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).
Last verified 2026-09-24 vs Department of Conservation
Cite this record
The Hiking World, Routeburn Track, verified 2026-09-24, https://www.thehikingworld.com/trails/routeburn-track
How we verify · last checked 2026-09-24
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.
Weather forecast
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Permits and fees
| Permit | Cost | Quota / restriction | Issuer | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOC Great Walk hut/campsite bookingUnverified — not officially sourced | Not recorded | — | Department of Conservation | Issuer page | Unverified |
Altitude weather delta
High 1,322 m minus low 465 m is 857 m of relief on this record. A standard tropospheric lapse of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m implies about 5.6 °C cooler at the high point than the valley, all else equal.
That is a model (International Standard Atmosphere environmental lapse), not a forecast and not a trail-closure. Wind, snow, and storms stay in Hazards.
derived:lapse-rate · verified 2026-09-10 · provisionalISA 6.5 °C / 1,000 m · wikipedia.org · 2026-09-10
Line download is the stored OSM geometry, simplified. It is not a surveyed GPS track. GPX · GeoJSON
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.
Log in to view the elevation profile
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.
Surface
Surface is not recorded. This field is filled only from an OSM surface tag, not from the grade.
Permits & fees
- Permit
- DOC Great Walk hut/campsite booking
Log in to view cost, booking, and issuer
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 · verified 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 · verified 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.
Getting there car-free
Routeburn Shelter (OSM line start) · car-free flag: no
DOC: Routeburn Shelter is 25 km from Glenorchy along a partially unsealed road. The road distance between the two ends is 325 km — transport is needed at each end (same DOC page, checked 2026-08-25).
The Divide (OSM line end) · car-free flag: no
DOC: The Divide Shelter is 85 km from Te Anau on the Milford Highway. At 532 m it is the lowest crossing of the Southern Alps in New Zealand (same page, checked 2026-08-25).
Trailheads
- Routeburn Shelter (OSM line start) car-free: no
- The Divide (OSM line end) car-free: no
Log in to view trailhead transit detail
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 listed as required for Routeburn Track: DOC Great Walk hut/campsite booking. Status is unverified. This desk does not treat that as an official ruling.
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