When it comes to effort vs reward ratio, the Hooker Valley Track has to be one of, if not the best, in all of New Zealand. The views from the very first step to the last are out of this world and the track is almost entirely flat. Even those who only want to walk a kilometre or two of the trail will be richly rewarded, making it a must do for anyone visiting the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.
We’ve walked the trail many times and it’s amazing at any time of day, but if you’re up for a bit of an adventure, plan to arrive at Hooker Lake (the end of the trail) for sunset and walk back under the stars. I promise it’s an experience to remember! There’s also been a new, little known side trail which is a real hidden gem that we will tell you about later!
Here’s everything you need to know about the Hooker Valley Track, including some good turn around points if you want to do a shorter walk.
The Hooker Valley Track
The stats
Distance: 10.2km return
Elevation: 200m
Difficulty: Easy
The Hooker Valley Track is an easy walk with excellent track conditions. The only time you’d ever really need to watch your footing is walking in winter with snow or ice on the ground (we strongly recommend buying Yaktrax for the winter months), otherwise it’s a breeze, even after significant rainfall.
This is a walk that everyone, including non hikers will fall in love with, the only exception is probably vertigo sufferers because there are three swing bridges along the trail!
You could complete the track in two hours, but allow plenty of time because I guarantee you will be taking a lot of photos!
Tips for walking the Hooker Valley Track
Ideally you want to pick a clear day for this track or you won’t get the best (or any of the mountain views). If it’s in a full white out when you arrive don’t despair because the weather can change very quickly.
We have experienced full white out to clear in 10 minutes (and the reverse). If it’s under full cloud, head 10 minutes down the road to the Tasman Valley and try the Tasman Glacier Track (which is short and can be clear when Hooker Valley is not) before heading back and looking at the Hooker Valley again.
The Hooker Valley Track can get very, very busy, especially in summer. For a bit of serenity, if weather allows, go very early or for sunset. Just make sure you allow yourself plenty of time as the walk will take longer than you think purely down to how often you’ll stop to admire the views and take photos.
Hooker Lake is a great sunset spot and walking back in the dark is easy. But note that if planning to arrive at sunset, some of the track will be in shadow beforehand, so you may not want to do this for your very first time if you’re keen on bright photos.
The weather can change very quickly - for good and bad. Make sure you always carry rain gear and some warm clothes, as we experienced snow in summer! However, if it’s gloomy, the weather can clear in an instant, so it’s worth being patient.
Don’t rely on the Apple app to check the weather, it tends to be more inaccurate than most (although none can truly predict Mount Cook weather). We find Yr.no the most reliable whilst being far from perfect! You can also check the fog radar.
If you possibly can, splurge and stay in Mount Cook Village, it’s significantly more expensive than Twizel (a 45 minute drive away) but allows you to track weather more accurately. If staying outside the area you could always call the DOC office in Mount Cook for a true account of the weather (in that moment at least!).
If Mount Cook and the Hooker Valley Track are top of your list, then allow more than one day in this area. On two of our visits we did not see the mountains for two days and then had crystal clear weather on the third.
Hooker Valley track notes
Starting the trail
We always start the track at the White Horse Hill Campground, but if you don’t have your own car you can also start from the village (DOC says this adds on one hour to the walk but it’s probably less!).
Even the views from the car park are pretty special with mountains in every direction! The wide gravel path takes you past an alpine memorial and several other commemorative sites, including Freda’s Rock celebrating the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Cook.
All are very short diversions and worth a stop if you have time - if the weather is looking iffy and you’re not sure how long it will hold, check them out on the way back as they can be enjoyed in any weather but the tremendous views along the trail can disappear at the whim of the weather!
To the first swing bridge
Shortly past the alpine memorial and 850m into the trail, you’ll reach Mueller Lake Lookout.
It’s a glorious view of the lake backed by snow-capped mountains and also a good vantage point for taking photos of the first swing bridge.
It’s a dramatic scene that you’d normally expect to walk miles to reach, yet here it is less than a kilometre along this easy trail!
After the lookout the path takes you down a few stairs and over to the swing bridge. The views from the bridge are fantastic and you can get a good look down into the raging river beneath, which is a beautiful milky blue in colour.
If you wanted to do a very short walk, this spot is just 1km in and a good natural turn around point.
To the second swing bridge
It’s just over 1.1km to the next swing bridge. Along the way you’ll get yet more incredible views of the mountains and river, and the trail continues to be relatively flat and on the same well graded gravel path.
Roughly 800m after the first swing bridge you’ll see a few stairs leading up to a lookout on your left. It’s worth heading up for a much closer look at Mueller Lake.
The second swing bridge also takes you over the river with panoramic mountain views. The bridges are all fairly wide and wobble a bit if multiple people are on them, but they feel very stable and wouldn’t worry anyone but acute vertigo sufferers.
To the boardwalk
A few hundred metres beyond the second swing bridge you’ll be walking alongside the river and get your first
spectacular look at Mount Cook.
It’s a beautiful place for photographs, especially if you’re lucky enough to have a full mountain view. If you don’t, hopefully you will on the way back as weather in the mountains can change so quickly.
The views of Aoraki Mount Cook continue as you make your way through the valley towards the boardwalk. If there has been recent rain or snow melt multiple waterfalls will cascade down the mountains, adding yet more drama to the already phenomenal scene.
Roughly 3.2km into the trail you’ll reach a large picnic bench, along with the one at Sealy Tarns, it’s one of the most picturesque settings you could possibly imagine picnicing at. There are also toilets if needed.
The secret side trail
Recently, the Hooker Valley Track has had a new addition, which isn’t signposted. Hooker Hut - a hut originally built further into the valley as a base for mountaineers in the 1900s - has been rebuilt, and relocated.
You can’t see it from the trail, so make sure you check out our Hooker Hut guide to find the way.
If you are lucky enough to snag a spot, this would be the perfect place to retreat to after sunset at Hooker Lake!
The famous boardwalk
Back onto the Hooker Valley Trail, and just beyond the picnic spot you’ll reach a long stretch of boardwalk. This is where many of the famous Instagram photos are taken.
The boardwalk snakes its way through the valley with a direct view to Mount Cook making for yet another unforgettable section of track.
To Hooker Lake
After several hundred metres of spectacular boardwalk you’ll reach the third and final suspension bridge. It’s yet another beauty and the easiest of the three to photograph the full length of.
Another 300m later you’ll see a turn off on your right. This will take you to an alpine tarn in just a few minutes and is worth a quick look, providing that weather is in your favour, otherwise keep heading for Hooker Lake, incase it suddenly clouds over.
At the turn off for the tarn you are just 700m from Hooker Lake and the end of the trail.
Although the walk continues to be beautiful, we always take less photos along this stretch as we’re keen to get a first glimpse of Hooker Lake!
The path is relatively flat with just a few short uphill sections and then you’ll reach the viewpoint above the lake.
Reaching Hooker Lake and the trail’s end
The viewpoint above Hooker Lake has several picnic benches and a jaw dropping view over the gorgeous lake and surrounding mountains, with Mount Cook standing proud in the middle.
My favourite view though is down at the lake shore. The narrow path will take you down to the water’s edge in just a few minutes and you can even dip your toes in if you dare!
This is glacial water so it’s absolutely freezing even in summer! Depending on the season you’ll also find icebergs strewn across the lake.
We haven’t ever been able to work out if there is a best time of year for the icebergs, as we’ve visited in summer, winter and autumn, and it seems to be all about luck as to how many you see.
It’s a wonderful sunset spot and also great at blue hour and for stargazing. Our original intention was to watch the sunset and leave, but in the end we stayed and waited for the Milky Way to appear!
If you’re going to do this remember to bring lots of layers, as soon as the sun goes down the temperature plummets and when you aren’t on the move you really feel it.
For us it was worth it for the chance to see Mount Cook and Hooker Lake under one of the starriest skies I’ve ever seen in my life. You could even see the core!
Heading back
The walk back is very easy with no uphill at all! The path is so good that we were confident walking back under the stars without torches for most of the way and it was an absolutely incredible way to end the Hooker Valley Track, one of our favourite walks in New Zealand. If you’d like to see how it compares to other Mount Cook walks we have you covered in this post.
Essential information about the Hooker Valley Track
Facilities
There are toilets available at the trailhead as well as partway along the trail. Please use them and carry all rubbish out with you.
This is a fragile alpine environment, which as with everywhere in the outdoors, needs our full respect. Please stick to the formed trail and don’t feed the Kea if you are lucky enough to see the world’s only alpine parrot!
Trailhead parking
Unless you are walking from the village, the Hooker Valley Track begins at the White Horse Hill Campground. There is plenty of free and unlimited parking spaces but this is the start point for many of Mount Cooks most popular trails.
It could become extremely busy in summer so hike early or late to avoid parking problems and to get the glorious Hooker Valley almost to yourself!
Food & petrol
Mount Cook Village’s facilities are very limited, and the dining options close very early! Make sure you check the closing time before you hike if you’re planning on a sunset adventure.
The good news is that Mount Cook Village now has a self-service petrol station. Before you had to fill up in Twizel - 65 km away - but now you can refuel in the village. It isn’t cheap, but it’s there if needed.
Where to stay in Aoraki Mount Cook
When picking somewhere to stay, be very careful with some booking site’s selections for what counts as near Mount Cook! Some will look at hotels within a 30-50km radius of the mountain, and serve options on the West Coast such as Franz Josef (which is a 6 hour drive away by road but just over the mountain as the crow flies).
When searching, look at either Mount Cook Village, Twizel or anywhere on State Highway 8. If you possibly can, splurge and stay in Mount Cook Village. It’s significantly more expensive than Twizel (a 45 minute drive away) but allows you to track weather more accurately.
On two of our visits we did not see the mountains for two days, and then had crystal clear weather on the third. This is another reason staying in Mount Cook itself is so helpful as the weather changes so quickly, you can see the cloud lift and rush out to enjoy it, whereas the weather forecast can easily still be saying it’s poor.
Now onto where to stay, based on our personal experience (and not sponsored).
Aoraki Court Motel
In terms of value for money and quality, this is our top choice for hotels in Mount Cook. You don’t get the heritage, but you get huge rooms with amazingly comfy beds and small kitchenettes (including 2 ring hobs) which allow you to really keep the food costs down.
The view is not of Mount Cook itself, but it is of incredible mountain vistas. I really loved the motel, so much so that we stayed with them in the sister motel in Franz Josef and loved that one also.
In case you are also weighing up the Mount Cook Lodge we can tell you Aoraki Court is much nicer in every way. We stayed at the lodge on our fourth visit and though there’s nothing wrong with it, we both regretted not going for Aoraki Court. NB, if you’re planning a winter visit, the Mount Cook Lodge was freezing with a woeful heating system.
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