Hooker Valley Track – Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park (New Zealand)

Only 2km from Mount Cook Village is arguably New Zealand’s most beautiful day walk.  The Hooker Valley Track starts in the valley amongst green fields and the world’s biggest buttercup (the Mount Cook Buttercup) and winds its way up to a glacier lake.

I didn’t know what to expect on this hike, it had been on my mum’s bucket list for our South Island road trip and I was just tagging along. As it turned out, the Hooker Valley Track was the most memorable part of the trip.

The Hooker Valley Track is not easy to get to, it’s several hours down windy mountain roads in the middle of nowhere. The reward, for those that make the journey, is one of the easiest but most scenic alpine hikes in the world.

At only 5km each way, the Hooker Valley Track is short but really packs a punch. The walk starts from White Horse Hill Campground which, despite the name, is close to the lowest point of the track. We spent the first kilometre meandering through the valley, enjoying the alpine vegetation, frothy streams and occasional flowers. While we wouldn’t see views of Mount Cook until the return trip, the track is hemmed in on each side by a series of smaller peaks that form part of the Southern Alps. Even in December, during the New Zealand summer, these mountains maintained their white cloaks. It seemed a little strange to feel the heat of the sun and wear singlet tops when we could see the snow so close by.

The track is a mix of wooden boardwalk and gravel trail which is easy to manage in standard running shoes and we did see other walkers who seemed to be managing fine in casual sneakers. The difficult part of the track instead is the three suspension bridges which can be nerve-wracking for anyone uncomfortable with heights. These are solid structures with a network of cables holding up the planking but you can feel the movement of any other hikers on the bridge and the drop to the white water rapids below looks disconcerting if you think too much about it. Make sure to check the Department of Conservation website before your hike because the second suspension bridge is closed in high winds, making the Hooker Valley Track impassable.

The three swing bridges are roughly evenly spaced along the track with the first bridge being the point where the track starts its slow uphill climb and the second bridge, close to halfway, marking the change from the greener valley floor to more brown tussock and rocks.

After the third swing bridge, the track reaches its peak at Hooker Lake. Only around 100m higher than the starting point the climb is hardly noticeable to fit hikers. While the endpoint of the track is marked by a stone lookout point, it’s worth walking a little bit farther on the unsigned dirt path off the left down to the lakeside where you can get better pictures of the lake and mountains in the background. You could dip your feet in the water but when we visited there were still a few mini icebergs floating in the lake so you can guess it’s freezing!

Extreme conditions are very common in this alpine environment. When we hiked it was hot and sunscreen, sunglasses and hats were all essential but the next day there were torrential rains and coats were needed. If you have time to wait for good conditions, you will have a much better experience as the best part of the Hooker valley Track are the views up to the mountains which might not even be visible on a bad day. The variable environment means that you can’t under prepare for this otherwise easy hike. While you may complete the walk in 2 hours if you are fit and highly trained, it’s still advisable to bring water and warm layers in case the weather turns. And please don’t hike in jandals!

The Hooker Lake is the climax of the walk and from there it very much felt like a gentle stroll downhill back to the campground. Once you have a bit more confidence crossing the swing bridges, you can take the time to admire the views across Mueller Lake and of the rivers carrying tons of water down from the melting glaciers.

Need to Know

Have you hiked the Hooker Valley Track? Got it on your bucket list? If you have any stories, updates or corrections, please let us know by commenting below.