Copland Track

Copland Track
Near the start of the Copland Track
Length18 km (11.18 mi) to Welcome Flat, further 7 km (4.35 mi) to Douglas Rock Hut[1][2]
LocationWestland Tai Poutini National Park, West Coast, New Zealand
TrailheadsState Highway 6, 26 km (16.16 mi) south of Fox Glacier
UseHiking
Elevation change715 m (2,346 ft)
Highest pointDouglas Rock Hut, 755[3] m (2,477 ft)
Lowest pointState Highway 6, 40[3] m (130 ft)
DifficultyIntermediate (to Welcome Flat), Advanced (to Douglas Rock Hut)
SeasonSummer to Autumn
SightsWelcome Flat hot pools
HazardsFlooding, rockfalls, avalanches, landslides
Maintained byDepartment of Conservation

The Copland Track is a tramping track in the south Westland area of New Zealand's South Island, well known for the naturally-occurring hot springs at Welcome Flat along its route. The main track is approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) long one-way from the trailhead at State Highway 6 to the track's inland end at the Douglas Rock Hut, and is usually completed in 2 to 4 days depending on whether the full distance is walked, with many opting to walk only as far as Welcome Flat. The track is the western portion of a longer path which historically connected the West Coast to Mount Cook Village via Copland Pass, however erosion and the retreat of the Hooker Glacier has led to the eastern side of this route becoming increasingly dangerous to traverse.[4]

  1. ^ "Copland Track to Welcome Flat Hut". www.doc.govt.nz. Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Upper Copland Valley Track". www.doc.govt.nz. Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b "New Zealand Topographic Map: Copland Track". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand Toitū te Whenua. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Conversations up the Copland". Wilderness Magazine. 3 September 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2022.