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Key facts
- Distance
- 1 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 15 min
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Fiordland National Park / Lake Te Anau area
- Dog access
- Dogs on a leash only. 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 an easy walk to a pretty urban park in a peaceful setting, with a fishing lake for children and a mountain biking track.
This DOC directory entry covers Visitor Centre to Ivon Wilson Recreation Reserve Walk in Fiordland, within Fiordland National Park / Lake Te Anau 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 km return via same track
- Walking time: 15 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.
Dog access
Dogs on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
From Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre walk south about 1 km around the edge of Lake Te Anau, then cross the road to Ivon Wilson Recreation Reserve.
This is a 35 ha reserve, planted with native and exotic trees and managed by Southland District Council.
There are several paths leading to picturesque Lake Henry, which is stocked with rainbow and brown trout as a children’s fishery.
Fishing licences for children (free) are available from the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre.
There is also a mountain bike track located in the reserve, and it is a good park for walking your dog.
Toilets are available near the entrance.
Getting there
This walk starts from the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre on Lakefront Drive, 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.
