West Coast · Hiking

Pfeifer Bivouac Route

4.4 mi
round trip
5,336 ft
climb
4,835 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Pfeifer Bivouac Route is an out-and-back trail, 4.4 miles each way (8.8 miles round trip) in West Coast, New Zealand. It runs between about 980 ft and 4,840 ft above sea level, with roughly 4,300 ft of climbing one way. It is a mountain path with steeper and uneven sections, so wear proper hiking shoes. Most of the way is dirt. The nearest town is Arthur's Pass, about 11 miles north of the trailhead. Peaks within about 3 miles include One Shot Hill, Kellys Hill and Goat Hill. For camping, Jacksons Retreat - West Coast Holiday Park is within about 6 miles. There are 2 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.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Upper Ōtira Valley TrackPhoto: DB Thats-Me, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Upper Ōtira Valley Track

~14 min drive

A 2.0-mile point-to-point route in West Coast, New Zealand.

Carrington Hut RoutePhoto: Michal Klajban, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Carrington Hut Route

~25 min drive

A 9.7-mile point-to-point route in Canterbury, New Zealand.

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Kellys Track

~4 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 3.1 miles each way (6.3 miles round trip) in West Coast, New Zealand.

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Otehake Track

~8 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 6.0 miles each way (12 miles round trip) in West Coast, New Zealand.

Woolshed Hill TrackPhoto: Michal Klajban, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Woolshed Hill Track

~26 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 2.4 miles each way (4.8 miles round trip) in Canterbury, New Zealand.

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Townsend Hut Track

~13 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 2.0 miles each way (4.0 miles round trip) in West Coast, New Zealand.

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poled route

~5 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 0.8 miles each way (1.6 miles round trip) in West Coast, New Zealand.

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Bigtops Track

~10 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 1.5 miles each way (3.1 miles round trip) in West Coast, New Zealand.

Camp Creek RoutePhoto: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Camp Creek Route

~13 min drive

An out-and-back trail, 2.0 miles each way (3.9 miles round trip) in West Coast, New Zealand.

HIKE

Temple Basin Track

~15 min drive

A 1.8-mile point-to-point route in West Coast, New Zealand.

Conditions and forecast

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at Pfeifer Bivouac Route for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors