Hooker Valley Track(edit)

Overview

The Hooker Valley Track is ~10km return (round trip) from the parking lot and has about 130m of elevation gain in the form of a fairly consistent gentle uphill slope to Hooker Lake. There are three pedestrian suspension bridges that can slightly sway/bounce but are very modern and safe. The trail is well maintained and popular as you would expect for a shorter, flatter tail in this area. Not quoting official stats, but this is likely one of the top 5 visited tracks in New Zealand. It is recommended to arrive as early as possible not only to beat the crowds, but to see the sunrise behind Aoraki from the viewpoint across the lake at the end of this trail.

The track can be easily completed in 3 hours by those of moderate fitness or better. This leaves time to explore some of the other shorter tracks in the area with the remainder of the day.

This trail goes by Mueller Lake Lookout and White Horse Hill Camping Area.

See DoC site for more information and current trail warnings.

There are NO DOGS - NO BIKES - NO DRONES allowed on this trail.

Getting Started

There is a large parking lot and campground at the end of Hooker Valley Road which turns off Mount Cook Road / Hwy 80 just before Mt. Cook Village. The parking lot can get very full - as with most tracks around Aoraki Mount Cook it is recommended to arrive early. It is possible to walk here from Mt. Cook Village, but add another 2km each way. The tracks are very well signed - Hooker Valley starts at the east side of the parking lot (Sealy Tarns, Kea Point, Mueller Hut tracks all start at the west side of the parking lot). There are toilets at the parking lot as well as a pit toilet around the midpoint of the track.