Hike the Benmore Peninsula Track

Benmore, New Zealand

Description

Distance: 4 km (2.5 miles) loop. Duration: 1.5 hours. Scenic. Easy day walk.

The Benmore Peninsula track is approximately a 4km loop circuit and takes around 1.5 hours to complete. It is not a particularly physically demanding hike, but beautiful nonetheless. On a good weather day, the water on Lake Benmore will appear to be bright turquoise and you will be able to see Mount Cook in the distance. This track gives off a very PNW (Pacific NorthWest) vibe with its wooded pine forests and lookouts.

The track starts out level for a while until you reach a junction for the circuit; you may go uphill to the right or go to the left, which stays level for a little while before it begins to climb. Since it is a loop, you may go either way, but I suggest taking the left path and walking the loop clockwise. Taking the loop clockwise is less physically intensive (as the last few stretches of the track are loose gravel at a steep incline, and no one likes to go uphill on that type of track) and you are rewarded with views sooner rather than later.

Getting there: From Otematata, you will see a sign off of SH83 for the Benmore Dam. Take this road to the dam and drive past it. you will reach the top and end of the road, where the DOC Benmore Peninsula hike will be signposted at the gates.

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

Chillin

Running

Hiking

Dog Friendly

Family Friendly

Forest

Lake

Scenic

Hike the Benmore Peninsula Track Reviews

Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!

Leave No Trace

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

Nearby

Rappel the Kaumira Canyon

The Kaumira Canyon is a deep, narrow gorge in the mid-Canterbury plains. Although not covering a very large distance, the array of technical features will take a while to navigate. We had a large party of nine people, and it took us nearly four hours to complete the canyon. There are two rappels, one of 20+ meters and one of 16+ meters, a jump of 10+ meters (if you're comfortable with that), an...

Visit Mt. John Observatory

Hike the Mount John Walkway

From the lakefront, walk left until you reach the trailhead. It takes around 1-1.5 hours to walk it at an average pace. The track is on privately owned land, so expect for sheep to be nearby at all times.You can mountain bike the trail if you wish to. The trail varies from long, drawn out sections to switchbacks, and eventually will lead you up the top of the hill where the observatory is locat...

Hike the Breast Hill Track to Pakituhi Hut

From the road to Pakituhi Hut the track is a steady climb rising 400 meters on a formed zig-zag track to a small saddle. You'll get increasingly better views of Lake Hawea as you climb up the switch-backs, and you might walk alongside some sheep that make the uphill slog look much easier than it feels. The next section of track follows a prominent ridge to the highest point (1300 m). This secti...

Hike Isthmus Peak

The Isthmus Peak Track is a 16km out-and-back hike to the summit of Isthmus Peak (1,385 meters), where you get great views of Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka and the Southern Alps. The track starts off the Lake Hawea section of SH6, about a 30 minute drive from Wanaka Township, and there's a yellow 'Isthmus Peak' signpost at the carpark. From the bottom, you follow a poled route along the true right...

Bike along the Clutha River

The Upper Clutha River track and Newcastle track can be joined to form a great ~28km loop that I highly recommend as a long run or a fun mountain bike ride. I suggest parking at the Hawea River swing bridge in Albert Town and starting off by going over the swing bridge to pick up the signposted Newcastle Track that follows the true left of the river. It will be a righthand turn off the main tra...