The best Mount Cook day hikes, from a short loop to the lake

The best Mount Cook day hikes all start within a few minutes of each other, which is what makes the park so easy on a short visit. Tourism New Zealand describes day walks ranging from 10 minutes to four hours.¹⁰ Some begin at the public shelter in the village and some at White Horse Hill, at the end of Hooker Valley Road, a 5-minute drive from the village.^11,12 None of them needs a guide or special gear in summer.

DOC ranks the Hooker Valley among the country's finest day walks, and it is the headline here.¹³ Around it sit shorter options: the Kea Point deck on the Mueller moraine, the bush loops by the village, and the steep stairs to Red Tarns and Sealy Tarns. On DOC's avalanche scale the Hooker Valley track to Hooker Lake, the Kea Point and Red Tarns tracks and the village tracks are all rated simple terrain.¹⁴ That rating changes once you leave them.

Driving in, plan for the car park. Parking at White Horse Hill is charged at NZD 2.50 a half hour, with a day rate of NZD 25, and a stay of under 20 minutes costs nothing.^9,15 The machines take debit and credit cards, and cash is not accepted.¹⁶ Between 10 am and 4 pm in the months from November to March, DOC warns, spaces can run out.¹⁷ Arriving early beats circling the lot at noon, and the morning light on the valley is a bonus.

Kea Point is the walk for anyone who wants the view without the full valley. DOC gives 2 hr return from the village or 1 hr return from the campground at White Horse Hill.³⁷ The climb is gentle, with 180 m of ascent spread across 3 km.³ The track winds through subalpine grassland and scrub to the moraine wall of the Mueller Glacier.⁵² For the longer version, start from Terrace Road near the visitor centre.⁴⁰

The ground you cross has a story. DOC explains that a stream broke out of the glacier in 1913 and carved this ground on its way to the first Hermitage, which it damaged.⁵³ At the end a viewing deck looks over Mount Sefton, The Footstool, the Hooker valley, the lake of the Mueller Glacier and Aoraki/Mount Cook.⁴ The effort is modest for what you see, which makes it a good choice on a day of tired legs.

Mackenzie tourism warns that Kea Point is open to the weather and needs care when it is wet or windy.⁵⁴ On a fine day you can push an all-terrain buggy along it, and fairly sturdy shoes are advised.⁵¹ That makes it the family pick of the longer walks. Do not expect to meet the parrot it is named after on cue; any kea you see are wild birds, best enjoyed from a respectful distance with a camera.

Red Tarns is the short, sharp option. DOC gives 4 km return and 2 hr, on a steep and mainly stepped track with a 300 m height gain.^46,38,7 It starts at the public shelter on Bowen Drive, crosses the bridge over Black Birch Stream and then climbs hard.^47,98 The small lakes take their name from the red pond weed that grows in them.⁷² DOC calls the top a magnificent spot for a summer sunset.⁹⁹ Bring a torch if you stay for it.

Sealy Tarns is the big effort of the day walks. DOC times it at 3 - 4 hr return, with a 600 m height gain and about 2,200 steps known as the stairway to heaven.^39,48,8 There is no shelter and no other way down, and DOC advises turning back if bad weather approaches, generally from the north-west.¹⁰⁰ In winter the track can be extremely icy, ice axe and crampons may be needed and avalanche risk may exist.¹⁰¹

Above Sealy Tarns the walk becomes a mountaineering route. DOC describes the Mueller Hut Route as an alpine route that needs mountaineering experience, with possible snow and ice from March to November.¹⁰² The hut is 4 hr one way on an advanced track, and it runs through complex avalanche terrain.^71,103 Treat the tarns as the end of a day hike, not the start of a bigger plan. The view from the top already takes in most of the valley.

DOC's warning is blunt: weather here changes very fast, and wind, heavy rain, snow and sharp temperature swings can arrive in any month.^104,105 Carry warm and waterproof clothing, sunscreen and water on every walk, however short.⁸⁷ Gales or heavy rain close the Hooker Valley Track, and a gate and signs mark the closure.⁹⁰ Check at the visitor centre before a longer climb, and turn back early rather than late.

Plan the toilet stops. DOC asks walkers to go before setting out, and the Hooker Valley has toilets about halfway.⁸⁹ In winter the track can be very icy and slippery in the shade, and DOC recommends microspikes and hiking poles.^106,88 Beyond the outlet end of Hooker Lake you need real avalanche experience.⁹¹ Do not climb icebergs either: they are unstable and can tip.¹⁰⁷ The safest photos are taken from the shore.

Busy months need patience. Tourism New Zealand flags December to February as the crowded months on the valley track, within a walking season of October to April.^108,109 Recreational drones are banned across the park, and dogs are not allowed.^110,111 Pack out all your rubbish, since bins are few and Ngāi Tahu hold the water running from Aoraki to be sacred.^92,112 Leave the park as clean as you found it.