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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -44.55724, 170.19726. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- 4 km loop
- Walking time
- 1 hr 40 min
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Lake Benmore and Lake Aviemore area
- Dog access
- Dogs on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
This circuit track passes through an exotic forest and around a peninsula jutting out into Lake Benmore.
This DOC directory entry covers Benmore Peninsula Walk in Canterbury, within Lake Benmore and Lake Aviemore area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 4 km loop
- Walking time: 1 hr 40 min
- DOC grade: Easy
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
Dogs on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Access to the circuit track is from Otematata via the road end above Benmore hydroelectric dam. This walk travels through an exotic forest and around a peninsula jutting out into Lake Benmore.
Getting there
Travel along SH83 to Lake Benmore, between Otematata and Omarama.
This track starts next to Benmoore Dam.
Know before you go
Map: Benmore Peninsula - CA16 Otematata
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
