Child friendly rating: 4 stars

Distance: 6.5km

Signposted time: 2.5 hours

Bookings Required? No

Suitable in Winter? No

Camping Available? Yes

4wd required? No

Parking:

There is a signposted carpark right off SH73 next to the no exit road into Bealey village (Cloudesley Road)

On weekends and public holidays it can get very busy as it is a very popular Arthur's Pass day walk.

The Track:

The first 500m of the walk, you simply follow the road to the end to the start of the trail.

With the track so busy, the trail is very well worn.

It starts off heading uphill at a gentle gradient. It is uphill the whole way, but it is not as intense of a trail as other tracks into the mountains given that you start the walk already at a high elevation and it is well worn.

It's just over 500m in elevation to climb, and the trail is generally wide enough to be holding a child's hand the whole way.

In winter there are a few muddy / boggy patches to pass through but there are often logs down that you can balance on to keep boots dry.

There is space to sit and have a break in most spots along the way too as the gradient is not too steep.

The views over the Waimakariri River are beautiful on the track along the way. Once you get to the hut though there aren't any views directly from the hut, but you can continue on to Hut Spur and pt. 1545 past the hut.

The views from here are incredible, but the walk does become much harder and more technical. I'd recommend it for confident kids 10+, as younger kids won't fully appreciate it, and may struggle with the extra walk.

Past the hut the track is extremely exposed to the elements. And there are also a few sections along the way where you exit the bushline for a short period so not the best in windy or freezing conditions.

At the age of 4, our daughter easily managed the walk there and back as a day trip without being carried for any sections. It took us 4 hours 15 minutes to walk uphill including breaks. On trips without kids, it has taken us around 2 hours to get to the hut from the carpark.

Hut:

The hut is quite an old historic hut, and thus isn't insulated and only has an open fireplace with canvas bunks - no mattresses.

It was originally built in 1925 and used as a musterers hut till the 1970's. It has been referred to as Top Bealey Hut in the past with Bealey Hut referred to as Bottom Bealey Hut.

It does sit in a good clearing with plenty of space for tents.

Recommendations:

Being a more historic hut, you may prefer to tent near the hut instead as it may be more pleasant especially if the weather is cooler. If staying inside the hut, with the canvas bunks you may prefer to take your own air mattress to use on the bunk for extra comfort. If the hut was more modern, this would have a 5 star child friendly rating, but the older more basic hut makes this more of a 4 star.

While the walk is extremely popular, this is more as a day walk, and the hut is actually not slept in too often.