Thank you to NZ for making so many natural wonders free to access and visit!…read more We were excited to see the glaciers, and did the short hike to a viewpoint for Franz Josef Glacier. Sadly, the glacier has receded quite a bit, and the viewing spot doesn't get you anywhere near it so it's a bit anticlimactic. The clouds covered the view about an hour later. If you're really excited about glaciers in NZ and aren't going to the Mt. Cook area, I'd recommend doing a helicopter ride and glacier tour to get up close - otherwise you may feel it's a bit average from the viewpoint.

Hiked up to this glacier in the middle of February. We got to the area around 10am and finished…read morearound noon. You could definitely finish in less time; we stopped to take a lot of photos. The area is fairly level throughout but with no benches along the path. The trail is mostly loose gravel so I would definitely recommend hiking shoes. Bring a raincoat! I wouldn't say this hike is stroller friendly but it's definitely suitable for young kids. You don't need walking sticks unless you have trouble walking normally. - Definitely start before noon! There had to be quadruple the amount of people entering the park than leaving the park around this time. When we left around noon the parking lot was nearly full. The parking lot was massive. - Free entry - There are 3 public restrooms at the trailhead. Pretty typical for the NZ public parks, no soap available so bring your hand sanitizer! - No drone zone (due to helicopters). You will be fined $5,000 if caught with a drone. - Follow the IG account poutiniranger for details of their talks and free guided nature walks

Another hike that might not be top of your list ( Milford and Routeburn the tops) but if you want…read moreamazing views of Mt Cook this is the one. Easy hike that crosses some really cook bridges and rivers. The end is a gorgeous glacial lake. Pack a lunch and enjoy the views

Of all the places to hike this is one you will want to get up early to do. We started our hike at…read more7:3am to miss the crowds and be able to see and hear God's beautiful creation. This place is totally amazing! Layer your clothes and take water. When your body warns up you can take off. There are toilets available before your hike. Campground is also located there if your the camper type. About an hour into the hike they currently have the trail closed due to repairs to the bridge. After the hike we drove over to the cafe for hot tea and coffee. Enjoy!

The drive to/from Mt Cook NP runs along the stunning blue Lake Pukaki with opportunities to stop…read moreand take photos. Roads were sealed and in good condition. It was a 1 hour plus drive to reach the NP from the SH8 turnoff. The parking lots were pre-paid ($5NZD per hour) but you could park along the road for free. Parking lots were gravel and potholed in places so watch out. We visited in mid fall and had rain showers and low cloud cover the entire time we walked three different trails. While we couldn't see Mount Cook we did enjoy the beautiful scenery. There were multiple hiking trails from the main parking lot. The Kea Point Track was shortest one at one hour return. It was a relatively easy trail that took us to a lookout overlooking the rubble left behind by the Mueller Glacier which had receded out of view. Views of Mt Sefton and Mt Cook would've been nice. The Hooker Valley Track was the most popular but not open fully. However the new bridges and reconstruction of the trail should wrap up later in the year. We reached the first swing bridge (guideline no more than 20 people at a time) and continued until the fenced off portion to see the other side of Lake Mueller. The Tasman Glacier track was our final hike and was separate drive to a much smaller lot (free parking). It was short, around 30 minutes one way to the lookout, but the hardest part were the many stairs up. This trail brought us the closest to the glaciers (relatively speaking) and a few chunks of ice were floating nearby (separate track to go down to the beach). The final stop was the visitor center in the village, another drive away. It contained some very informative exhibits on Mount Cook, native plants and animals, as well as becoming a park and destination. Definitely a must see when you're in NZ. We would come back again for a repeat in sunnier weather.

If you so happen perchance to be on the South Island in New Zealand …read more... Visit the Mount Cook National Park it is a spectacular place to visit, hike, and just marvel in the majestic mountains. The Hooker trail is the most prevalent trail and it is an easy 7 mile back and forth journey. The end is an unbelievably beautiful glacial lake and you can even see the glacier at the end. Gets insanely crowded. Pack a lunch, water, and sunscreen

We did the short walk to Peter's pool, with nice views, then carried on to the other short walks…read morewith views of Franz Josef glacier. These paths were very easy 20 minute walks suitable for anyone.

We were supposed to take a helicopter ride and do a guided hike on the glacier, but our trip was…read morecancelled due to low clouds that would have made flying unsafe. The staff at the company offered a guided valley floor walk for a fee, but they kindly noted that the trail on the valley floor was part of the national park, and was free of charge if we wanted to just drive there and walk on our own (since we did have a car!) We were very thankful for the tip! This is an absolutely beautiful park! Yes, driving there does involve a few of New Zealand's famous one-way bridges, but it is worth it! The Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk takes hikers past what the glacier left behind; geology buffs would go nuts for this! For the average person, the colors and patterns on the rocks are beautiful! There are some beautiful waterfalls along the way, and the ever changing pattern of the water in the valley floor will keep hikers on their toes! Signs are posted that give current trail conditions, and warn if flood risk is likely; as long as risk is low, it seems the worst that happens is that you may have dry shoes hiking out, but soggy ones coming back! The valley floor is very exposed, so sunscreen, a hat and water are a good idea. The views of the glacier are beautiful! The trail ends about 750m from the glacier, so, no, you don't get to walk on it, but you do get to see it pretty well! We also did the Douglas Walk to Peter's Pool which was another pretty view of the glacier reflected in the pond. As an added bonus, this trail is through the rain forest. We enjoyed the plants and birds a great deal! Finally, after dark, we did the Terrance Walk to see the glow worms. This is definitely worth doing; bring a flashlight so you don't trip, but then turn it off to enjoy the glow worm show! Trails are all nicely maintained and clearly marked! This ended up being a great plan B when our trip was cancelled!

Bautiful glacier, I agree that it was underrated and less popular than Franz Josef but it is also…read morenice because it was alot more laid back and the road less crowded. The holiday park at Mount Cook has a beautiful outdoor kitchen with the glacier showing in the background. I knew that this park was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life and I planned to propose on top of the glacier here; the photos came out amazing and the tour guides/helicopter pilot was super friendly and awesome to work with. They pointed out that in front of the national park is where a large LOTR battle took place but the actual glacier should have been the feature because of its beauty. Go visit at least once in your life!

There is nothing in NZ which is not must do. NZ is gods own country ... beauty all over the place …read more Mt cook is definitely one of the best places I saw in my trip . It's beauty is hard to describe in words , snow capped mountain peaks , bright piercing sun light creating numerous small rivers n glaciers , beautiful wild flowers , crystal white color sheeps , most amazing n helpful people , this place is like a meditation center ... so so so beautiful .... we took helicopter ride which was bit expensive but definitely so worth it ....

If you are visiting Lake Matheson, be sure and add a stop to this viewpoint which is less than 10…read moreminutes drive continuing on Cook Flat road after the Lake Matheson turn off, take a right on Gillespie road and part in the lot. There is an interpretive sign and recreation on the a historical canoe plus picnic areas and grassy areas. The main reason to go is the panoramic view of Fox glacier, Mt. Cook and other mountains.

We walked to the trailhead from our room at Mt. Lodge Motels & Inn…read more The Red Tarns route was a 1.5mile steep stairs uphill trek to the top of mountain, then including a small Red Tarn Pond loop- The entire route took about 45min return. To be honest, we cared less about the actual Red Tarns Pond- the stair climb was an excellent cardio hike- and the view from the top was amazing- we didn't bother with the red tarn pond loop once up top, we just sat and enjoyed the view, rewarding ourselves for the climb.

Fox River South Side Valley Walk is a steady uphill on an easy grade gravel surface suitable for…read moremountain bikes, strollers and hikers. There are two main view points of the glacier, but you will still be 2-3 km away from the glacier. The last viewpoint is not suitable for strollers and is more uphill and is the best view. ON the way - take the Moraine loop trail which parallels the main trail. This has some lush forest, fern and moss landscape.