torches (I use this Knog head torch) and/or your Macpac mini lantern.

Insect repellent: Unfortunately you may need to deal with those pesky sandflies on this hike (I was ravaged near Daley’s Flat Hut). The itchy bites are not ideal! There are all sorts of solutions to keep them but a good quality sandfly repellent will do the job.

Sunscreen, Sunglasses and a hat: A must in the summer. There are some long stretches where you’ll be exposed to the sun. For sunscreen, I recommend Skinnies, sunglasses – Goodr, and I’m not biased towards any hat really.

Waterproof layer and bag protection: If you’re planning to be out hiking for 4 – 5 days in this region, that’s a long time for the weather to not change at all in this region. Make sure you’ve got at least a good rain jacket with you (I wear the Macpac Tempo Jacket) and a good dry bag with you for inside your bag (a wet sleeping bag isn’t great).

Good hiking clothes: Be practical. There’s a whole host of hiking clothing you can buy, just don’t be that person who goes in jeans.

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10. TRACK NOTES

• The bogs at the Muddy Creek end of the track are not fun! Expect to get wet/muddy feet, even in summer.
• There’s a small cave you can spot going up the Rees Saddle from the Rees River side. I didn’t explore it, but I’ve heard it’s fun…people will often leave a beer in there 🙂
• Over the summer of 2021/22 kea’s were ruining tents across the track.
• Even in the summer the rivers fluctuate heaps after some rain. Make sure you know how to cross rivers safely.
• There’s a rock biv you can stay at near Cattle Flat.

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The Rees-Dart Track is amazing. It’s a hike that lives up to the expectations of pretty much everyone, similar to the Earnslaw Burn Track.

If you’ve got any questions and/or comments about the Rees Dart Track, leave a comment below or email jub@churnewzealand.com

Other than that, here are a few more Rees-Dart Track photos to convince you to go.

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