Key Summit is hands down my favourite half-day hike in Fiordland National Park and (in my opinion) one of the best in New Zealand! This track is part of the famous Routeburn Track and takes you through native forest, alpine tarns, and up to an epic lookout with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and Lake Marian in the distance.

Track overview

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: 7.7km return

Time: 3 hours return (plus time for lunch at the top)

The track starts at the Divide carpark, which has toilets and free parking. You’ll begin with a short climb through beech forest before popping out to views across the Eglinton and Hollyford Valleys. I love hiking with lots of varied scenery, and this whole track feels like a constant reward!

Most blogs and AllTrails reviews describe Key Summit as challenging, but if you’re used to hiking, you’ll probably find it moderate. If you’re new to hiking, I still think it’s 100% worth it, but would allow a little extra time (~1 hour) to really enjoy your experience.

Most people tend to hike Key Summit in the warmer months. But we visited in September after a night of snow; it was one of the most magical experiences of my life. Walking through a snow-covered alpine landscape felt like stepping into a snow globe! If you can do this hike in Spring and have experience hiking in alpine conditions, I highly recommend it.