Franz Josef Glacier
An out-and-back trail, 0.4 miles each way (0.9 miles round trip) in West Coast, New Zealand.
- 0.4 mi
- round trip
- 227 ft
- climb
- 807 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Franz Josef Glacier is an out-and-back trail, 0.4 miles each way (0.9 miles round trip) in West Coast, New Zealand, inside Westland Tai Poutini National Park. It runs between about 740 ft and 810 ft above sea level, with roughly 80 ft of climbing one way. Most of the way is gravel. The nearest town is Franz Josef / Waiau, about 2.7 miles south of the trailhead. Peaks within about 3 miles include Sentinel Rock, Teichelmann Rock and Alex Knob. Unser Fritz Falls is within about 3 miles. For camping, Franz Josef Rainforest Retreat Holiday Park and Kea accommodation village are within about 6 miles. There are 10 other mapped trails within about 3 miles, so you can combine or extend the outing. Distances, elevations and the route shape here come from OpenStreetMap and the Copernicus 90 m elevation model. Trails, access rules and conditions change, so check locally before you go.
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Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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Mount Fox Path
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Hooker Bluff Suspension Bridge
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Lake Matheson Walk
~18 min drive
A 2.2-mile loop in West Coast, New Zealand.
Rough Creek Track
~35 min drive
A 1.8-mile loop in West Coast, New Zealand.
Ball Hut Route
~25 min drive
A 6.0-mile point-to-point route in Canterbury, New Zealand.
Peter's Pool Walk
~0 min drive
An out-and-back trail, 0.3 miles each way (0.7 miles round trip) in West Coast, New Zealand.
Pakihi Walk
~21 min drive
An out-and-back trail, 0.3 miles each way (0.6 miles round trip) in West Coast, New Zealand.
Also worth it near here
Conditions and forecast
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at Franz Josef Glacier for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
