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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: -45.47908, 167.17016. 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
- 2.7 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 3 hr return
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Doubtful Sound/Patea area / Fiordland 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 tramping track follows a century-old trail in Deep Cove, Doubtful Sound, through mixed podocarp forest.
This DOC directory entry covers Old Doubtful Sound Track in Fiordland, within Doubtful Sound/Patea area / Fiordland 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: 2.7 km return via same track
- Walking time: 3 hr return
- DOC grade: Advanced
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
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Follow in the footsteps of the first tourists to walk in this area over a hundred years ago, before the Wilmot Pass road was built.
From the hostel, head up the road towards the tail race portal, crossing the Lyvia Bridge.
Before reaching the portal, turn right onto the Old Doubtful Sound Track, heading up the valley on the true right of the Lyvia River before crossing the Stella Burn by swing-bridge. It then joins up with the Wilmot Pass Road about a third of the way up the road as indicated on the map.
From here either walk back down the road (watch for traffic) or return along the same tracks to the hostel.
Getting there
This track is in Deep Cove, Doubtful Sound, Fiordland, starting from Deep Cove Hostel.
The easiest way to get to Doubtful Sound is to travel by boat from Pearl Harbour wharf in Manapouri, across the lake to West Arm, then travel by coach over the Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove.
This needs to be booked in advance with one of the local transport operators.
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.
