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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: -42.32432, 172.25174. 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
- 8.4 km one way
- Walking time
- 3 hr one way
- Track grade
- Intermediate
- Location
- Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve
- 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 is a great walk for families with young children or those people new to tramping. The track is a well formed bench track that can also be completed as a day walk.
This DOC directory entry covers Lake Daniell Track in West Coast, within Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 8.4 km one way
- Walking time: 3 hr one way
- DOC grade: Intermediate
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.
- Goat control operation in Lewis Forest Park; First published on 20 July 2026.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Lake Daniell Track begins from the shelter at Marble Hill Campsite. From the campsite shelter, the track enters the trees and soon crosses the Maruia River over a deep, narrow gorge called the Sluice Box. From the Sluice Box the track continues up the Alfred River. The track passes through spendid red beech forest until it reaches the lake edge and the Kōhanga Atawhai – Manson Nicholls Hut.
Getting there
The track starts at Marble Hill Campsite, 5 km east of Springs Junction on the Lewis Pass Highway (SH7). Turn off the highway onto a gravel road and drive several hundred metres till you come to a shelter on the left hand side.
Note that the 4WD track and hut on Station Creek/Sherriff River, 1.5 km north of the head of Lake Daniell, are located on private land. Access to this section of the track is only possible via Station Creek with permission from the landowners.
Know before you go
Mountain biking is not permitted on this track.
Wasps can be common between December to April. Carry antihistamine if you are allergic to their stings.
Nature and conservation
On the track to the lake you may encounter tomtit, rifleman, robin, tūī, fernbird, silvereye, grey warbler, bellbird, and even kākā or kākāriki.
Lake Daniell is within the Maruia Waka Huia special biodiversity area. Keeping the many rare wildlife and plant species of the Maruia area safe from introduced predators requires a massive conservation effort.
You may encounter some of the many predator traps along the way that are part of this effort.
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.
