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Key facts
- Distance
- 10 km one way
- Walking time
- 2.5 hr one way
- Track grade
- Intermediate
- Location
- Twizel 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
From the Tekapo – Pukaki canal, follow the pylons along a low ridge of the Mary Range and enjoy expansive views to the Southern Alps. This track is part of Te Araroa trail.
This DOC directory entry covers Pylon Track in Canterbury, within Twizel 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: 10 km one way
- Walking time: 2.5 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.
- Wilding conifer control for part of Ahuriri Conservation Park; First published on 15 September 2026.
Dog access
Dogs allowed. Keep dog under control at all times. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
This track is part of Te Araroa Trail.
Starting from the Tekapo – Pukaki canal, the track crosses an area of mature tall tussock grassland before reaching the maintenance track for the line of power pylons. Follow this track until it reaches Hayman Road, close to the shore of Lake Pukaki.
The track passes to the west of Mt Mary, known to Ngai Tahu as Ōtūpaka. The name of the Mary range probably derives from John and Mary McHutcheson who were first to occupy a Mackenzie run, building a wattle and daub hut on the western shore of lake Pukaki.
It is a landform of lateral moraine from the Pukaki/Tasman glacial advances. This has left us with the broken hilly landscape and many ephemeral tarns, some which hold water for most of the year and others which are frequently dry flat basins, home to many distinct perennial herbs and sedges.
Getting there
From Twizel, follow SH8 for 18 kms north before turning onto Hayman Road. After 5 kms, at the Pukaki power station, turn onto the Pukaki Canal Road and follow this to the roadend, where the track begins.
Park clear of the bridge and the locked gates to the service road.
Alternatively, you can start the track from the other end,1.5 km along Hayman Road close to Lake Pukaki.
Know before you go
Weather conditions can change quickly
As this track is in the mountains, the weather can change quickly. Be prepared for the worst conditions and be ready to change your plans if necessary.
Nature and conservation
Help to control wilding pines
This track is part of Te Araroa trail. Te Araroa trust is collaborating with Wilding Pine Mackenzie to encourage trail walkers to give back to the environment by helping to remove wilding pines along their route. They can get a handsaw from boxes stationed at each end of the trail and return them to a box at the other end.
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.
