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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: -44.86727, 169.80851. 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
- 2 km loop
- Walking time
- 50 min
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- St Bathans 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
Walk around the man-made Blue Lake in St Bathans.
This DOC directory entry covers Blue Lake Loop Track in Otago, within St Bathans 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: 2 km loop
- Walking time: 50 min
- DOC grade: Easiest
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
This 2 km loop track encircles the historic, man-made lake. It's a great opportunity to walk past old sluicings and the remnants of the goldmining equipment that was used here - machinery that literally converted Kildare Hill into a lake.
Experience the conditions that the miners had to work in: searing hot summers and freezing cold winters. See St Bathans and Blue Lake.
Getting there
Turn off SH85 between Alexandra and Ranfurly to St Bathans and take St Bathans Loop Road. At the town go off the main street to the DOC carpark; the track is nearby.
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 published in DOC's official route gallery with an explicit reuse licence. Its original caption and credit are retained; it does not establish current track conditions.
