Milford Track | |
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Length | 53.5 km (33.2 mi) |
Location | |
Designation | New Zealand Great Walk |
Trailheads | Glade Wharf in Lake Te Anau, Sandfly Point in Milford Sound |
Use | Hiking |
Highest point | McKinnon Pass, 1,140 m (3,740 ft) |
Lowest point | Sandfly Point, 0 m (0 ft) |
Difficulty | Medium |
Season | Summer to Autumn |
Months | Late October to late April |
Sights | See below |
Hazards | Hypothermia, sunburn, high winds, flooding, sandflies, avalanches |
The Milford Track is a hiking route in New Zealand, located amidst mountains and temperate rain forest in Fiordland National Park in the southwest of the South Island. The 53.5 km (33.2 mi) hike starts at Glade Wharf at the head of Lake Te Anau and finishes in Milford Sound at Sandfly Point, traversing rainforests, wetlands, and an alpine pass.
The New Zealand Department of Conservation classifies this track as a Great Walk and maintains three huts along the track: Clinton Hut, Mintaro Hut and Dumpling Hut. There are also three private lodges and four day shelters available. Most people complete the trail in 15 to 20 hours of hiking over three days, not counting an additional hour or two to reach the first hut from a boat. However, some people run the track in one day. The fastest known completion of the trail and record is by British ultramarathon, trail and mountain runner Ajay Hanspal in 5 hours and 19 minutes and 33 seconds set on 18th November 2023,[1] beating the previous record by David Haunschmidt by approximately 1 minute.[2]