Hike to the Rob Roy Glacier

Mount Aspiring, New Zealand

5.0/5

based on 3 reviews

Save

View all 19 photos

All 19 photos

Save Review Directions Add Photo

Details

Distance

6.2 miles

Elevation Gain

1625 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Scott Nichols

Take in stunning glacier, alpine, and waterfall views on this easy, well-marked trail.

Follow the Wanaka-Mount Aspiring Rd. west of Lake Wanaka. The pavement turns into a dirt road shortly after you drive around the lake. You will drive for about an hour, then park at Raspberry Flats in the Matukituki Valley. From the Raspberry Flats lot, the trailhead begins at the swing bridge about 15 minutes away.

Once you cross the bridge over the glacier blue water of the West Matukituki River, the trail winds up through a beautiful beech forest along a dramatic gorge for 4.9 km (3 mi), then opens up to amazing panoramic alpine views of the glacier and surrounding waterfalls.

For current weather conditions, visit the Department of Conservation's Visitor Center (Ardmore St, Wanaka, New Zealand).

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Camping

Photography

Backpacking

Hiking

Adult Beverages

Easy Parking

Forest

Scenic

Waterfall

Hike to the Rob Roy Glacier Reviews

Explorer

Katie Kessel

Explorer

Hike to the Rob Roy Glacier

04/30/18

This was definitely a highlight of my trip to the south island last summer. The walk itself was stunning and the glacier was breathtaking. If you're using a rental and wary of taking it along the long gravel road, there are places in town that rent 4x4s specifically for this trip.

5.0

Frankie S

Hike to the Rob Roy Glacier

12/21/17

The drive and hike are incredible scenic. I'm going to have to say this was a pretty solid and long hike. Bring plenty of water, snacks and a camera with tons of memory card space. Hike dips in and out of glacial valleys filled with waterfalls, river beds and beautiful New Zealand greenery.

5.0

Maggie Evans

Hike to the Rob Roy Glacier

04/07/16

This relatively short hike gives you a great taste for New Zealand backcountry and the Mount Aspiring National Park in particular. It can get crowded, especially in summer, so I suggest getting to the car park super early in the morning to avoid the masses

5.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Backpack the Matukituki Valley

The West Matukituki Valley is a playground for those who love the outdoors. There are 2 sub-alpine huts, one on either side of the river, that make great backpacking destinations. French Ridge Hut (1470m) and Liverpool hut (~1140m) are both about 40km return trips from the carpark, and each can be enjoyed as a challenging overnight trip or as a more leisurely trip over 2 nights, as described be...

Hike to the Summit of Treble Cone

If you're in Wanaka, you cannot miss this hike. If the ski area is closed for the season you can still hike there but please check in with the Treble Cone Office in Wanaka. Begin at the ski field parking area and climb among snow slops and service roads, alternatively ascend the ridge on the far right edge of the ski area.When you get close to the summit you will see that it is made up of a con...

Hike to Diamond Lake

From the car park follow the well marked trail. You will continue gradually uphill for around 30 minutes before reaching Diamond Lake. You can continue past the lake for approximately 15 minutes to get to a viewing platform. This part of the trail winds steeply uphill in a combination of gravel path and wooden steps. From the viewing platform you get a rewarding view of the lake and surroun...

Hike to Rocky Mountain

This is an awesome hike with views similar to Roy Peak but more varied terrain (and less of a climb as the mountain only hits 775m. The drive is only ~10 minutes outside Wanaka. From the Diamond Lake trailhead, follow the track from the end of the car park towards Diamond Lake. From the Lake, follow the signs towards the mountain. In the first kilometer, you will see signs for the Lake Lookout....

Climb the Buchanan Peaks above Lake Wanaka

From Wanaka-Mt. Aspiring Road, head west out of town and past Glendhu Bay (and Roy's Peak). Go right on West Wanaka Station Road and follow it until the obvious split towards the Homestead Bay / Minaret Burn Track parking area to the right.Take the Minaret Burn / Homestead Bay track approximately 10 kilometers to the obvious Daniel Spur Track to the left. There are excellent campsites at the mo...

Hike the Minaret Burn Track

The Minaret Burn Track starts at the end of West Wanaka Road at Homestead Bay, which many tourists (and locals!) unknowingly drive past on their way to Treble Cone, Diamond Lake and/or the Rob Roy glacier. The start of the track is signposted and trail times to Colquhouns Beach (2-3 hrs; 7km) and the Mount Alta Conservation Area (5-6 hrs) are listed.The trail to Colquhouns Beach follows a 4WD t...

Hike to the Rob Roy Glacier

Details

Description

Download the Outbound mobile app

Features

Hike to the Rob Roy Glacier Reviews

Leave No Trace

Nearby

Backpack the Matukituki Valley

Hike to the Summit of Treble Cone

Hike to Diamond Lake

Hike to Rocky Mountain

Climb the Buchanan Peaks above Lake Wanaka

Hike the Minaret Burn Track

Discover

Community

Company

Follow Us

Mobile Apps