New Zealand Great Walks — jtreks official routes
Official, actively-maintained trail geometry from jtreks.co. Only routes verified official + maintained are included, each tagged with its season, difficulty, guide need, technical-equipment need and hazards. Conditions change and official is not the same as safe today — confirm with the managing agency before you go.

Glade Wharf
Track start. Boat from Te Anau Downs across Lake Te Anau (~1 hr). Must be booked separately.

Clinton Hut
Day 1 hut. 40 bunks. At the junction of the Clinton River. Short walk from Glade Wharf (5 km, 1-1.5 hrs).

Mintaro Hut
Day 2 hut. 40 bunks. At the base of McKinnon Pass. Staging point for the pass crossing.

McKinnon Pass
Highest point on the Milford Track. Memorial cairn for Quintin McKinnon. Panoramic views of the Clinton and Arthur Valleys. Weather changes rapidly.

Sutherland Falls
580 m waterfall — one of the tallest in New Zealand. 1.5 hr return side trip from the main track between McKinnon Pass and Dumpling Hut.

Dumpling Hut
Day 3 hut. 40 bunks. In the Arthur Valley after the descent from McKinnon Pass.

Sandfly Point
Track end. Boat to Milford Sound village (~15 min). Then bus back to Te Anau (~2.5 hrs). Name is not metaphorical — bring repellent.

Routeburn Shelter
Eastern trailhead. Via Glenorchy, 70 km from Queenstown. Gravel road last 30 min.

Routeburn Flats Hut
First hut. In an open river flat with mountain views. 20 bunks.

Routeburn Falls Hut
Second hut at the base of the alpine zone. 48 bunks. Views of the Routeburn Valley below.

Harris Saddle
Highest point on the Routeburn. Emergency shelter at the pass. Side trip to Conical Hill (1,515 m, 1.5 hr return) for the best panorama — Hollyford Valley, Darran Mountains, and on clear days the Tasman Sea.

Lake Mackenzie Hut
Third hut beside Lake Mackenzie. 50 bunks. Alpine tussock setting.

The Divide
Western trailhead on SH94 (Milford Road). Shuttle back to Queenstown or Te Anau. Shelter and car park.

Control Gates
Trailhead, 4.6 km from Te Anau township. Circuit starts and ends here. Parking available.

Brod Bay
Lakeside campsite on Lake Te Anau, 5.6 km from trailhead. The only designated campsite on the Kepler.

Luxmore Hut
Day 1 hut. 54 bunks — largest on the track. Gas cooking. Luxmore Caves (limestone, glow-worms) nearby. Above the bushline.

Luxmore Saddle
Highest point on the Kepler. Exposed alpine ridge — no shelter from wind, rain, or cloud. Panoramic views of Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri and the Fiordland mountains.

Iris Burn Hut
Day 2 hut. 50 bunks. In forest beside the Iris Burn river. After the descent from the ridge.

Moturau Hut
Day 3 hut. 40 bunks. On the shore of Lake Manapouri. Lakeside setting — prime sandfly territory.

Whakapapa Village
Circuit start/end. DOC Visitor Centre, accommodation, and gear hire. On the north side of Mt Ruapehu.

Mangatepopo Hut
Day 1 hut. 24 bunks. In tussock at the base of Ngauruhoe. Starting point for the Alpine Crossing section.

Red Crater
Highest point on the circuit. Active volcanic crater with fumaroles and sulfur deposits. The terrain is loose red and black scoria.

Emerald Lakes
Three vivid green-blue crater lakes coloured by dissolved minerals. The most photographed feature on the Crossing.

Oturere Hut
Day 2 hut. 26 bunks. In a lunar landscape of lava flows and volcanic desert east of the main peaks.

Waihohonu Hut
Day 3 hut. 28 bunks. Near the historic 1901 Waihohonu Hut — one of the oldest surviving huts in the park.

Milford Track
OFFICIAL (DOC) · Maintained · Difficulty: Multi-day trek · Guide: No guide needed · Gear: No technical gear · Season: Great Walk season 1 Nov–30 Apr (2026/27: 1 Nov 2026–30 Apr 2027, last departure 28 Apr). In season a non-technical booked-hut walk. Off-season (1 May–31 Oct) it is a serious alpine undertaking: snow, ice, short daylight, 57+ avalanche paths and unbridged flooding streams — ice axe, crampons and alpine skills required. · Hazards: sudden weather change, extreme rainfall, river/stream flooding, avalanche (off-season), Mackinnon Pass exposure, cold · Verified 2026-08-22 · Conditions change — confirm with the managing agency before you go. Not a substitute for a current map and judgment.

Routeburn Track
OFFICIAL (DOC) · Maintained · Difficulty: Multi-day trek · Guide: No guide needed · Gear: No technical gear · Season: Great Walk season 1 Nov–30 Apr. In season a non-technical 2–4 day booked-hut walk. Off-season (1 May–late Oct) it is an alpine route: 32+ avalanche paths, snow and ice on the Hollyford Face and Harris Saddle, bridges removed — ice axe, crampons and avalanche gear required. · Hazards: Harris Saddle (1255 m) exposure, avalanche (off-season), snow and ice, sudden weather change, cold · Verified 2026-08-21 · Conditions change — confirm with the managing agency before you go. Not a substitute for a current map and judgment.

Kepler Track
OFFICIAL (DOC) · Maintained · Difficulty: Multi-day trek · Guide: No guide needed · Gear: No technical gear · Season: Great Walk season 27 Oct–30 Apr. In season a non-technical booked-hut walk. Off-season (1 May–26 Oct) the exposed alpine section (Luxmore to Iris Burn, 1400 m+) is snow-covered and unmarked, 9 avalanche paths, blizzard risk — alpine skills and traction/ice axe required. · Hazards: exposed alpine ridge above bushline, blizzard / wind-chill, avalanche (off-season), snow and ice, cold · Verified 2026-08-21 · Conditions change — confirm with the managing agency before you go. Not a substitute for a current map and judgment.

Tongariro Northern Circuit
OFFICIAL (DOC) · Maintained · Difficulty: Multi-day trek · Guide: No guide needed · Gear: No technical gear · Season: Great Walk season 23 Oct–30 Apr; DOC lists it temporarily not operating as a Great Walk during the Oturere Hut rebuild, resuming 2026/27 — verify at booking. Off-season (1 May–22 Oct) it is an alpine crossing needing ice axe, crampons and avalanche gear; avalanches possible Jul–Oct. · Hazards: active volcanic hazard zones, severe wind-chill, avalanche (Jul–Oct), exposed alpine terrain, cold · Verified 2026-08-21 · Conditions change — confirm with the managing agency before you go. Not a substitute for a current map and judgment.