Hawdon Hut Track other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)
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NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0) · OpenStreetMap · Official page · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).
7-day forecast
Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)Best time to hike
Best months: Jan–Apr · highs 12–18 °C (54–64 °F)
- J18°9°198
- F18°10°153
- M15°8°176
- A12°5°189
- M9°3°208
- J5°0°219
- J4°-1°178
- A5°0°198
- S8°2°232
- O11°4°264
- N14°6°215
- D16°8°240
Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.
How we pick months
Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.
About this trail
A good introduction to backcountry tramping with multiple river crossings. This is a suitable trip for families if the river is not too high.
NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0).
Trail facts
- Length
- 6.9 km · 4.3 mi (DOC route geometry)
- Source
- NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0)
- Difficulty
- Hard (7/10) (Advanced · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0))
- Typical time (DOC)
- 6-8 hr
- Official page
- doc.govt.nz/link/d6315ace97a14dd49a60318add7
- Mountain range
- Polar Range (Main Divide of The Southern Alps › Southern Alps; GMBA)
- Nearest town
- 15 km E of Arthur’s Pass (Selwyn District, Canterbury) · GeoNames
- Best months
- Jan–Apr
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Canterbury
- Continent
- Oceania
- Route centre
- -42.9709, 171.7453
How it’s scored
Hard (7/10). Official rating: Advanced · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0).
A score is omitted when we do not have an official rating or enough measured length and elevation gain to compute one. Nothing is guessed. Read the NPS method: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/how-to-determine-hiking-difficulty.htm
Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.
Nearest trails
distance from the trail centreEdwards - Hawdon Route
4.2 mi · 6.8 km · Arthur's Pass National Park
Binser Saddle Track
5.4 mi · 8.7 km · Canterbury
Edwards - Otehake Route
8 mi · 12 km · Arthur's Pass National Park
Mount Aicken
9 mi · 14 km · Canterbury
Mingha Track
9 mi · 14 km · Conservation Area - Taramakau River / Ōtira River
Minchin Pass Route
9 mi · 14 km · Arthur's Pass National Park
All trails in Canterbury → · All 1,167 trails in New Zealand →