Devils Punchbowl Falls

The Devils Punchbowl drops 131 metres in a single fall off a hanging valley above Arthur's Pass village, and the walk to it is the standard thing everyone does on a stop here: about an hour return, starting flat along the Bealey River, crossing a footbridge and then climbing a long series of steps through beech forest to a viewing platform facing the fall from a couple of hundred metres away. The volume is what people remember - after rain the spray reaches the platform and the noise fills the valley. The forest here is mountain beech with kea often around the village and car park, and kea will strip rubber from cars given the chance. The village sits at 740 metres in a genuine alpine pass, so weather is changeable and the highway occasionally closes for snow or slips. The train stops here, which makes it one of the few alpine walks reachable without a car.

What you actually see

• The 131-metre fall - a single drop from a hanging valley.
• The stepped climb - through mountain beech to the platform.
• The spray and noise - reaching the platform after rain.
• Kea - around the village and car park, and destructive.

When to go

October to April; after rain the fall is at its most impressive. Winter brings ice on the steps and possible highway closures.

Honest expectations

It is a steep stair climb, short but continuous. Kea damage vehicles - do not leave rubber trim or gear exposed and never feed them. Alpine weather changes fast even for an hour's walk.

Nearby

Arthur's Pass village is at the trailhead; Castle Hill and Cave Stream are east down SH73.