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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: -44.81468, 168.12042. 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 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
For a taste of the Routeburn Track Great Walk, walk to Lake Howden with plenty of mountain and valley views along the way.
This DOC directory entry covers Routeburn Track: Lake Howden 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 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 on Routeburn Track; First published on 26 December 2025. Last reviewed on 28 July 2026.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
From The Divide carpark follow the Routeburn Track through silver beech forest to the Key Summit Track turn off. Here you can detour to Key Summit otherwise it's a short descent to pretty Lake Howdon and Lake Howden.
Lake Howden Hut is permanently closed. It was damaged in a storm in early 2020.
Getting there
This walk begins at The Divide, about 85 km along the Milford Road from Te Anau.
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.
