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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: -43.73409, 170.09225. 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
- 600 m return via same track
- Walking time
- 30 min return
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
- 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
This walk provides views of Aoraki/Mount Cook and the surrounding native alpine bush.
This DOC directory entry covers Glencoe Walk in Canterbury, within Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 600 m return via same track
- Walking time: 30 min return
- 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.
- Glencoe Walk closed; First published on 14 May 2026.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Start behind The Hermitage Hotel. The walk zigzags through tōtara trees with a ferny understorey, emerging at a lookout near the prominent water tanks above The Hermitage. A short climb rewards with a bird’s-eye view of the village and beyond to the white ice of Hooker Glacier and Aoraki/Mount Cook. Sunrise and sunset are good times to catch the light-play over the mountains.
Getting there
Aoraki/Mount Cook village is located within the national park. Twizel is the nearest town.
From Twizel travel north on SH 8 for approximately 9 km. Turn left onto SH 80 (Mt Cook Road). Follow SH 80 for 55 km until you reach Aoraki/Mt Cook village.
Know before you go
No drones
Flying a drone without a permit is strictly prohibited.
Drone use on conservation land
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.
