Routeburn Track
OSM hiking route spanning Fiordland and Mount Aspiring, New Zealand (31.5 km line), Routeburn Shelter to The Divide. Vertical figures sampled from Copernicus GLO-30. Days (3) is a placeholder from round(lengthKm/12), not the published 2–4 day Great Walk window (unverified).
Byline
- The Hiking World editorial · author
Desk byline for seed records. Named surveying editors replace this once a trail is verified.
Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.
Editorial v1 · Provisional catalog
Great Walk / easier tramping in season
- SAC T2 (mapped — no official SAC grade)
- Mountain hiking. Continuous trail, some steep ground, sure-footedness helpful.
- YDS Class 1
- Class 1. Walking on an established path; low fall risk.
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Ingested from OpenStreetMap relation 1385139 (ODbL). The mapped line and 2D length are derived from that geometry. Ascent, descent, and high/low points are sampled from Copernicus GLO-30 (copernicus-dem:glo-30) and remain provisional. Water, permits, and hazards were not taken from OSM tags and must be verified.
OSM 2D length is 31.5 km (relation 1385139; DOC Great Walk GW06, Wikidata Q2170592). Not Kepler, Milford, Hollyford, Greenstone, or Caples. Published ~32 km / 2–4 days, most walkers 3 days/2 nights (https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/fiordland/places/fiordland-national-park/things-to-do/tracks/routeburn-track/, checked 2026-08-25) are cross-checks only, not this DataPoint. The line is point-to-point: Routeburn Shelter (OSM start) to The Divide on the Milford Highway (OSM end). Filed under Fiordland; DOC also lists Mount Aspiring National Park.
typicalDays 3 is the published typical: DOC says most walkers take 3 days/2 nights, usually staying at Routeburn Falls and Lake Mackenzie Huts (https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/fiordland/places/fiordland-national-park/things-to-do/tracks/routeburn-track/, checked 2026-08-25). Range 2–4 days; not a DataPoint. Great Walks season 1 November 2026–30 April 2027; from May to late October it is not a Great Walk / easier tramping track (same page).
DEM high 1,322 m is 67 m above DOC's Harris Saddle / Tarahaka Whakatipu 1,255 m (same page, checked 2026-08-25). That may be Conical Hill (a signed side trip from the saddle) or GLO-30 overshoot on the alpine face — high point left as Copernicus, not overwritten. Low 465 m is below The Divide's published 532 m.
Water was not mapped to named WaterSource points (no honest atFraction). Huts have cold running water in the Great Walks season; they were not positioned from an official named list this pass.
Water
No water sources recorded.
Permits & fees
- Permit
- DOC Great Walk hut/campsite booking
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Getting there
Sourced legs to the Routeburn Shelter (OSM line start) base start station — where this trail record begins. This is not a route planner: durations are approximate and marked provisional until an official transport page confirms them.
Road · Queenstown (ZQN) → Glenorchy
Road from Queenstown to Glenorchy. DOC: Routeburn Shelter is 25 km from Glenorchy along a partially unsealed road (https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/fiordland/places/fiordland-national-park/things-to-do/tracks/routeburn-track/, checked 2026-08-25).
doc.govt.nz · 2026-08-25 · official · provisionalRoad · Glenorchy → Routeburn Shelter
DOC: 25 km, partially unsealed. The other end is The Divide Shelter, 85 km from Te Anau; road distance between ends is 325 km so transport is needed at each end (same DOC page, checked 2026-08-25).
doc.govt.nz · 2026-08-25 · official · provisional
The track can be walked in either direction. The Divide end is on the Milford Highway, 85 km from Te Anau (same DOC page, checked 2026-08-25).
Plan from your location
Type a city, then pick a match. These links open external search tools — they do not fetch fares or timetables.
Trailheads
- Routeburn Shelter (OSM line start) car-free: no
- The Divide (OSM line end) car-free: no
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Hazards
- Rapid weather and very high rainfall (up to 9,000 mm/year): cold, snow, strong winds, and heavy rain can occur in any season (https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/fiordland/places/fiordland-national-park/things-to-do/tracks/routeburn-track/, checked 2026-08-25).
- Steep drop-offs along sections of the whole track; some sections are steep and rough. Not recommended for children under 10 (same page, checked 2026-08-25).
- Track flooding after heavy rain; do not attempt to cross streams in flood — turn back or wait (same page, checked 2026-08-25).
- Avalanche risk can extend into December; DOC manages it in the Great Walks season and may close sections. Outside season, DOC does not manage flooding or avalanches (same page, checked 2026-08-25).
Questions
Do I need a permit for Routeburn Track?
A permit is required for Routeburn Track: DOC Great Walk hut/campsite booking. Cost, booking, and issuer stay behind the login gate on this page.
When is the best time to hike Routeburn Track?
On this record the best season is: Great Walks season 1 Nov 2026–30 Apr 2027; winter = alpine skills.
How difficult is Routeburn Track?
Routeburn Track is graded DOC: Great Walk / Easier tramping track (in season) · SAC T2 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 1. A sourced hazard on this record: Rapid weather and very high rainfall (up to 9,000 mm/year): cold, snow, strong winds, and heavy rain can occur in any season (https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/fiordland/places/fiordland-national-park/things-to-do/tracks/routeburn-track/, checked 2026-08-25).
How long is Routeburn Track?
The OSM 2-D length on this record is 31.5 km (provisional). Published figures may differ. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail
How do I get to Routeburn Track?
The record’s base start is Routeburn Shelter (OSM line start). A primary gateway on the record is Queenstown Airport (ZQN). Trailhead transit notes are not included in this public FAQ.
Related trails
- Kepler Track · Compared with this record
- Milford Track · Compared with this record
- Tongariro Alpine Crossing · Compared with this record
- Tongariro Northern Circuit · Compared with this record