Hooker Valley Track to Hooker Lake

From the White Horse Hill car park walk through the campground to the Hooker Valley Track. It passes the paths to the Alpine Memorial and Freda's Rock and crosses the Hooker River on the first swing bridge. Over the moraine above Mueller Lake, the second bridge, a 189 m span opened in July 2026, takes you back to the west bank. The track runs on up the tussock valley, past the toilets at Stocking Stream and over the third bridge, to the viewing area at the outlet of Hooker Lake, under Aoraki/Mount Cook. Return the same way.

It is 10.3 km there and back with 129 m of ascent; allow about 3 hours. The grade is Easy: a wide gravel track and boardwalk with only short climbs.

Because of wear on its cables, only 20 people may be on the first swing bridge at once, so expect a short queue. Shaded stretches turn icy in winter. Go no further than the outlet viewpoint, as the far shore is avalanche terrain, and keep off frozen lakes and icebergs.

DOC's car park at White Horse Hill costs $2.50 a half hour or $25 a day by card, the first 20 minutes free, and fills from mid-morning between November and March. Without a car, start in the village on the Kea Point Track, adding about an hour there and back.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.