Milford Track: Great Walk Guide, Season Dates, Huts & Transport

Overview

The Milford Track is one of New Zealand's best-known Great Walks. It's a 53.5 km, one-way, 4-day journey through the heart of Fiordland National Park, from the head of Lake Te Anau to Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. Along the way you walk glacier-carved valleys and ancient rainforest, pass huge waterfalls and cross Omanui / McKinnon Pass.

The rules are strict. In the Great Walks season you must walk it in one direction only, over 3 nights and 4 days, staying in the three DOC huts. Camping is not allowed. Guided walks with private lodges are also available.

Season (2026/27)

• Great Walks season: 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2027, with the last departure on 28 April 2027. Hut and transport bookings are required. Places fill fast, so book as early as you can.
• Outside the season (May to October): Snow, avalanches (more than 57 avalanche paths), flooding and unbridged side streams. Hut facilities are greatly reduced and DOC doesn't manage hazards. Only for fit, experienced and well-equipped trampers with alpine and river-crossing skills.

The 4-day itinerary

Day 1: After a 1 hr 15 min boat trip from Te Anau Downs, it's an easy stroll along the Clinton River. There are swimming holes and a wetland boardwalk near the hut.

Day 2: A gradual climb up the Clinton Valley, under towering rock walls, with first views of the pass and the Pompolona icefield.

Day 3: Climb more than 500 m to the Quintin McKinnon memorial and the pass shelter (1,154 m), then descend about 1,000 m past waterfalls. Don't skip the Sutherland Falls side trip (1 hr 30 min return). The falls drop 580 m in three leaps from Lake Quill.

Day 4: Follow the Arthur River past Mackay Falls and Bell Rock. The last 3 km follow a track built by a prison labour gang in 1890–1892. You need to reach Sandfly Point in time for the early-afternoon boat to Milford Sound.

Huts

Clinton, Mintaro and Dumpling huts each have 40 bunks, heating, lighting, cooking facilities and flush toilets in season. Tap water isn't treated, so boil it.

Getting there

• Start: Bus from Te Anau to Te Anau Downs (30 min), then a boat to Glade Wharf (1 hr 15 min)
• Finish: A boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound (20 min), then a bus to Te Anau or Queenstown
• Transport must be booked in advance, because there's no road access to either end of the track. Several independent operators sell full or partial transport packages.

Is it for you?

• Not recommended for children under 10
• Parts of the track are steep, exposed, rough and muddy
• No mobile coverage, so carry a distress beacon
• Fiordland gets up to 9,000 mm of rain a year. Track closures happen, and DOC may fly walkers over avalanche-risk sections at their own cost. Travel insurance is recommended.
• Didymo is present in Lake Te Anau and Milford Sound, so check, clean and dry your gear before entering the Clinton and Arthur rivers.

Good to know

No dogs. You can check conditions on the McKinnon Pass webcam before you go.