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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: -44.01456, 170.49620. 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
- 3.2 km one way
- Walking time
- 1 hr 30 mins one way
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Lake Tekapo area
- Dog access
- No dogs. 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
The track passes through exotic forest, open tussock country and past small tarns where wetland birds may stop to feed. It is suitable for walkers and mountain bikers.
This DOC directory entry covers Cowans Hill Track in Canterbury, within Lake Tekapo 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: 3.2 km one way
- Walking time: 1 hr 30 mins one way
- 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.
- Cowans Hill Track access from township side temporarily closed; First published on 5 August 2026.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Walk from Tekapo township to the start of the track near the Tekapo Road Bridge, otherwise park your vehicle in the car park off SH8 near Hamilton Drive. The track passes through exotic forest, open tussock country and past small tarns where wetland birds may stop to feed.
From the high point on this track walkers can appreciate the views of Lake Tekapo and surrounding mountains
Mountain biking
You can park in the public car park on Hamilton Drive and ride uphill from there to the track start on Cowans Hill. The actual formed track is 3.2 km but to start and finish from Hamilton Drive is a 5 km circuit.
This is a shared-use track. Follow the mountain bikers code: respect others, respect the rules, respect the track.
Getting there
This track can be started from:
the Tekapo Road bridge in Tekapo
1 km along SH8 when heading east out of Tekapo.
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.
