Rees-Dart Track
Dart Glacier, Rees and Dart valleys, Mt Aspiring NP peaks, Cascade Saddle views
The route
The line through Mount Aspiring NP, New Zealand - waypoints, elevation and the day-by-day shape of the walk.
Waypoints
- 1Muddy Creek / Rees trailhead (start)Trailhead
4WD access from Glenorchy up the Rees
- 2Shelter Rock HutHut
DOC backcountry hut; below Rees Saddle
- 3Rees SaddlePass
Alpine crossing into the Dart; snow into summer
- 4Dart HutHut
Hub for Dart Glacier / Cascade Saddle side trips
- 5Daleys Flat HutHut
Dart valley; slip closure below here toward Chinamans (check DOC)
- 6Chinamans Bluff car park (finish)Trailhead
Dart exit; SECTION CLOSED until at least Dec 2026 (verify)
Season & conditions
Dec-Mar
Rapid river rise, cold on the saddle, avalanche in shoulder season
Dart Glacier and moraine; alpine flowering; autumn tussock colour
Roughly Dec-Mar; Rees Saddle holds snow into summer; rivers rise fast in rain. Confirm.
On the trail
River flats, beech forest, tussock basins, an alpine saddle, glacial moraine
Non-technical but route-finding, river crossings and the Rees Saddle demand experience
Poled/marked but backcountry standard; parties should be self-reliant
Experienced trampers only; not for beginners; not wheelchair
Kea, whio, robins, falcon
Beech forest, tussock, alpine herbfields
Quiet backcountry; far fewer walkers than the Great Walks
Side trips to Dart Glacier (7 km one way), Whitbourn Glacier, and Cascade Saddle (to the Matukituki); out-and-back to Dart Hut if the exit is closed
Getting there & staying
From Glenorchy (~45 min from Queenstown): 4WD/transport up the Rees to Muddy Creek; Dart exit at Chinamans Bluff car park
Glenorchy-based 4WD transfers to/from the trailheads (loop uses two road ends); book ahead
DOC Backcountry huts Shelter Rock, Dart (+ Daleys Flat); camping permitted; no gas supplied
Full tramping kit, river-crossing skill, stove, PLB; stream water; no coverage
Basic huts (bunks, toilets); no shops - resupply in Glenorchy/Queenstown
Not required; experienced parties self-guide
Permits & safety
No booking system; pay Backcountry Hut tickets/pass for Shelter Rock and Dart Huts (~NZ$25/night category). Confirm.
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
STRUCTURAL CLOSURE: a large slip in the Dart valley between Daleys Flat Hut and Chinamans Bluff has made the through-circuit impassable; DOC has the Dart section closed until at least Dec 2026 (status at verification 2026-07-18) - check DOC before planning; an out-and-back via the Rees to Dart Hut remains possible. Plus river-crossing and saddle hazards.
Remote - carry a PLB; nearest help is Glenorchy; helicopter evac
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand trail report. Coordinates are approximate.