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2024-10-25T00:00:00.000Z • Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago, New Zealand / Aotearoa

Greenstone and Caples tracks

In October 2024 we hiked the 60 kilometer Greenstone and Caples track. This track is just south of the Routeburn Track, close to Queenstown, New Zealand. It took us 3 days to complete and we slept both nights in a hut.

Michael Beckmann

Hike

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Instagram Story Highlights and Behind The Scenes

Start / Finish This track is a loop that starts and finishes at the Greenstone Track Car Park.

Season We hiked this track in October 2024. Since it was spring, we encountered a mix of weather conditions, including fresh snow on the surrounding mountains.

Campsites / Huts

Greenstone Hut
McKellar Hut
Mid Caples Hut

At each hut, there’s the option to pitch a tent. The track also has lodges that can be booked through commercial hiking companies. Additionally, there are two huts managed by the NZ Deerstalkers' Association: Mid Greenstone Hut and Upper Caples Hut. Please note that several areas along the track do not allow wild camping. For more details, check the DOC website.

Maps / Info The Queenstown Visitor Centre provides the latest updates on track conditions. You can also find more information on this hike on the DOC website.

Food / Water All huts collect rainwater, and along the hike, you'll cross many side streams and stay close to the main river.

Route / Conditions We chose to walk the route clockwise, as we had three days to complete the hike, allowing us to skip huts more efficiently. Most people walk it counterclockwise over four days.

As expected in the New Zealand spring, we encountered some unexpected snow, though it didn’t reach the valley floor. The track is generally well-maintained, but the section between Greenstone Hut and McKellar Hut had some muddy, waterlogged areas. Plan to get wet feet each day.

Hike

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Day 1

After driving from Wanaka, we began the hike at 10 a.m. Our goal was to at least reach the Greenstone Hut and then decide whether to continue on to McKellar Hut. Once we arrived at Greenstone Hut around 1 p.m., we decided it was worth the extra 5 to 6 hours to push all the way to McKellar Hut. This would make our next few days more relaxed and less of a trek.

The other option was to stay at Greenstone Hut and then push from there all the way to Mid Caples Hut the following day, but we weren’t keen on that plan. In hindsight, we were glad we made the full walk from the car park to McKellar Hut on the first day.

Even though it was a long 32-kilometer day, it gave us the mental boost of having tackled the "big day.”

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Day 2

We started our second day at 9 a.m., immediately heading into the forested valley (as you often do on this hike). Be sure to keep an eye out in the green forest— we were lucky to spot a curious Kea hopping around nearby! It circled us briefly before flying off.

After walking through the forest along Lake McKellar, we crossed the valley to begin our climb to McKellar Saddle. At 945 meters, it gave us fantastic views of the valley we were leaving behind.

The saddle itself is about 1 kilometer wide before you descend back into the tree line, entering the Caples Valley. From there, you hike mostly under the trees until the last stretch, where the valley opens up, offering incredible 360-degree views. These vistas continue until you reach Mid Caples Hut, which is nicely situated with a great valley view.

Hike

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Day 3

Our final day was a comfortable 3-hour walk out of the valley back to the car park. As a bonus, the New Zealand spring treated us to views of baby lambs and ducklings—a lovely way to end a few great days of hiking.