Hooker Valley Track

The Hooker Valley Track runs about five kilometres each way from the campground at White Horse Hill up the valley to the terminal lake of the Hooker Glacier, and it is close to unbeatable in its category: almost entirely flat, gravelled and boardwalked, three swing bridges over the Hooker River, and at the end a grey meltwater lake with icebergs floating in it and Aoraki standing three thousand metres above the far shore. There is nowhere else in New Zealand where a walk this easy delivers a view this large. It is consequently busy - a few hundred people a day in summer - and the car park fills early. The valley is a wind tunnel and the bridges swing; the temperature at the lake is well below the car park. The lake has grown substantially in recent decades as the glacier retreats, which is visible in the old photographs on the interpretation panels along the way.

History

Julius von Haast, the Canterbury provincial geologist, named the Hooker features after the English botanist William Jackson Hooker. The lookout at the end of the track is the closest any walking track comes to Aoraki / Mount Cook (Wikipedia, Hooker Valley Track).

What you'll find

• The three swing bridges - over the Hooker River, in a windy valley.
• The terminal lake - grey meltwater with floating icebergs.
• Aoraki - three thousand metres above the far end of the lake.
• The retreat record - old photographs showing the lake growing.

When to go

October to April. Sunrise and late afternoon are the good light and the quiet hours. In winter the track is often icy and needs care.

What to expect

It is busy - this is the most walked track in the park. The valley funnels wind and the lake end is cold even in summer. Do not go onto the lake ice or near the calving face. Car park fills by mid-morning.

Nearby

Tasman Glacier and its lake are over the ridge; Lake Pukaki is south.

Key facts