Saddle Ridge Track other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)
Get directions · Google MapsApple Maps
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: Oct–Apr · highs 11–18 °C (52–64 °F)
- J18°9°74
- F18°9°58
- M15°7°70
- A12°4°52
- M7°1°60
- J4°-2°60
- J2°-3°54
- A5°-2°44
- S8°1°49
- O11°3°64
- N14°5°62
- D16°7°92
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 rough and steep track that links the West and East Manuherikia 4WD Tracks. There are spectacular views of Aoraki Mount Cook.
NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0).
Trail facts
- Length
- 7.5 km · 4.7 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)
- 3 hr
- Official page
- doc.govt.nz/link/4425ab5f7d19452391180c361ce
- Mountain range
- Hawkdun Range (Inland Southern Alps › Southern Alps; GMBA)
- Nearest town
- 40 km W of Hakataramea (Waimate District, Canterbury) · GeoNames
- Connects to
- Otamatapaio River easement (at its start or end)
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Canterbury
- Continent
- Oceania
- Route centre
- -44.6305, 169.9956
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.
More trails in the Hawkdun Range
All 10 →Nearest trails
distance from the trail centreOtamatapaio River easement
0.0 mi · 0.0 km · Canterbury
Dog Gully Route
0.5 mi · 0.8 km · Canterbury
Baldy Knob Route
2.4 mi · 3.9 km · Canterbury
Ewe Range Track
4.4 mi · 7.1 km · Canterbury
Otamatakou Track
6.1 mi · 9.9 km · Canterbury
Berwen Track
7 mi · 11 km · Otago
All trails in Canterbury → · All 1,167 trails in New Zealand →