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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: -44.81498, 168.12748. 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
- 3.4 km one way, return via same track
- Walking time
- 3 hr
- Track grade
- Intermediate
- Location
- Fiordland National Park / Milford Road/Milford Sound area
- 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
Enjoy panoramic views over mountains and alpine lakes on this half-day walk off Milford Road on the Routeburn Track - it's suitable families with children.
This DOC directory entry covers Routeburn Track: Key Summit Track in Fiordland, within Fiordland National Park / Milford Road/Milford Sound 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: 3.4 km one way, return via same track
- Walking time: 3 hr
- 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.
Slip repairs between Divide Carpark and Earland Falls; First published on 28 September 2026.
Construction underway on Key Summit Track; First published on 5 August 2026. Last reviewed on 21 September 2026.
Slip on Key Summit Track; First published on 11 January 2026. Last reviewed on 24 July 2026.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
This walk offers spectacular views of Fiordland National Park. If you only have time for one walk on your drive to Milford Sound, and the weather is fine, this track is well worth the effort.
From The Divide carpark follow the Routeburn Track for about an hour to get to to Key Summit Track. From here it is a 20 minute climb to Key Summit, with panoramic views over the Humboldt and Darran Mountains.
This alpine nature walk passes a range of native vegetation: beech forest, sub-alpine shrublands, alpine tarns and bogs. Birdlife is prolific and tomtits, robins, New Zealand pigeons and bellbirds are commonly seen.
During the last ice age, which ended about 14,000 years ago, a huge glacier flowed down the Hollyford Valley and overtopped Key Summit by 500 m, with ice branches splitting off into the Eglinton and Greenstone Valleys.
Getting there
This walk begins at The Divide, about 85 km along the Milford Road from Te Anau.
The first part of the walk is on the Routeburn Track. A sign marks the turn off to Key Summit Track.
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.
