The Milford Track is a must-do hike for anyone visiting New Zealand’s South Island. Spanning 53.5 kilometers (33 miles), the track takes you through some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the country. The track takes 4 days (3 nights) to complete and is considered one of the Great Walks of New Zealand.
What makes this trail unique is that it can only be accessed by boat, meaning that you really do get to explore some of Fiordlands untouched rainforests.
The Milford Track starts at the Milford Road end, located near Te Anau and ends at the Sandfly Point end, located near Milford Sound. The track offers a unique experience as it takes hikers through a variety of terrains, including sub-alpine scrub, beech forest, and alpine tussock.
One of the highlights of the Milford Track is the Mackinnon Pass, which is considered one of the most challenging sections of the trail. The pass offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and is a great spot for taking in the natural beauty of the area. Another highlight of the track is the Clinton River, which runs alongside the track for much of the way.
The track is well-maintained, with well-graded tracks, bridges, and huts along the way. There are several huts along the Milford Track, which provide shelter and basic facilities for hikers. Booking is essential during peak season as the track is one of the most popular hikes in New Zealand. If you can’t book a hut on your preferred day make sure to use our free hut alerts tool that is constantly checking against hut availability. This tool will send you an email notification as soon as a spot opens up.
It is important to be well-prepared for the hike, as the track can be challenging in places, and the weather can change quickly. We have written this guide about our experience doing the track to help you be prepared as possible when planning your hike. Note that we did this in November, so had some of the Spring warmth.
Under things to know, I will cover getting there, hidden surprises, and optional extras that I recommend doing. Then, under what to pack, I will go into detail about what I packed for this hike, things I was missing, and things I brought that were completely unnecessary. Lastly, I will go into detail on each day of the hike and what we experienced.