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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: -43.54415, 171.51721. 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
- 8.3 km one way
- Walking time
- 3 hrs one way
- Track grade
- Expert
- Location
- Mount Hutt area
- Dog access
- Dogs allowed. Keep dog under control at all times. 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 route winds up steeply through Pudding Hill Stream through Mount Hutt Forest.
This DOC directory entry covers Pudding Hill Stream Route in Canterbury, within Mount Hutt 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: 8.3 km one way
- Walking time: 3 hrs one way
- DOC grade: Expert
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 allowed. Keep dog under control at all times. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Mount Hutt from Scotts Saddle
This route follows the stream bed. Pudding Hill Stream is negotiable in all but flood conditions. However, about 1 km upstream of the turn onto Mount Hutt Range the stream bed narrows into a steep-sided gorge, which makes further progress difficult.
Caution: This route involves repeated crossings of Pudding Hill Stream. Trampers should be prepared for cold, wet or windy conditions.
Getting there
This route can be accessed from the western end of Alder Track (accessed from Awa Awa Rata Reserve at the end of McLennans Bush Road, which is off Arundel Rakaia Gorge Road and is 12.5 km from Methven) or from Hart Road.
The area can also be accessed from Mt Hutt Skifield access road. During summer, there is a locked gate at Scotts Saddle; you will need to walk from here.
Nature and conservation
Mount Hutt Forest is mostly mountain beech/tawhairauriki, with broadleaf/pāpāuma, Hall’s tōtara, fuchsia/kōtukutuku, marble leaf/putaputāweta, kōhūhū and pōkākā. Crown fern/piupiu and bush lawyer/tātarāmoa occupy the forest floor. Above the bushline the vegetation changes to alpine herbs, shrubs and snow tussock/wī kura.
Forest birds include bellbird/korimako, rifleman/tītitipounamu and grey warbler/riroriro. New Zealand pipits/pīhoihoi and occasionally kea are seen above the bushline.
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.
