Kea Point Track: Easy 1 hour walk for Mt Cook Views
Kea Point Track, Mount Cook National Park
The Kea Point Track, New Zealand is an easy short walk in Mt Cook National Park. It is a great alternative to the Hooker Valley Track, if you don’t want to walk the 3-4 hours return and it still has such beautiful views and the chance to see Mt Cook. So if you are short on time, the Kea Point Mount Cook walk is perfect.
What is the Kea Point Track like?
The Kea Point Track is an easy, slightly uphill track to a viewpoint over Mueller Lake where you get a great view of Mt Cook (when it isn’t covered in cloud) and the beautiful Southern Alps mountain range. This Mount Cook track isn’t too difficult, so great for the whole family.
When we visited in winter, we could even see the bright blue ice from the glaciers. I know further up the mountains there are ice caves that you can explore if you take a trip with one of the helicopter companies. The ice is an amazing alpine blue and you could see these sparkling with a naked eye. Pretty cool!
The track itself is a mixture of good compacted gravel at the start with it growing more rocky near the top of the track. But it wasn’t at all difficult to walk on, and you won’t need hiking boots for this one. General running shoes will be fine.
The Mt Cook track was very open, so there is no shelter from the weather up here, or at the viewpoint, so just be aware if you are walking with younger ones in the winter
How long does the Kea Point Mt Cook hike take to walk?
The Kea Point Track took us about 30 minutes each way. It definitely wasn’t too far to the Kea Point Lookout. Our boys 4 and 6, walked this track and I carried my 2 year old in a backpack. The kids walked at an average pace and found this walk to be totally fine.
How to get to the Kea Point Track, Mt Cook
The Kea Point walk and the Hooker Valley Track leave from the same car park near DOC’s White Horse Hill Campground.
You will find the turnoff on Mt Cook Road (Main Road to Mt Cook Village – State Highway 80) just before you reach Mt Cook Village. Turn right onto Hooker Valley Road and park in the carpark at the end. The Kea Point Track will send you to the left (along with the Sealy Tarns Track and Mueller Hut Track), and the Hooker Valley Track to the right.
From Tekapo, it will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes to drive to this walk, or from Twizel, about 50 minutes.
If you are staying in Mt Cook Village, you can also walk from here, although it adds another 1 hour return onto the hike. The Kea Point Track is signposted from the Hermitage Hotel and is an easy walk down to the White Horse Hill Campground. Personally, I would still drive this bit if you have younger walkers.
Other great Mt Cook Walks
- Hooker Valley Track (3 hour return flat track)
- Tasman Glacier Viewpoint (20-30 mins return)
- Tasman Glacier Lake Track (40 mins return)
- Red Tarns Track (2 hours return)
- Sealy Tarns Track, Mt Cook (3-4 hours return up 2000 stairs)
- For a list of all the Mt Cook walks and hikes, click here
You may also find these articles helping in planning your Mackenzie Region visit
Jennifer
Founder of Backyard Travel Family
Jen is a super organiser when it comes to travel. Having travelled extensively in Europe and Africa, has lived in London and the USA and holidayed in many parts of Asia, she is not a newbie to the travel space
Jen has three young children, 9 and under and travels around New Zealand with them.
what you need to know
Travel
- Kea Point Track is on Hooker Valley Road, off Mt Cook Road (the main road to Mt Cook Village)
- 50 minutes from Twizel
- 1 hour, 15 mins from Tekapo
The walk
- easy gravel track with more loose shingle near the top
- mild incline, but not too difficult
- 30 mins each way
- Kea Point Viewpoint over Mt Cook and Mueller Lake
Suitable for kids?
- Great track for kids.
- Preschoolers who are good walkers and primary aged plus will find this no problem.
Facilities
- Free Parking
- Toilets at White Horse Campground car park
- Open walk with no shade or protection
What to bring
- Normal sports shoes are fine. Hiking boots not required
- A camera
Food options
Closest options are a few minutes down the road at Mt Cook Village. Try the Old Mountaineers Cafe or the Hermitage Hotel
What the critics thought
