TOP 30 HIKING TRAILS IN QUEENSTOWN
TOP 30 hiking trails in Queenstown
Do you enjoy hiking? If so, Queenstown and its surroundings are just perfect for that! Here we have a list of 30 most popular trails around the area – no doubt that here you will be able to find the most appropriate hiking adventure for every day of your stay!
1. Queenstown Hill Time Walk
Time: 2 to 3 hours return to car park
Grade: Medium – High Fitness
Start/Finish: Belfast Street
Facilities: None
2. Queenstown Gardens Walk
Time: 10 to 40 minutes
Grade: Easy
Start/Finish: Queenstown Lakefront (East end)
Facilities: Toilets adjacent to bowling green in the centre of gardens
3. Frankton Arm Walkway
Time: 1 to 1.5 hours one way
Grade: Easy
Start/Finish: Park Street to Frankton Reserve
Facilities: Toilets at Frankton
4. Kelvin Peninsular Walkway
Time: 1 to 1.5 hours one way
Grade: Easy
Start/Finish: Kawarau Bridge to Jardine Park
Facilities: Toilets at Frankton
5. Lakeside Trail – Jardines Park to Jacks Point
Time: 2 to 2.5 hours return
Grade: Medium Fitness
Start/Finish: Jardine Park Jacks Point
Facilities: None
6. Ti Ki Trail
Time: 1 hour return
Grade: Medium Fitness
Start/Finish: Gondola base building
Facilities: Toilets at Gondola
7. Town Link Trail
Time: 15 minutes one way
Grade: Easy
Start/Finish: Cameron Place/ Thompson Street
Facilities: None
8. One Mile Creek Trail
Time: 1 to 1.5 hours return
Grade: Medium Fitness
Start/Finish: One Mile powerhouse car park
Facilities: Toilets at the roundabout
9. Fernhill Loop
Time: 3 to 4 hours
Grade: Medium – High Fitness
Start/Finish: Wynyard Crescent or halfway up Skyline Access Road
Facilities: None
10. Ben Lomond Trail
Time: 3 to 4 hours return to Saddle or 6 to 8 hours return to Summit
Grade: High Fitness
Start/Finish: At One Mile Creek walk or Top of Gondola
Facilities: None
11. Ben Lomond Saddle to Arthur’s Point
Time: 7 to 8 hours including Ben Lomond Summit
Grade: High Fitness
Start/Finish: Ben Lomond Saddle/Arthur’s Point
Facilities: None
12. Devils Creek Trail
Time: 6 to 7 hours
Grade: Medium – High Fitness
Start/Finish: Skippers Road
Facilities: None
13. Moonlight Trial (Arthur’s Point to Moke Lake)
Time: 4 hours one way
Grade: Medium Fitness
Start/Finish: Moke Lake Reserve/ Arthur’s Point
Facilities: Toilets at Moke Lake Reserve
14. Sunshine Bay Walk
Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour return (1.8 km)
Grade: Easy
Start/Finish: 1km pass Fernhill roundabout to Sunshine Bay public jetty
Facilities: Toilets both at Fernhill roundabout and Sunshine Bay
15. Arawata Trail
Time: 45 minutes one way
Grade: Medium Fitness
Start/Finish: Arawata Terrace signpost or Glenorchy Road at Bank Corner (3 to 4 km from Queenstown)
Facilities: Toilets at Moke Lake Reserve
16. Seven-Mile to Wilson’s bay
Time: 1.5 hours one way
Grade: Medium Fitness
Start/Finish: Glenorchy Rd – Seven Mile Creek signpost/Wilson’s Bay or Closeburn
Facilities: Toilets at Moke Lake Reserve
17. Twelve Mile Delta
Time: 1.5 hours one way
Grade: Medium Fitness
Start/Finish: Glenorchy Rd – signposted from Twelve Mile picnic area
Facilities: Toilets at Twelve Mile Delta
18. Bob’s Cove Track and Nature walk
Time: 20 minutes
Grade: Easy
Start/Finish: Signposted on Glenorchy Road, 14 km from Queenstown
Facilities: Interpretational panels and toilets
19. Mt Crichton Loop Trail (Sam Summer)
Time: 2 to 4 hours
Grade: Medium Fitness
Start/Finish: Mt Crichton Scenic Reserve, off Glenorchy Road
Facilities: Toilets at Sam’s Summers Hut
20. Moke Lake Trail
Time: 1.5 hours loop
Grade: Easy
Start/Finish: Drive in off Glenorchy Rd to gate
Facilities: Toilets at Moke Lake Reserve
21. Historic Shotover Bridge – walk to Domain Rd
Time: 40 minutes return
Grade: Easy
Start/Finish: Historic Shotover Bridge
Facilities: Picnic Shelter
22. Slope Hill Rd – Link Trail
Time: 25 minutes
Grade: Easy
Start/Finish: Slope Hill Rd
Facilities: None
23. Lake Hayes Trail
Time: 2 to 3 hours
Grade: Easy – Medium Fitness
Start/Finish: Either at Northern Reserve or Lake Hayes Showground
Facilities: Toilets at Bendemeer Bay
24. Manse Rd Walkway
Time: 20 minutes
Grade: Easy
Start/Finish: Manse Rd, Arrowtown
Facilities: None
25. Arrowtown Millennium Walk and Tobins Track
Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Grade: Easy (Medium Fitness for Tobins track)
Start/Finish: Either from the Arrowtown Skateboard Park or from Ford Street
Facilities: Toilets in Remshaw Lane, Arrowtown
26. Bush Creek Trail
Time: 30 minutes
Grade: Easy
Start/Finish: Arrow River, Bush Creek junction
Facilities: Toilets in Ramshaw Lane
27. Sawpit Gully Trail
Time: 3 hours circuit
Grade: Medium – High Fitness
Start/Finish: Off the Arrow Gorge 4WD road or Eichardts Flat (up on Big Hill trail)
Facilities: Toilets in Remshaw Lane, Arrowtown
28. Big Hill Trail
Time: 5 to 6 hours
Grade: Medium – High Fitness
Start/Finish: Arrow River Bush Creek junction
Facilities: None
29. Lake Alta Trail
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Grade: Medium Fitness
Start/Finish: At Remarkables skifield base building
Facilities: Toilets at base building
30. Shadow Basin Lookout
Time: 2 to 3 hours return
Grade: Medium Fitness
Start/Finish: At Remarkables skifield base building
Facilities: Toilets at base building
Remember that you are not going to be the only hiker there! Enjoy with care and follow the rules of Wakatipu Trails:
- Tell others where you’re going
- Stay on the trail
- Prepare for alpine weather at all times
- Carry plenty of water
- Always consider others
- Bikers, walkers, horses, share the trail with care
- Dogs to be on the leash at all times
- Light no fires
- Keep streams and lakes clean
- Burry toilet waste
- Take your rubbish with you
- Report all hazards
- Protect plants and animals
- Leave the land undisturbed
- No camping and fires are allowed
Enjoy the nature of New Zealand!