The hike to Green Lake in Fiordland, New Zealand is an off-the-beaten path adventure leading hikers through dense wilderness to a beautiful, pristine backcountry hut. This hike is perfect for individuals who want an adventure away from the crowds while enjoying the incredible scenery of Fiordland National Park.
The 14 mile out-and-back Green Lake track starts down a gravel road at Lake Monowai and continues through a dense mossy forest with rolling hills. The track is hard-packed soil, but can get very muddy at times. Two miles from the hut the route emerges from the forest to an open saddle near Mount Cuthbert, and hikers follow yellow stakes through an overgrown valley. The final mile of the route is a steep downhill on a challenging root-covered trail to the rocky shores of Green Lake and the Green Lake Hut. The lake is perfect for swimming, and offers a beautiful view of Rocky Top peak. A wooden boardwalk connects the hut to the lake.
While deep into the Fiordland wilderness, the Green Lake Hut sleeps 12 hikers and is outfitted with bunk beds and mattresses, heating via wood stove, non-flush toilets, and water from tap (though the water is untreated and should be purified before drinking). This hut is first-come first-served, but is not usually busy. Hikers must purchase one standard hut ticket for each night stay and put this in the honesty box at the hut. These tickets are sold at visitor centers and by retailers in most major towns in New Zealand and cost $5 per night for adults, $2.50 per night for ages 11-17, and free for ages 0-10. Hikers can also purchase a Backcountry Hut Pass for unlimited use at most Standard and Serviced Huts over a 12-month period.
Hikers return to the trailhead via the same trail.
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