Copland Track

Copland Track is a rugged backcountry route on the West Coast of the South Island, leading through lush rainforest and alpine meadows to the Welcome Flat Hot Pools – natural hot springs set beneath towering peaks. This challenging tramp rewards with steaming soaks, glacier views, and a genuine wilderness experience far from crowds.

Highlights & What to See

• Welcome Flat Hot Pools – soak in natural hot springs with sweeping views of the Copland River valley and surrounding mountains.
• Glacier views – from the upper track, spot the Copland and La Perouse glaciers clinging to the Southern Alps.
• Ancient rainforest – walk through dense silver beech forest draped in moss, with ferns and rata trees.
• Alpine meadows – above the bushline, the track opens to tussock and herbfields with dramatic mountain scenery.
• Wildlife – keep an eye out for kea, South Island robins, and the occasional weka along the trail.

Suggested Time to Spend

Allow three days for the return trip: a full day each way (about 6–8 hours hiking) plus a day to relax at Welcome Flat. Most trampers start from the Copland Valley carpark and stay one night at Welcome Flat Hut. Fit hikers can do it in two days, but the hot pools are worth lingering over.

Nearby Areas Worth Combining

• Fox Glacier – 30 minutes’ drive; take a guided walk or heli-hike on the glacier.
• Franz Josef Glacier – another 20 minutes north; similar glacier experiences plus the Glacier Hot Pools.
• Lake Matheson – near Fox Glacier, famous for mirror reflections of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.
• Gillespies Beach – a wild black-sand beach with a historic gold-mining settlement and seal colony.
• West Coast glaciers scenic flights – combine with a flight over the glaciers and Mount Cook.

Please check official sources for current details.