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!