The vast majority of Mount Aspiring National Park is wilderness areas, and inaccessible to all but the most adventerous and experienced.
Even viewing the national park from the edges, which is the extent of where the main roads take you, will give you a feeling of complete awe.
With more than 100 known glaciers just within the national park, Mount Aspiring is one NZ’s greatest treasures.
The peak of course is Tititea/Mt Aspiring itself, peaking at 3033m at the summit (1.88 miles).
With the southern end of Mt Aspiring National Park joining up with Fiordland National Park, this is a massive area of wilderness which makes up the Te-Wahipounamu–South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.
One of New Zealand’s great walks is located in Mount Aspiring NP: the famous Routeburn Track.
You can pick up some flyers and information about current local conditions, plus tips on how to safely explore the area, at the Mount Aspiring National Park Office which is located at 1 Ballantyne Rd, Wanaka.
Staying at Wanaka gives you the most options for accomodation, eating out, other activities, and a convenient base for day trips to the national park.
But there are plenty of other options for where to stay nearby, all with excellent facilities and accommodation options:
- Makarora
- Queenstown
- Glenorchy
- Te Anau
Glenorchy
Glenorchy is a great place to set out on your own hikes or tramping. Here you’ll find the beginning of some of the best tracks, including the Routeburn, Rees-Dart and Greenstone Caples
tracks. Always take proper precautions and supplies if you plan a long walk – this is a remote wilderness area!
But shorter walks are a great way to spend the day; after all, even small portions of these walking trails provide an astonishing experience of the alpine environment so you should not feel that you need to be a multi-day walker or camper in order to experience the best of Mt Aspiring National Park.
Routeburn Track
If you’re not confident taking on the track alone, there are guided tours available for the Routeburn Track, covering half and full day walks with local operators.
If you want to jump in and do the entire Routeburn Track, it’s a 3 day walk in total, covering 32km. Despite the length and terrain, it’s considered a relatively moderate walk but you’ll obviously want a good level of fitness and long distance walking experience.
Check out our more in depth page on the Routeburn Track here.