By Outdoor Next Editorial standards
On this page
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: -45.54304, 167.49280. 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
- 1.5 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 45 min - 1 hr return
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Fiordland National Park / Lake Manapouri 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
This is a pleasant, short walking track in Hope Arm on Lake Manapouri, leading to either West Beach or the waterfalls above the cove.
This DOC directory entry covers Stockyard Cove Track in Fiordland, within Fiordland National Park / Lake Manapouri 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: 1.5 km return via same track
- Walking time: 45 min - 1 hr return
- DOC grade: Easy
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
Two tracks lead from the head of the cove.
The first heads west to West Beach where there are rewarding views of Lake Manapouri.
The second passes through ancient podocarp forest, climbing briefly until reaching the high bluff waterfalls and then descending through mountain beech forest to the lake edge. This track is also known as the Waterfall Track.
It is advisable to return to Stockyard Cove following the same track as the foreshore is rocky, slippery and parts of it can be underwater if the lake level is high.
Getting there
This track starts and finishes at Stockyard Cove at the western entrance to Hope Arm, on Lake Manapouri, Fiordland.
To get to the start of the track you can travel by boat or kayak.
To get to Manapouri from Te Anau (21 km, 20 minutes drive), follow the Manapouri - Te Anau Highway.
The wharf at Pearl Harbour is 500 m past the shops on Waiau St, and the carpark is accessed from View St (left turn south of shops).
Know before you go
Sandflies are plentiful so we recommend repellent!
Prepare for your trip to Fiordland.
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.
