Hooker Valley Track to Mount Cook Lookout: All You Need to Know
If you are looking for amazing hikes in New Zealand then I recommend the Hooker Valley Track to the Mount Cook lookout. The Hooker Valley Track is a 10km there and back hike that offers plenty of beautiful views and stunning mountainous terrains.
From the parking lot, you follow the Hooker Valley Track across three swing bridges that ultimately end at Hooker Lake. At Hooker Lake you get a chance to see Mount Cook and Hooker Glacier.
We did the Hooker Valley Track during New Zealand’s summer months and it was a spectacular time to visit. We completed the hike and want to share our experience, recommendations, and how to best prepare for the Hooker Valley Track.
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✅ Distance – 10 km there and back. The Hooker Valley Track starts at the White Horse Hill Campground and ends at Hooker Lake.
✅ Difficulty – Easy. The trail is relatively flat and doesn’t gain a lot of elevation. The trail is also well maintained.
✅ Duration – About 3 hours, it depends on your physical abilities, whether or not you are like me and take tons of pictures, or if you spend a longer time at the Hooker Valley Lake.
✅ There are three suspension bridges to cross, Lower Hooker Suspension Bridge, Hooker Bluff Bridge, and the Upper Hooker Bridge.
Mount Cook Facts
✅ Mount Cook is the tallest mountain in New Zealand at 3,724 meters or 12,218 Ft.
✅ Mount Cook is part of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, which is a mountain range on the South Island.
✅ It’s also known as Aoraki, which is the Māori name for it.
✅ Mount Cook is named after the famous British explorer Captain James Cook.
✅ Mount Cook was first summited on December 25, 1894 by Jack Clarke, George Graham, and Tom Fyfe.
✅ Sir Edmund Hillary first ascended Mount Cook in 1948.
✅ It is considered New Zealand’s deadliest mountain, since there have been about 80 recorded deaths due to attempted climbs.
Hiking the Hooker Valley Track
We started our day early. We were at the White Horse Hill Campground around 7:30 am and began the Hooker Valley Track at 8:00 am. At this time the parking area was starting to fill up but the trail was still somewhat empty.
We hiked to the Lake Müller Lookout and saw our first swing bridge. When crossing the swing bridges, there are signs that state a maximum load of people. So on the way back especially, make sure to let others cross if it is crowded.
After the first swing bridge, we hiked to the next swing bridge, the Hooker Bluff Bridge. This one was the tallest of the three. If you are afraid of heights, don’t look down!
Between the second and third swing bridge there is a public toilet.
We then accessed a boardwalk and stopped here for photos of Mount Sefton. At this point, you should already see Mount Cook. Unfortunately for us, it was cloudy but Mount Cook was slowly revealing itself.
We crossed the third swing bridge and the weather began to favor us. The clouds finally cleared and we had perfect visuals of Mount Cook. At first, I was worried that we’d miss out of seeing New Zealand’s tallest mountain.
From the third bridge it was an easy and quick hike to Hooker Lake, which is the 5km mark and final stop of the Hooker Valley Track.
Like everyone else, we took a well deserved break here, ate some snacks, and just enjoyed the nature around us.
We hiked the Hooker Valley Track in December and Mount Cook was still fairly snow covered.
We walked around sections of the lake, before heading back. As we hiked back, I couldn’t help but notice the amount of people on the trail. It went from maybe 30 – 50 people we saw at 8:00am to hundreds of people around 10:00 am.
I felt on the way back it wasn’t as an enjoyable hike because we had to constantly let people pass, got stuck behind groups, or just had tons of people in my photos.
Word of advice, start early but not to early. I say not to early because I imagine Mount Cook is often times covered in clouds early in the morning. You don’t want to go to early and miss out on seeing Mount Cook, which some people did.
As we finished the Mount Cook hike, we took a short break at the car park area before leaving. There are bathroom facilities and snack areas at the parking area and trailhead.
Parking Situation
One of my biggest recommendations for hiking the Hooker Valley Track is to come early. Not only are conditions better and the trail is far less crowded but the parking situation is much easier.
There is a decent sized parking area at the trailhead but it quickly fills up. We arrived at 8:00 am and managed to find parking. But by the time we left at around noon, the parking lot was full as was the Hooker Valley Rd leading to the parking area.
There were what seemed to be hundreds of cars lined up on both sides of the road for a solid kilometer or more. Keep in mind, that adds more walking on what’s already a long and tiring walk.
Tips and How to Prepare for the Hooker Valley Hike
Like the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on New Zealand’s North Island the Hooker Valley Track does take a bit of planning and preparation before setting foot one of New Zealand’s best hikes.
The trail is only 10 km but in high altitude climates, the weather can change drastically. In our experience, the beginning of the trek was cold, cloudy, and drizzly, once we got to the Hooker Valley Lake, the clouds dissipated and it got hot and sunny.
You should prepare for all kinds of weather conditions along the Hooker Valley Track and here are my recommendations on things to bring.
✅ Day Pack to hold your supplies, snacks, and water. Have a rain cover for your pack.
✅ Water (About 2 bottles just to be safe)
✅ Snacks (Trail Mix, Granola Bars, Chocolate, these are all good options).
✅ A pair of hiking shoes or some type of comfortable shoes.
✅ Depending on time of year, a water resistant or wind proof jacket.
✅ Layers of clothing. (I wore thermals and a beanie at the start and ended up in just my hiking pants and a shirt toward the end).
✅ Hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen for sun protection.
✅ First Aid Kit, at least band-aids and maybe bandages.
✅Fully charged phone and battery pack.
✅ Toilet Paper, there is one toilet along the trail and toilets at the parking area.
Conclusion
The Hooker Valley Track is one of the best hikes in New Zealand and amongst my favorites. I loved that this hike wasn’t difficult yet you were surrounded by beautiful mountains, glaciers, and lakes, the entire time. The 10km there and back trek to see Mount Cook was a memorable experience. Just remember to come early to beat the crowds and the traffic.
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