Tasman Glacier Viewpoint Hike - Best view of the glacier

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The Tasman Glacier Viewpoint hike follows the Balls Hut Route before climbing up the moraine wall to enjoy incredible close-ups of the Tasman glacier and the Tasman lake. Read this complete guide about how you come here, what to expect and see some epic photos of the way!

I was told by a friend who lives in New Zealand about this moraine viewpoint when I was looking for the best lookout walk over the Tasman glacier. Surprisingly, there is no signpost or information on this point online, which suggests that the doc has removed it, or it was always a "secret" viewpoint

This special route follows the Ball's hat route with sections, which are exposed to a high risk of avalanche. In order to get to the actual viewpoint, you also have to climb over the rugged moraine rubber to the steep edge. This is very dangerous, and that's why I do not recommend trying it unless they are very confident and the conditions allow it.

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How to get to the Tasman Glacier Viewpoint Hike

The hike to the viewpoint of the Tasman glacier for the moraine outside viewpoint begins at the parking lot of the Tasman glacier, about 15 minutes from Mount Cook Village.

You will notice the sign that points to the Tasman Valley Road on the right side of the Mount Cook Road just before the village.

The Tasman Glacier car park offers plenty of space for cars and motorhomes. Three main paths lead from the parking lot, including the Blue Lakes Track, the Tasman Glacier and the Lake Walk as well as the Balls Hut Track.

Connection: 6 Best day hikes in Mount Cook National Park

Follow the Balls Hut Track to Tasman Glacier Viewpoint

Hiking route: 8.5 km
Duration: 2 hours
Height: 260 m height difference up to 910 m Amsl at the moraine-prospect
Light hike (dangerous scree promotion and avalanche risk in winter)

The hike to this special viewpoint on the Tasman glacier follows a wide path up to about half of the ball Hut Track.

At the time of the creation of this article, the Balls route Hut was closed due to avalanche and route damage further up in the valley. The route is good until the viewpoint on the moraine.
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More: 11 Epic Mount Cook View Locations-The best places to see Mount Cook

My experience at the Tasman Glacier Viewpoint Hike

The route itself is very wide and offers space for vehicles. When we left our cars, we noticed the beginning of the route on the left side of the parking lot, which was blocked by a vehicle gate.

We then followed this unpaved “street” route for about 4 kilometers. To be honest, this route is pretty boring and there is not much to see before we reach the point where we could climb the moraine. This is located on the right and offers a breathtaking view of the Tasman Glacier and the Tasman Lake. This scree "lane", which the moraine climbs, was very easy to overlook, and we would never have seen it if we didn't know where we had to look.

Below is a screenshot of the approximate position of the point, which leads to the moraine wall. Remember that this viewpoint is very dangerous and that stone strokes/avalanches can occur without warning. Please consult the DOC before trying it yourself.
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GPS coordinates: 43 ° 40’05.5 ″ S 170 ° 10’27.9 ″ E

Epic views of the top of Tasman Lake Moraine Wall

The steep viewpoint offers a panoramic view of the Tasman Lake and one of the nearest viewpoints on the glacier itself.

Once it was possible to see the edge of the glacier tongue from the south side of the lake near the Blue Lakes. Since then, however, it has withdrawn several kilometers, and it was even quite far from this viewpoint on the Tasman glacier. For us this was another sobering memory of the speed of the glacier melt in New Zealand.

After we admired the glacier and the lake, we turned and went back to the parking lot.

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optional: loop with the Blue Lakes Track

Although not listed as a track in the Doc, it is possible to circle the Blue Lakes (near the shorter Tasman Glacier View Walk) until the start of the ball and only add a few minutes.

The Blue Lakes are picturesque alpine lakes on the side of the Tasman Lake, which are definitely worth a visit because they are only 5-10 minutes' walk from the parking lot.

Attention: avalanche warning

At the parking lot of the Tasman Glacier, numerous signs warn of avalanche danger on the ball's hat. The wide slopes follows steep moraine and therefore there can be avalanches without warning - especially in winter.

Connection: Mount Fox Route for Fox Glacier Views

GPX-Track

Below is a GPX track that shows my route on the Tasman Glacier View Walk.

gpx file: download

Mein Strava: Visit

About the Tasman Glacier

I was surprised when I found out that the Tasman glacier is the largest in New Zealand! As soon as you have arrived at the viewpoint of the Tasman glacier, you will probably also notice that it is covered with rocks! It is said that the upper part of the glacier is exposed, but the entire lower part has a thin layer of rock that helps to protect the ice from the heat of the sun.

The Tasman glacier has also shrunk dramatically due to climate change since the 1990s.

If the current melting rates stop, the Tasman glacier will unfortunately have disappeared completely by the end of the century. Current predictions assume that the glacier will withdraw every year with a rate of 477 to 822 m.

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Alternative: Tasman Valley Walk and Glacier Lake Cruise

For an even more precise view of the Tasman glacier, I strongly recommend that you take part in a very inexpensive Glacier Lake Cruise. This is one of the most popular experiences around the Tasman glacier and includes the river to the edge of the glacier wall, which comes as close to the largest glacier New Zealand as ever! Alt = "Tasmanian glacier">

Further epic hikes and activities in the Mount Cook National Park

Below you will find a list of other travel guides and articles that will help you plan your New Zealand adventure. You can find more great hikes in this guide on the 31 best hikes on the South Island of New Zealand.

My camera and photo equipment

  • Mirrorless camera: Canon R5
  • drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2
  • 360-degree action camera: Insta360 One X2
  • landscape lens: Canon RF 15-35 mm f/2.8l
  • all-round lens: Canon RF 24–105 mm f/4L
  • telephoto lens: Canon RF 100–500 mm f/f/4.5–7.1 l
  • Long action rod: Insta360 Invisible Pole (Bullettime)
  • landscape lens filter: Hoya Circular Polarizer
  • camera backpack: F-stop Tilopa
  • Favorite photo accessories: Peak Design Capture Clip

A list of my recommended photo equipment (including what I use and why) can be found in my guide for camera equipment for the trip.

If you want to use one of the photos on this website, please visit my licensing page to find out how. I also sell professional art prints, visit my print store or contact me directly for customs deductions from pictures on WE Seek Travel.
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