The Lake Marian Track in Fiordland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand is one of the most spectacular hikes in all of Fiorland, widely considered one of the most beautiful places in the world. In this post we will go over the hike in detail and prepare you for one of the best day hikes youโll have on the South Island.
Lake Marian is a mountain lake that sits only about 600m above sea level, but donโt let that fool you. Youโll think youโre in an alpine wilderness after a rugged hike through a fern rainforest to get there. The only way to get to the lake is to hike it. So letโs prepare you for the Lake Marian Track!
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Lake Marian Track at a Glance
- Round trip distance: 3.8 miles (6.1 km)
- Difficulty level: Moderate
- Total elevation gain: 1312 ft (400m)
- Estimated hiking time: 2-3 hours, depending on level of fitness and how long you stop at the lake
- Trail starting point: Lake Marian Trail Carpark
- Trail condition: Well marked, easy to follow with some scrambling up rocks, and often muddy after rain
- Opening times: year round
Essentials
How to get there
The only realistic way to do the Lake Marian Track is to drive yourself to the starting point. Buses and tours donโt stop there and if you took a taxi there youโd have to pay the driver to sit around and wait for you. So basically you will need to take your own vehicle.
For renting cars in New Zealand we use Discovercars, as we find they have the best rates. You can book directly using the link below.
Click here to find a great rate on a rental car in New Zealand!
Youโll most likely visit Milford Sound and do the Lake Marian Track as part of a longer road trip around New Zealand. So be sure you know your route before you book your car and plan your hike and your day at Milford Sound. Here are my recommendations for road trips around New Zealand:
Renting a campervan is also extremely popular in New Zealand, especially in the south of the South Island. There are now dozens of companies that rent out campervans on the South Island. If you take a campervan, however, just know that freedom camping is not allowed in most of New Zealand and you have to book campsites or motorhome parks for the night.
Getting to the Lake Marian Track Carpark is straightforward. Once you pass Te Anau there is essentially nothing but incredible nature for an hour before you turn off Highway 94 onto Lower Hollyford Road. Make sure you save it in your Maps on GPS first so you donโt miss it. Once you get into Fiordland National Park there is no cell service, so donโt expect to look it up once you get near it.
There is a large dirt parking lot with plenty of spaces to leave your car, even on a busy summer day. From there youโll see signs for the start of the trail. Itโs impossible to miss.
Where to stay in Fiordland
There are very limited accommodation options in Fiordland National Park itself. Most people visit as day trips from Queenstown or Te Anau. Te Anau is a lovely little town that is full of tourists but far less crowded than Queenstown, so I recommend staying there.
Where to stay in the park:
Mitre Peak Lodge (cannot book independently – only available to hikers on the Milford Track)
Where to stay in Te Anau:
Where to stay in Queenstown:
The Dairy Private Hotel by Naumi Hotels
What to pack
You donโt need a whole lot to set out on this journey, and quite frankly you really donโt need to bring anything if itโs not a hot day and you can manage without water for a while. Iโd still recommend bringing some water though.
And if you want to swim in the lake be sure to carry a bathing suit. Just beware that the water is damn cold. I could barely put my feet in. There were a few brave souls swimming when we got there though.
Travel Insurance
Before you set out on your journey, just make sure to purchase travel insurance so that you’re protected for the unexpected. We use World Nomads and had a good experience the one time we unfortunately had to actually use it. You can search for a coverage plan using the link below.
Hiking the Lake Marian Track
Now letโs get into some more detailed information about the Lake Marian Track. Youโll find everything you need to know here. And if youโve read this far, I appreciate it!
Where the Lake Marian Track starts
The Lake Marian Track starts at the Lake Marian Trail Carpark just off highway 94. The turn off is about a half hour before you reach Milford Sound. There is a large dirt carpark when you can leave your car in the shade. From the carpark youโll see signs then cross a small bridge over a stream as the trail starts.
Length of hike and elevation gain
The total length of the hike is only about 3.8 miles (6.1 km) round trip. Itโs not an epic day hike by any stretch of the imagination, but itโs not a walk in the park either. There are some steep parts and areas where you have to rock scramble that will slow you down. So youโll need at least an hour to get to the lake even if youโre a fast hiker.
The total elevation gain from the carpark is 1312 ft (400m). Itโs a constant uphill with no downhill portions at all, but itโs gradual. There are only a few steep parts, so you wonโt feel like youโre constantly gasping for breath.
Fitness Level and trail difficulty
You donโt need a high level of fitness to make this hike. It is uphill and has some strenuous parts but overall itโs a moderate hike that anyone can make at their own pace. There are, however, a few locations where you have to scramble up some rocks or tree roots. So anyone with any sort of physical disability will have a very hard time on the more challenging parts of the trail.
I also donโt think you need any sort of special hiking gear. Sturdy boots are nice, but you can survive on this trail if you have any sort of athletics shoe. Due to lots of tree roots and muddy conditions after rain, sandals and flip flops would not be a good idea.
General Trail Description
From the parking lot you enter a lush fern rainforest. Barely any sun gets through the trees here and itโs a scene of exactly what youโd think hiking in a New Zealand fern forest looks like. Due to the lack of sunlight, the dirt trail is usually muddy after rain.
Ferns jump out at you in all directions for 10 minutes or so until you reach a raging river. There is a wooden boardwalk to keep you safe as you walk along the river observing the rapids and shallow waterfalls.
Once youโre off the boardwalk the trail gets steeper, though still shady with endless fern trees and bushes. It really doesnโt get too steep though. Just parts of it. This isnโt Royโs Peak or hiking up a mountain in Colorado by any stretch of the imagination. Youโll traverse some large rocks and need your hands to assist you climbing up some tree roots, but from a pure physical endurance standpoint itโs not too challenging.
The trail is well marked and mostly clear even if there were no markings. Some spots get quite narrow but anyone with a sense of direction should be able to find their way.
Views along the way
As I said before, this hike is mostly through a dense fern rainforest. There really is not much for views to stop and enjoy along the way. There is one clearing about a half hour in, but itโs not much of a sight to behold. This is a trail where you donโt feel obligated to make stops along the way. Just get to the lake!
The view at Lake Marian
While ferns are nice, the highlight of the Lake Marian Track is Lake Marian itself. After an hour or more of hiking through the fern rainforest you will finally see a clearing ahead of you. Before you know it youโre at Lake Marian with the peaks of the Fiordland Southern Alps all around you.
As you stop to take it in youโll wonder how this incredible scene was so easily hidden in the rainforest. Youโd never expect it after such a shady and secluded hike. But Lake Marian bursts with color and beauty right in front of you.
The coast of the lake is pretty rocky, with large boulders all around. There are some small grassy patches to rest on before the rocks, but mostly itโs just rocks. Should you wish to walk along the coast of the lake, just be aware that itโs a bit treacherous. You canโt walk around the lake in its entirety since the east side of it has incredibly steep mountains coming right out of it. You can wander along the west side if youโd like, though.
Swimming at Lake Marian
Fancy a dip in a fresh mountain lake? Then be sure to bring your swimsuit and a towel. Many hikers choose to cool off in the lake after the hike. Just be advised that the water is really, really cold. Like any mountain lake with snowcapped mountains around.
Youโll see plenty of people swimming in the lake. We chose to just dip our feet in and put our 1-year oldโs feet in so she could feel the water. She loved it. It was too cold for me though!
Typical weather for the hike
Fiordland National Park in New Zealand is known for being pretty rainy. It rains about 200 days per year at Milford Sound just down the road. So itโs reasonable to expect some rain when youโre planning ahead for this hike. Follow the forecast in the days prior to when youโre hiking and maybe youโll get lucky with a beautiful day like we had.
As it does rain so much, be prepared for a muddy trail. It hadnโt rained in weeks when we did the hike but there were still muddy spots. Due to the cover of the ferns, you wonโt get poured on too heavily, but still be prepared for rain unless the forecast is for total sun.
Fiordland National Park
The Lake Marian Track is located in the stunning Fiordland National Park. For real, this is one of the most naturally beautiful places on the planet. No one that has even been there has argued otherwise.
The land is wild and untamed, with little to no touches of human development. The fjords are arguably more impressive than the fjords of Norway, though they do lack the charm of the colorful old Norwegian fishing village.
Inland, the steep mountains penetrate the land, creating an inhospital environment of rugged nature. There are not a whole lot of hiking trails in the park, as the mountains are simply too steep and rocky to safely create trails. Donโt worry though, there are still some other things to do in the park on top of the Lake Marian Track.
Milford Sound
The main attraction in Fiordland National Park is Milford Sound. Without a doubt this is the most iconic natural wonder in New Zealand. Some might argue that the view of Mount Cook from the road along Lake Putaki is more iconic, but itโs hard to beat that first view of Milford Sound as you walk from the parking lot.
Iโve covered Milford Sound in detail in another article. I suggest you read that as well if youโre visiting Fjordland. You can find that article here. As a one line summary though, book a boat cruise and enjoy the majestic scenery of the fjord from a boat.
Doubtful Sound
Milford Sound isnโt the only fjord you can visit in Fiordland without your own boat. Doubtful Sound is also open to tours and cruises. Doubtful is much further south and arguably more spectacular than Milford. It just receives far fewer visitors due to its remoteness and all that a visit to Doubtful Sound entails, which we will get into in a moment.
Unlike Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound isnโt reachable by car. A visit to Doubtful is almost a full day event. You first have to drive to the town of Manapouri and take a tour from there, which means boarding a boat that will take you across the beautiful Lake Manapouri to the heart of Fiordland.
From there, youโll board a coach bus that will drive you across a mountainous stretch of land on a dirt road that was originally built to make access for the construction of a geothermal power plant in the 1970s. 45 minutes later youโll reach Doubtful Sound and embark on a 2.5 hour cruise along the fjord before heading back.
So yeah, itโs a busy day. But if we did it with a 12-month old you can do it too! The views from the boat as you cruise around are simply incredible.
Most of the tours are operated by RealNZ and you can book using the link below. There is an early morning departure and a late morning departure. If youโre staying in Te Anau or Manapouri I suggest the early departure. If not, the later departure will be better.
You can book your amazing Doubtful Sound cruise here!
Alternatively, you can get an epic Kiwi experience by spending the night on a boat on Doubtful Sound. The overnight experience really lets you get intimate with Fiordland and the surrounding mountains. But be aware the overnight cruise is remarkably expensive. Those who have done it say itโs worth it though!
You can book your overnight Doubtful Sound experience here.
Elsewhere in Fiordland National Park
Fiordland is arguably one of the most remote places in the world. Outside of Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, there are few accessible areas of the park, all along the main highway from Te Anau to Milford Sound. This stunning drive is one of the most scenic in New Zealand, and just taking in the views is an adventure in itself.
There are, however, a few hiking trails that will take you to some spots that you can’t get to by car. These are all day hikes sort of similar to Lake Marian (though not quite as stunningly beautiful). You can find out more about each hike by clicking on the links below.
Lastly, there is the Milford Track, one of New Zealand’s “Great Walks”. This is a multi-day hike that has limited availability and needs to be booked well in advance. If you get a coveted spot you will be treated to a fabulous trek through the Fiordland mountains, eventually arriving at Milford Sound.
Final Word
The Lake Marian Track in Fiordland National Park is an amazing addition to any visit to Milford Sound or elsewhere in the park. The hike is not too difficult but will still get your heart racing. And the views from the lake at the end of the hike are simply to die for. Enjoy the stunning nature!
