If you’re looking to explore some incredible nature in New Zealand, don’t miss Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, especially the Hooker Valley Track. This is where you can experience ancient natural beauty with stunning glaciers and rock formations. The Hooker Valley Track is the best trail to explore this area.
What’s great about the Hooker Valley Track is that it’s relatively short, about 5 kilometers, and not too steep. So, it’s perfect even if you’re not an experienced hiker. You don’t have to be a mountain athlete to enjoy the natural beauty here.
Exploring the Hooker Valley Track
The Hooker Valley Track offers a fascinating experience. It takes you through the Hooker Valley along the Hooker River, ending at a glacier lake with breathtaking views. On clear days, you can see the summit of Aoraki/Mount Cook from here. The scenery along the way is so stunning you’ll want to keep taking photos.
This track is known as one of the most popular short hikes in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. Though it’s not very long, just around 5 kilometers, and the elevation gain is modest, only about 100 meters, the path is well-paved and accessible to visitors of various fitness levels. So, don’t worry if you’re not super fit—you can still enjoy this trail.
The track is well-maintained by the Department of Conservation, and along the way, you’ll be treated to beautiful views of Aoraki / Mount Cook and have access to Hooker Lake, which often has floating icebergs. It’s no wonder Hooker Valley Track is considered one of the ‘best day walks in New Zealand.’
Reaching the Viewpoint at Hooker Valley Track
The highlight is when you reach the viewpoint at the end of the Hooker Valley Track. This viewpoint is the closest you can get to Aoraki / Mount Cook compared to other hiking trails. Here, you can enjoy an uninterrupted view of New Zealand’s highest mountain, with Hooker Glacier below.
You can also descend to the edge of the glacier lake for a closer look.
How to Start Your Adventure on Hooker Valley Track
To start your adventure on the Hooker Valley Track, you can begin from the White Horse Hill camping ground. You can get there from Mount Cook Village either by car along a well-paved 4-kilometer path or by walking on a similar-length trail.
The walking trail also connects Mount Cook Village to the campground. If you’re staying at the Hermitage Hotel, you’ll head straight to this trail.
Next to the camping ground, there’s parking, restrooms, and a large shelter with helpful information panels. However, note that in winter, the road to White Horse Hill camping ground may be closed to vehicles due to snow. But you can still walk from Mount Cook Village to start your adventure.
The trail begins with open meadows, and as you go along, you’ll pass the Alpine Memorial, a monument to mountaineers who have died in Mount Cook National Park over the years. From here, you can see views of Lake Mueller.
There’s a plaque at the Alpine Memorial that reads: “In memory of mountaineers and guides lost in the mountains.”
Shortly after passing this memorial site, the trail crosses the Hooker River downstream from Lake Mueller using a sturdy wooden suspension bridge. The trail then takes you past the moraine wall that dams Lake Mueller, and here you’ll cross the Hooker River again, but this time upstream of Lake Mueller.
After crossing the second bridge, the trail continues north, with increasingly open views toward the peaks of Aoraki / Mount Cook.
Scenic Beauty Along the Trail
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park is where you’ll find various types of beautiful alpine vegetation, such as alpine tussocks, spear grass, large mountain daisies, and Mount Cook Lily.
All these alpine plants usually bloom during the summer, around December to February. So, if you plan to visit during this season, you’ll be treated to extraordinary natural beauty.
As you walk, the trail sometimes brings you closer to the Hooker River, whose water is light gray-blue due to glacial rock flour dissolved in it.
The trail also passes by Stocking Stream, where you’ll cross this river using a small bridge. Here, you can also see concrete foundations that are remnants of a former hut at this location, as well as two self-composting toilets, the only toilets along the Hooker Valley Track.
North of Stocking Stream, the wide valley floor becomes marshy, and the trail continues with boardwalks before reaching the final suspension bridge, the Upper Hooker Bridge.
Here, the trail crosses the Hooker River for the third time, just below the moraine wall of Hooker Lake.
A side path from the main trail leads to a small tarn before the trail passes over the moraine wall and gently climbs to the height of the moraine, reaching a viewpoint with a picnic table overlooking Hooker Lake. From here, you can descend to the lake’s edge.
In summer, you can see floating ice chunks in this lake, and from this viewpoint, you can also see the end of Hooker Lake, where Hooker Glacier terminates.
In winter, this trail can be covered in snow and ice, and the lake often freezes over. The walking trail isn’t always cleared of snow, but since it’s mostly flat and not near mountain sides prone to avalanches, it’s relatively safe for walkers with moderate fitness levels.
Wooden steps between the memorial and the first suspension bridge can become slippery if iced over after a cold night, but you can walk beside the steps.
During the coldest months of the year, it’s even safe to walk on the frozen ice of Hooker Lake once the ice is thick enough, though caution is still advised.
Floating ice chunks in the lake will stay in place once the lake freezes, but even slight movements of these ice chunks can break the surrounding ice, so those areas should be avoided.
Since the trail is exposed and lacks protection from the strong sun, it’s recommended to always wear sunscreen.
There are no boat tours on this lake like there are on nearby Tasman Lake, either.
Preparation and Important Information
One thing to know is that you don’t need a permit or pay any fees to explore the Hooker Valley Track. However, dogs and bicycles are not allowed on this trail.
If you plan to explore the trail in the morning, you’ll be able to see the sunrise first touch the Southern Alps, including New Zealand’s highest peak, Aoraki/Mount Cook. The morning atmosphere here is really amazing!
Remember that this trail passes through the Tōpuni area, which is considered sacred by the Ngāi Tahu tribe, so please respect its values and significance.
The trail will take you to Hooker Lake, which marks the end of your journey.
How to Get to Hooker Valley Track
To start your adventure on the Hooker Valley Track, you can begin from the Visitor Centre or White Horse Hill campground/car park (at the end of Hooker Valley Rd from State Highway 80).
The nearest towns are Aoraki Mt Cook Village (about 2 km), Tekapo (about 96 km), and Twizel (about 56 km).
The trail starts at the White Horse Hill Campground and car park at the end of Hooker Valley Road.
Additional Important Information
The weather in the Aoraki/Mount Cook area can change quickly, so be prepared for unpredictable conditions.
You’ll also see various wildflowers growing along this trail, including celmisia and the Mount Cook buttercup, the world’s largest buttercup.
You might hear the sounds of kea around this trail. Kea are large parrots native to New Zealand.
Don’t forget to check the weather forecast before heading out, as the weather in the Aoraki/Mount Cook area can change very quickly. Knowing the weather conditions beforehand makes your journey safer.
Additional Information About Trail Closures
When there are red weather warnings or predictions of heavy rain or strong winds, the Hooker Valley Track will be closed at the first suspension bridge gate.
So, don’t risk continuing your hike.
Additionally, the second suspension bridge may be closed if winds exceed 80 km/h or during major flooding.
This bridge was severely damaged during a storm in 2019, and erosion on both sides has affected the bridge’s structural integrity during strong winds.
Engineers have determined that the bridge is entirely safe when not subjected to strong winds and flooding.
So, that’s everything you need to know about the Hooker Valley Track.
Don’t miss the chance to explore this extraordinary natural beauty when you’re in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park.
Enjoy your adventure!