Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier...

Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier Walks

Aoraki/Mount / Mt Cook National Park

23 Rankers Reviews

18 Face-to-Face

10 Mount Cook

Your Nature Guide

Marios Gavalas's avatar

Marios Gavalas

Author And Researcher

Nau mai, haere mai

Nau mai, haere mai

I'm Marios, delivering the best of Aotearoa's nature walks to your device.

I've personally walked hundreds of New Zealand's tracks and spent months in libraries uncovering interesting information on New Zealand/Aotearoa. And you'll find a slice of that research on this page - enjoy!

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Photos

A view up the Tasman
Tasman Glacier Lake...wow

Information

Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier Walks

40 minutes return | 2 km return

A view down the terminal lake of the Tasman Glacier - New Zealand longest glacier at over 23 km - is not only spectacular, but graphically demonstrates a glacier in retreat. This is a wild and raw place, high mountains but close to the trimmings of civilisation.

Walking Track

Access

Tasman Glacier is signposted 7km along Tasman Valley Road, 1 km from the settlement of Aoraki/Mount Cook. There’s a large, but sometimes not large enough, parking area with toilets.

Track

From the carpark, the metalled track climbs over 70 metres to the top of the terminal moraines above the lake.

Two side tracks are possible on this walk:
The Tasman Glacier Lake (1 hour return 2.6 km), which branches off shortly after the start of the walk on the right.
And a short detour to Blue Lake (5 minutes return).

Blue Lake is also visible from above as you climb the steps to the lake viewing area. Floating icebergs stud the grey waters of the lake and in the distance the ice cliffs of the glacier’s terminal face occasionally calve. Rock debris covers the glacier, so it is difficult to make out the white of the ice flow.

On the opposite side of the valley are peaks such as Mount Blackburn, The Nuns Veil and The Acolyte. Mount Tasman is concealed in the far distance.

Geology

Previous to glacial action, many valleys were characterised by a system of interlocking spurs protruding into the valley floor – the legacy of water’s erosion carving V’s into the land. Glaciers worked differently and having no regard for these obstructions, simply bulldozed through the rock, truncating spurs to leave a triangular face bisecting the former ridgeline.

Glaciers filled the valleys and joined in the upland areas to form ice caps. The last Ice Age was known as the Otiran and occurred between 80,000 and 10,000 years ago. Ice was up to 2 km deep. Sea levels were up to 120 metres lower and ice reached over 10 km off today’s shoreline. At least 5 glacial advances and retreats are evident. At the conclusion of the last glacial between 35,000 and 14,000 years ago, a Glacial Maximum occurred, a short but intense episode of global cooling. This spurred on the glaciers in a final pulsing advance, which built up the vast terminal moraines, filling the McKenzie basin and extending glaciers 10 km past the current southern shores of Lake Pukaki. These details give some fuel for thought on the rapidity of climate change that occurs without the influence of humankind.

The Tasman Glacier is New Zealand’s longest. A series of Photoshopped photos on a revolving sign at the lookout show the glacier’s height in recent times. And it’s staggering rate of retreat. Currently the glacier is 23.5 km long, covers 101 square kms and is around 600m thick at it’s maximum depth. The terminus is 200m deep.

Details

Feature Value Info

Organisation

DOC Canterbury

Central government organisation

Location

South IslandMount Cook - MacKenzieMount Cook

Categories

  • Activity__walking_and_trekkingWalking
  • Free

Directions

To Coordinates

Coordinates

-43.6973552199443

170.163459777832

Latitude
-43.6973552199443
Longitude
170.163459777832

Nearby

Reviews

    • Ok but not great.
    • Well signed.
    • Good view over the icebergs and Mt Cook.
    • great view when you get to the top.
    • WOW, never seen such a thing in my life before.
    Rating Count Percentage
    10/10 8
    35%
    9/10 6
    26%
    8/10 6
    26%
    7/10 1
    4%
    6/10 1
    4%
    5/10 1
    4%
    4/10 0
    0%
    3/10 0
    0%
    2/10 0
    0%
    1/10 0
    0%
  • 4.5/5

    Stairs are a bit more of a workout than expected but there are only about 300 so its ok.

    The view at the top is definitely worth the effort. Great tables for a picnic located at the bottom of the track in the car park. Enjoy the view at the top

    Reviewed about 5 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    The Tasman glacier lake looks so surreal, almost like from another planet - I'm really glad we made this spontaneous stop.

    It's only a few minutes walk up to the viewpoint, so it's doable even after a long day in the Mt. Cook area.

    Reviewed almost 6 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Safe and beautiful!

    The view is amazing. Make a picnic stop here.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Short walk, saw the Blue Lakes from an upper view point which are not blue anymore (you can see a description why there).

    Good view of the icebergs of the glaciers.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 4.0/5

    The blue lakes are actually green - there is an explanatory board 'why are the blue lakes green' - and you can't see the glacier terminal from the top.

    That being said, the views from the top were nice both ways. The track is mostly made of brand new steps - some 400 steps, we counted them to see what to expect on the 2200 steps of the Sealy Tarns track . The road to the Tasman glacier is brand new as well. It was a nice short walk. Took us 20min to get to the top.

    Reviewed about 9 years ago

  • 2.5/5

    Ok but not great.

    Ok but not great.

    Reviewed over 9 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Short as well but steep so you have a good view on the glacier and the lake.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in January 2014

  • 4.5/5

    great view when you get to the top.

    You climb up lots of rocks so be careful not sure I would want to try in the wet or with small children but there is an easier track around the side.

    Reviewed over 11 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Nice bridges, some not so long tracks, swimming in the lakes, not so many people.

    Reviewed over 11 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    A great view of the glacier for a short walk.

    Reviewed about 12 years ago and experienced in March 2012

  • 4.0/5

    Beautiful view and lake with ice but the way was long and unsealed.

    Reviewed about 12 years ago and experienced in March 2012

  • 4.5/5

    WOW, never seen such a thing in my life before.

    Reviewed about 12 years ago and experienced in February 2012

  • 4.5/5

    Stairs are a bit more of a workout than expected but there are only about 300 so its ok.

    The view at the top is definitely worth the effort. Great tables for a picnic located at the bottom of the track in the car park. Enjoy the view at the top

    Reviewed about 5 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    The Tasman glacier lake looks so surreal, almost like from another planet - I'm really glad we made this spontaneous stop.

    It's only a few minutes walk up to the viewpoint, so it's doable even after a long day in the Mt. Cook area.

    Reviewed almost 6 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Safe and beautiful!

    The view is amazing. Make a picnic stop here.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Short walk, saw the Blue Lakes from an upper view point which are not blue anymore (you can see a description why there).

    Good view of the icebergs of the glaciers.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 4.0/5

    The blue lakes are actually green - there is an explanatory board 'why are the blue lakes green' - and you can't see the glacier terminal from the top.

    That being said, the views from the top were nice both ways. The track is mostly made of brand new steps - some 400 steps, we counted them to see what to expect on the 2200 steps of the Sealy Tarns track . The road to the Tasman glacier is brand new as well. It was a nice short walk. Took us 20min to get to the top.

    Reviewed about 9 years ago

  • 2.5/5

    Ok but not great.

    Ok but not great.

    Reviewed over 9 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Short as well but steep so you have a good view on the glacier and the lake.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in January 2014

  • 3.0/5

    It is a nice little walk and you will get a nice view of the Tasman Glacier, but nothing from another world.

    Reviewed over 11 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    great view when you get to the top.

    You climb up lots of rocks so be careful not sure I would want to try in the wet or with small children but there is an easier track around the side.

    Reviewed over 11 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Nice bridges, some not so long tracks, swimming in the lakes, not so many people.

    Reviewed over 11 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Beautiful view and lake with ice but the way was long and unsealed.

    Reviewed about 12 years ago and experienced in March 2012

  • 4.0/5

    A great view of the glacier for a short walk.

    Reviewed about 12 years ago and experienced in March 2012

  • 4.5/5

    WOW, never seen such a thing in my life before.

    Reviewed about 12 years ago and experienced in February 2012

  • 4.5/5

    Initial views across Lake Tekapo were stunning, but nothing compared to those at Mount Cook itself - pray for a clear day!!!

    Reviewed over 12 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Well signed.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Good view over the icebergs and Mt Cook.

    No connection between Blue Lakes and lookout.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    A bone jarring trip down unsurfaced roads is worth it to see the glacier- take a short walk from the carpark for best views.

    Reviewed over 14 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    A fantastic reward (glacier) after an intriguing walk including many boardwalks (as well for our 6 year old daughter)

    Reviewed almost 15 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    nice place, good tracks.

    Reviewed almost 15 years ago and experienced in November 2009

  • 4.5/5

    Excellent work with different and varied landscape, both glacial and wide variety of vegetation.

    Reviewed almost 15 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Unbelieveable views, great walks from the campsite.

    Reviewed almost 15 years ago and experienced in November 2009