Hike to the Rob Roy Glacier
6.2 Miles
1625 Feet
Camping, Photography, Backpacking, Hiking
Beginner
Spring, Summer, Autumn
Out-and-Back
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).
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations.
Reviews
Overall rating:
One of my favourite parts of Wanaka
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.
Amazing views, superb hike
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.
Great Bang For Your Buck
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
