Routeburn Track

Routeburn Track
Key Summit as viewed from track
Length	32 km (20 mi)
Location	Fiordland National Park & Mount Aspiring National Park, New Zealand
Designation	New Zealand Great Walk
Trailheads	Routeburn Shelter, The Divide
Use	Tramping, Trail running
Elevation
Highest point	near Harris Saddle 1,300 m (4,300 ft)
Lowest point	Routeburn Shelter, 477 m (1,565 ft)
Hiking details
Trail difficulty	medium
Season	Summer to autumn
Months	Late October to late April. Possible to walk in winter months too, but for experienced hikers only
Sights	Alpine views, lakes, forests, tussocklands, rivers, waterfalls
Hazards	Hypothermia, sunburn, high winds, rocks, snow, rain & avalanche risks
Surface	dirt, rock
Website	Department of Conservation

The Routeburn Track is a world-renowned tramping (hiking) 32 km track found in the South Island of New Zealand. The track is usually completed by starting on the Queenstown side of the Southern Alps, at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, and finishing on the Te Anau side, at the Divide, several kilometres from the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound.

The New Zealand Department of Conservation classifies this track as a Great Walk and maintains four huts along the track: Routeburn Flats Hut, Routeburn Falls Hut, Lake Mackenzie Hut, and Lake Howden Hut; in addition there is an emergency shelter at Harris Saddle. The track overlaps two National Parks; the Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Parks with the border and highest point being the Harris Saddle. Access to another tramping area called the Greenstone and Caples Tracks is from Lake Howden Hut near The Divide.

This area gets much less rain than the Milford Sound, and the forests are very different, especially on the eastern side of the saddle, which due to less rainfall is predominantly made up of New Zealand red beech and mountain beech, with relatively few ferns. The track spends a long time on the high ridges around Harris Saddle, with great long-distance views in many directions. The track has a long history of use dating back to the 1880s.

Access to the Routeburn Track is not as tightly controlled as the Milford Track. Camping is allowed, though both huts and camping spaces must be booked in advance during peak season. There is a surcharge for non-ticket holders. There is a choice of which direction to go, and which huts to stay in. On the western side, almost everyone stays at the Lake Mackenzie Hut, but on the eastern side, one can stay at the Falls Hut or Flats Hut. The Falls Hut is more popular, since staying there breaks up the climb to the saddle better, especially coming from the east. Camping is not allowed at Falls Hut. In the winter, the Falls Hut is commonly used as a ski touring base for easy access into the Serpentine Range and beyond.