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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: -43.23625, 170.13023. 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
- 9.8 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 3 hr 30 min
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Ōkārito 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
Walk through forest then down to Three Mile Lagoon, a sheltered estuary. Walking along the beach is only recommended within one hour each side of low tide.
This DOC directory entry covers Three Mile Pack Track - Ōkārito Coastal Walk in West Coast, within Ōkārito 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: 9.8 km return via same track
- Walking time: 3 hr 30 min
- 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.
- Predator control for Ōkārito area; First published on 2 November 2021. Last reviewed on 10 June 2026.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Follow Ōkārito Wetland Walk before continuing through coastal forest to climb over the Kohuamarua Bluff. The track meanders through wind-shorn rimu, rātā and silver pine forest before dropping down to Three Mile Lagoon - a sheltered estuary fringed with rimu forest.
A bridge crosses the lagoon but there is no track beyond this point. You can return to Ōkārito via the pack track or, if the tide allows, follow the coastline back along the beach.
You can sometimes see New Zealand fur seals/kekeno along the coast. If you are lucky and spot one, stay at least 20 m away and don't disturb, touch or feed it. This protects both the seal and you (they can move surprisingly fast and have a nasty bite).
Note: Walking along the beach to or from the Three Mile Lagoon is only recommended within one hour each side of low tide. However the actual times can be affected by natural influences such as tide heights and storm surges. Allow 1 hour 20 minutes to walk along the beach between the Three Mile Lagoon and Okarito township. Check the tide times online or at the car park.
Getting there
Drive 15 km north from Franz Josef Township on State Highway 6 to the Ōkārito turnoff signposted on the left. Drive 13 km along a sealed road to Ōkārito. The walks begin at the car park next to the Ōkārito School House on The Strand in Ōkārito.
Nature and conservation
The lagoon is home to more than 76 species of native birds including the kōtuku/white heron and royal spoonbills.
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.
