Child friendly rating: 5 stars

Distance: 8.4km

Signposted time: 3 hours

Bookings Required? Yes

Suitable in Winter? Yes

Camping Available? Plenty

4wd required? No

Parking:

Park at the Marble Hill Campground.

The Track:

When starting the track, make sure you find the sign for the hut - there is another 4WD track that heads off towards the direction of the hut, however this goes through the water (Not over the bridge) and follows the wrong side of the river.

The track is very flat and easy the whole way. Wide enough to hold a toddlers hand while walking the whole time, and easy enough for them to walk. It's considered one of the most child-friendly hikes in Canterbury.

But it is a longer walk. For any child under 4 (And even an inexperienced 4yo), you'll still have to expect to carry them for sections due to the distance. The distance is great for school age kids and older, but younger kids will likely struggle to walk the whole way.

There are lots of bridges and boardwalks along the way which keeps the kids quite excited - The Troll Bridge is about halfway. There's also interesting trees like the elbow tree and a tree with a hole through the middle which make good photo stops along the way.

In winter, the last section of the track can flood, and there can also be snow on the ground - it is out of avalanche danger, but it can be cold and very wet with wet boots in the cold. Sometimes the jetty at the hut is even underwater.

The signposted time is quite generous. Most kids 7yo+ should be able to make it to the hut faster than the signposted time. While in my 3rd trimester with my 1st, it took us a few minutes over 2 hours to walk in. When that same child had jut turned 5, it took 3 hours 40 to walk in with breaks at a slow pace. When she was 8, she walked in in almost exactly 3 hours including breaks.

Hut:

The hut was rebuilt in 2020. When it was rebuilt, it was done in consultation with local schools, so was designed with kids in mind. This makes it an awesome option for kids to explore.

Plenty of camping available - for a quieter campsite, head into the bush a wee bit.

You can also follow the track and do a loop all the way around the lake. The northern end of the lake actually has another hut - Thompsons Flat Hut - it's in rough condition, but can make a neat day trip if staying 2 nights at Lake Daniells.

Recommendations:

This is definitely a hut that anyone can visit. The walk is nice and sheltered - just be aware of possible flooding on the track in winter. As long as you are prepared to carry young kids, you'll be sweet as.

It can also make a great first snow hike if you've got older kiddos keen on this.

Bring togs for a swim in the lake in summertime.