Unfortunately the Hooker Valley Track is closed from first swing bridge

Foot access is still possible to the Mueller Lake Lookout just before the first bridge.

DOC hope to re-open the track after the construction of the new second bridge, which is expected to be finished by autumn 2026.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/hooker-valley-track

In 2020 the historical Hooker Hut was fully restored and relocated to a new location in the Hooker Valley. It is the oldest hut in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park but with its new paint and renovations it's one of the best little huts in New Zealand in my opinion.

The Hooker Hut not only offers a comfortable and scenic resting place but also an immersive experience amidst some of New Zealand's most stunning alpine scenery. Positioned with a panoramic view of Mount Cook, the Hooker Hut provides an ideal spot for either a little side trip off the Hooker Valley Track for lunch, or you can stay overnight and take advantage of the dark sky and be ready to go for sunrise.

The Hooker Hut has a fireplace and gas cooker, and there is a detached toilet. For bookings check out the DOC website.

Just before you reach the Hooker Valley Track Boardwalk and just past the toilets, you will see a small orange marker pole just off the boardwalk to your left and a thin trail.

Follow that track and the orange marker poles through the tussocks for about 30 minutes and then you will reach the hut.

Photography info: If you stay over night you can shoot this location at sunset, for astro and at sunrise with beautiful light. I was here in the late morning and although the sun was quite strong it was still a beautiful time to be here. Take your wide angle (16-35mm or similar) and your zoom lens (70-200mm or similar) for compression shots of Mount Cook.