Trails › New Zealand › Canterbury › The Nelson Tops
Three Mile Stream Track and Route
Next nearby hike: Hope Pass Track 4.2 mi · 6.8 kmExplore The Nelson Tops →
Three Mile Stream Track and Route 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: Nov–Apr · highs 11–16 °C (52–61 °F)
- J16°8°162
- F16°8°122
- M14°6°142
- A11°4°157
- M7°2°168
- J4°-1°192
- J3°-2°176
- A5°-1°168
- S7°1°180
- O10°2°216
- N12°4°180
- D14°6°184
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
The track runs from Hurunui swing bridge to Hope Kiwi Lodge. The route cuts down to join Hope Kiwi Track.
NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0).
Trail facts
- Length
- 17 km · 10 mi (DOC route geometry)
- Source
- NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0)
- Difficulty
- Very hard (9/10) (Advanced, Expert · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0))
- Official page
- doc.govt.nz/link/a3e00d57da884f28ab538c9a04a
- Mountain range
- The Nelson Tops (Main Divide of The Southern Alps › Southern Alps; GMBA)
- Nearest town
- 41 km E of Gloriavale Christian Church (Grey District, West Coast) · GeoNames
- Park or forest
- Lake Sumner (Hoka Kura) Forest Park
- Best months
- Nov–Apr
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Canterbury
- Continent
- Oceania
- Route centre
- -42.6494, 172.2025
How it’s scored
Very hard (9/10). Official rating: Advanced, Expert · 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 centreHope Pass Track
4.2 mi · 6.8 km · Lake Sumner (Hoka Kura) Forest Park
Hope Kiwi Track
6 mi · 10 km · Lake Sumner (Hoka Kura) Forest Park
Lake Man Route
7 mi · 11 km · Lake Sumner (Hoka Kura) Forest Park
Mackenzie Stream Route
8 mi · 13 km · Lake Sumner (Hoka Kura) Forest Park
Jollie Brook Circuit
9 mi · 14 km · Lake Sumner (Hoka Kura) Forest Park
Doubtful Valley Track
9 mi · 14 km · Lake Sumner (Hoka Kura) Forest Park
All trails in Canterbury → · All 1,167 trails in New Zealand →