Deadmans Track | An Exhilarating Routeburn Day Hike To Harris Saddle & Conical Hill
Fiordland National Park offers a wealth of hiking trails that wind through its majestic mountain ranges. Some paths meander through verdant temperate rainforests, leading to breathtaking alpine lakes, while other trails traverse exposed slopes, revealing mind-boggling views of the dramatic landscape.
Then there’s the Deadmans Track, which encompasses all of the above and so much more. For seasoned hikers seeking an exhilarating challenge with indescribable rewards, this is the hike for you!
We spent close to a month in total exploring the myriad of hiking trails between Te Anau and Milford Sound. After completing all the main ones, we started scouring maps in search of more challenging, lesser-known adventures.
We discovered the Deadmans Track while searching for a way to summit Conical Hill in a single day. With nothing more than a few reviews off Alltrails and a dotted line to follow on a DOC topo map, we set off on what would become our absolute favourite day hike in New Zealand.
With all that said, the Deadmans Track is far from a walk in the park! Continue reading through our detailed guide for summiting Conical Hill via Harris Saddle and the Deadmans Track to learn whether this is the adventure for you.
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Essential Information About Hiking The Deadmans Track To Harris Saddle And Conical Hill In Fiordland National Park
Quick Statistics For The Deadmans Track To Conical Hill
Distance
14 km return
Time
7 – 10 hrs
Navigation Difficulty
Moderate-Hard
Trail Difficulty
Hard
Physical Challenge
Hard
Elevation Gain
1,404 m
Highest Elevation
1,515 m
Entrance Fees
None
Facilities
Trailhead: Small clearing enough for 1 – 2 cars
On the trail: Shelter, drop toilets
Where Does The Deadmans Track Start?
The Deadmans Track traverses the western slopes of the Humboldt Mountains, starting from Lower Hollyford Road and connecting with the famous Routeburn Track just below Harris Saddle.
The trailhead is nothing more than a small clearing, large enough for 2 – 3 cars, located 8.8 km along the unsealed Lower Hollyford Rd. A small, inconspicuous trail sign is the only indication that you’ve found the Deadmans Track Trailhead, with the path itself barely visible as it disappears into the dense forest.
There are no toilets or other facilities at the Deadmans Track Trailhead. The closest toilet is located at the Lake Marian Trailhead on Lower Hollyford Rd, 7.7 km before you reach the Deadmans Track Trailhead.
Note: Phone service is limited along Milford Rd and nonexistent at the trailhead. Make sure you’ve downloaded any necessary maps and checked the weather forecast before leaving Te Anau.
How To Get To The Deadmans Track Trailhead
The Deadmans Track Trailhead is located 96 km north of Te Anau. While public transport services run from Queenstown to Te Anau, there are no options from Te Anau to the Deadmans Track. Therefore, the trailhead is only accessible by driving yourself or hitchhiking, though few travellers venture that far down Lower Hollyford Rd.
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Driving From Te Anau To The Deadmans Track Trailhead
The scenic drive from Te Anau to The Deadmans Track Trailhead takes roughly 1 hour 20 minutes. You’ll leave Te Anau heading north on the Milford Sound Hwy towards Milford Sound.
After about 87 km, you’ll turn right onto Lower Hollyford Rd, following the signs to the Hollyford Track, Humboldt Falls and Lake Marian. The road turns to gravel just after Lake Marian Car Park, but it remains accessible for all vehicles.
Continue along Lower Hollyford Rd for 8.8 km, looking out for a green DOC sign and a small clearing on the right side of the road. If there isn’t any room to park (which is highly unlikely), there is enough space to get off the road roughly 100 m before the trailhead at the bridge.
Click here for directions to the Deadmans Track Trailhead
How Hard Is The Deadmans Track & Conical Hill Hike?
We won’t sugarcoat it – the Deadmans Track is hard. The barely existent trail is steep and severely overgrown, making it a ‘three points of contact’ adventure for most of the journey until it connects with the Routeburn Track.
It’s obvious by the amount of forest debris and fallen trees that this route is seldom walked and barely maintained. We spent a lot of the ascent navigating over and under rotting tree trunks, squeezing between spiky bushes and carefully traversing alarmingly soft ledges.
With that said, there is minimal exposure and very few technical rock sections that require rock scrambling skills. Therefore, if you’re sufficiently fit and confident navigating overgrown terrain, then you shouldn’t have any trouble hiking the Deadmans Track.
However, the trail can become very muddy after heavy rain and dangerously slippery in icy or snowy conditions. We only recommend attempting this hike under such conditions if you are highly experienced, understand the risks, and equipped with the necessary gear to handle the additional challenges.
Navigation On The Deadmans Track
The Deadmans Track may be overgrown, but there is no shortage of trail markers to keep you on course. You’ll find orange triangles nailed to trees in the forest sections and orange-tipped poles in the open areas.
Note: Follow only the orange markers. You’ll also find yellow, red, white and blue markers scattered throughout the forest that are used for biodiversity management, these do not mark the route for the Deadmans Track.
The only time navigation became slightly challenging was when a massive fallen tree obstructed our path. This is a common occurrence and it took us a few minutes to find the next orange marker. For this reason, and to prevent getting disoriented, we recommend using a GPS app like AllTrails to track your hike and avoid getting lost.
We also track our hikes in case we find ourselves returning after dark. Trail markers in New Zealand are not reflective, making them difficult to spot with a headtorch. However, by tracking your adventure, you can easily retrace your steps on the way back.
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Best Time To Hike The Deadmans Track To Conical Hill
The best time to hike the Deadmans Track and summit Conical Hill is between November and April. The trail conditions are typically the easiest during these months, with the least chance of encountering snow or ice.
If you have experience hiking in snowy conditions, you can extend your season to include September, October, and May. While winter ascents are possible, they demand advanced skills and heightened avalanche awareness.
We hiked the Deadmans Track at the end of October, after a large snowstorm. We didn’t encounter snow until reaching Harris Saddle but from there, the track to Conical Hill was almost completely covered in snow – so much so that all of the trail markers were buried!
We anticipated this and had the necessary gear to tackle the ascent. We met some other walkers who chose not to summit Conical Hill as they didn’t have crampons or microspikes.
What To Pack For Your Hike To Conical Hill Via The Deadmans Track
The hike to Conical Hill via the Deadmans Track typically takes between 7 – 10 hours and demands a whole lot of energy! We recommend bringing high-energy snacks and a hearty lunch to enjoy at Harris Saddle.
For day hikes that require this much effort, we will carry 4 litres of water each – plus electrolytes – to ensure we stay thoroughly hydrated. While there are plenty of water sources along Deadmans Track to refill water bottles, it’s advisable to use a filtration system before drinking to avoid contamination from animals or other factors.
Due to the severely overgrown nature of the trail, we suggest wearing long sleeves and pants to avoid ending up with countless scratches. We wore hiking boots to protect our ankles from the uneven ground and were glad of it once we reached deep snow on Conical Hill!
Here is a list of essential items we recommend packing for the Deadmans Track:
- 3 – 4 Litres of Water – the extra weight is worth it to stay sufficiently hydrated
- High Energy Snacks – look for muesli bars high in protein
- Hiking Boots – you could get away with hiking shoes in summer, but if there’s a potential for mud then we recommend boots
- Warm Layers – we typically carry both a fleece jacket and a down jacket when hiking in alpine areas
- Rain Jacket – weather conditions can change rapidly in the mountains, we also recommend bringing rain pants if you have them
- Insect Repellent – the sandflies are relentless and will swarm when you stop, we’ve found that the only effective repellents are ones with at least 40% DEET
- Water Filtration System – the streams may be fine if you’re used to drinking from natural sources, but it’s best to be safe
- Head Torch – this is a long hike and the chances of returning in the dark are high enough to warrant packing a head torch
- First Aid Kit & Emergency Blanket – many hiking first aid kits don’t include an emergency blanket, but it’s crucial for dealing with hypothermia
- Emergency Beacon – if you don’t have one, you can rent it from the DOC visitor centre or the Macpac store in Wanaka
The Deadmans Track Notes
The Deadmans Track Trailhead To The 1.3 km Mark
Following the signs in the forest, you’re immediately flung into an overgrown mess of mossy rocks, intertwined trees and ferns. The orange markers lead the way – ignore any other colour – and are thankfully plentiful, as there isn’t much of a trail to follow!
While our images offer a pretty good depiction of this enchanting forest, they’re nothing compared to the real thing. We were honestly overwhelmed by the beauty of the vibrant green beech forest, where moss and lichen blanket every inch of the landscape.
The dense, tangled growth will slow your pace, but we embraced it, as it allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in the magical surroundings.
The gradient gradually increases as you start to traverse north, following the contours of the steep slope while climbing under and over tree trunks and broken branches. You’ll find plenty of fallen trees along the way that can obscure the already faint trail, but as long as you spot the next marker before moving on, you’ll easily stay on track. Another tip is to take note of the direction the marker is pointing as it will help you find the next one.
It took us roughly an hour to navigate 1.3 km through the tangled forest, ascending 230 m in that time. From this point – at about the 370 m contour line – you’ll finally stop traversing and begin the agonisingly steep ascent straight up the mountainside.
The 1.3 km Mark To The Treeline
The faint track climbs over moss-covered roots, rocks and decaying tree trunks, allowing you to gain elevation quickly. The intensity steps up a notch between the 700 – 800 m contour lines, where the trail is basically a jumble of loose forest debris and branches that demand careful climbing.
Finally, you’ll notice the trees beginning to thin after 2.4 km and 675 m of elevation gain. From this point, the trail begins to traverse once more, offering a short reprieve before the final pinch.
The traversing trail continues to wind through the lush beech forest, which somehow becomes even more incredible the higher you climb. The soft light that now filters through the canopy illuminates the thriving moss and lichen, casting the forest in brilliant shades of yellow and green.
Due to the flatter terrain, the spongy forest floor can become very boggy in sections. The thick moss does a great job at hiding surprise puddles of mud and water, so we recommend trying to stick to the tree roots where possible or taking a tentative step first.
You’ll reach a flowing boulder-strewn creek after 3.8 km, which is generally simple to cross unless there has been copious amounts of rain. After crossing the creek, you’ll begin the final steep ascent that will deliver you to the Routeburn Track.
The trail leads you into a marshy tussock field, loosely following a dry creek bed, for another 200 m until you’ll finally break free of the tree line completely and gain your first unobstructed glimpse of the magnificent landscape.
The Treeline To The Routeburn Track Junction
You’ll emerge from the tree line after 4 km and 850 m of elevation gain, roughly at the 1,050 m contour line. Any memory of the gruelling effort will fade as you gaze out at the rugged peaks that paint the horizon with sharp strokes of rock and snow, perfectly complemented by the dense forest enveloping the Hollyford Valley.
All that’s left between you and the Routeburn Track now is 200 m of climbing through the unforgiving alpine grass that blankets the steep slope. You’d think this part would be easy, but it was actually quite frustrating! The alpine grass is extremely slippery and hides the evil spear grass that slices if you get too close.
To make matters worse (or more entertaining), the poles are well-hidden in the overgrown grass. Luckily, we could see the Routeburn Track up ahead so we just made a beeline towards it. This was perhaps not the best idea, as the slope was seriously steep and the only thing that kept us upright was our trekking poles!
We recommend zigzagging up the alpine grass slope rather than shooting straight up if you lose the trail markers. However you manage to get there, you’ll finally step onto the Routeburn Track after 4.2 km and 950 m of elevation gain.
It took us about 3 hours to arrive at the Routeburn Track junction, with a few quick stops to catch our breath and take photos.
The Routeburn Track Junction To Harris Saddle
Jumping onto the well-groomed Routeburn Track, you’ll head north, following the signs to Harris Saddle. The landscape that unravels as you wander along the contrastingly easy trail will knock any breath you have left.
It took us no more than 15 minutes to arrive at the Harris Saddle Shelter, which offers toilets, an enclosed day shelter with tables and chairs and a large sunny deck with stunning mountainous views.
Harris Saddle Shelter was busy with walkers stopping for lunch, so we continued further along the trail for another 5 minutes to arrive at a prime location just off the track that overlooked Lake Harris for lunch.
The deep blue Lake Harris lies in a plunging basin, completely surrounded by rugged rocky peaks. We spent a good while lazing on a rock slab, watching people walking along the tiny trail winding around Lake Harris. We didn’t bother walking down to the lake’s edge as it was too cold to swim, but it’s close by and worth it if the weather is warm enough!
If you don’t want to summit Conical Hill, an alternative adventure is to walk north along the western banks of Lake Harris to the Valley of the Trolls – a grassy valley dwarfed by enormous bouldered mountains adorned with cascading waterfalls.
Due to deep snow and our mission to summit Conical Hill, we didn’t walk to the Valley of the Trolls. But you can read about this little side trip on Alice Adventuring’s website.
Harris Saddle To Conical Hill
After a lengthy break to enjoy your surroundings, it’s time for the final mission of the day. Return to Harris Saddle Shelter if you venture away and follow the signs that will guide you to the Conical Hill Track.
The track begins behind the Harris Saddle Shelter, heading north. A prominent path can be seen zigzagging up the grassy slope before it disappears behind the enormous rocky outcrops. Plenty of trail markers guide the way, helping you navigate through the steep, rocky sections as you near the peak.
For the most part, the summit hike is relatively straightforward – especially after tackling the Deadmans Track! However, it does become more challenging in icy or snowy conditions.
When we summited Conical Hill, the majority of the walk was covered in a deep layer of snow. We could only make out the trail for the first few hundred metres and after that, we resorted to following the route on Alltrails.
We knew the summit would be under snow, so we were prepared with microspikes for the climb. In hindsight, we would have been better off with snow shoes but we managed to reach the peak – only sinking above our knees a few times!
It took us a total of two hours to summit Conical Hill and return to Harris Saddle, enduring deep snow and buried trail markers for the majority of the climb. But we expect it would take roughly 1 – 1.5 hours in fair conditions.
Note: If you want to attempt the summit hike to Conical Hill in snowy or icy conditions, we strongly recommend having some previous experience and carrying crampons or microspikes. We wouldn’t have summited in those conditions if we weren’t equipped with the necessary gear.
Exploring The Summit Of Conical Hill
Once you reach the summit of Conical Hill, you’ll be rewarded with 360-degree panoramic views of the sprawling Fiordland National Park. Everywhere you turn, you’re met with indescribable beauty.
The expansive rocky summit provides stunning views of the Darran Mountains across the Hollyford Valley, and the dominating peaks of the Serpentine Range and Humboldt Mountains that hug the Routeburn Track. You’re even afforded glimpses of Milford Sound and the Tasman Sea tucked behind the rugged mountains.
Returning To The Trailhead
When you’re finally ready to tear your eyes away from the mesmerising landscape, make your way back to Harris Saddle Shelter. The descent was much quicker for us, as we could use the steps we’d already kicked into the snow!
The return walk to the Deadmans Track junction offers new vistas of the southern mountain ranges, providing a pleasant walk for a moment. But once you reach the turn-off for the Deadmans Track, all concentration is required to avoid slipping on the descent through the unforgiving alpine grass!
Between us, we slipped more times than we’d like to admit – wishing we had gloves on so we could hold onto the sharp grass! But eventually, we made it back to the safety of the treeline to begin the final descent to the trailhead.
It took us an hour less on the return journey from the track junction to the Deadmans Track trailhead, bringing our total walking time for the day to 6 hours and 45 minutes. However, our overall time for the day was 9 hours and 30 minutes, which included a long lunch and plenty of rest stops throughout the demanding hike.
Other Important Information For Hiking To Conical Hill Via The Deadmans Track In Fiordland National Park
Leave No Trace
Fiordland National Park boasts a rugged beauty that is truly unparalleled. This incredible region of New Zealand’s South Island forms a part of the Te Wāhipounamu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that protects New Zealand’s largest and least modified natural ecosystem.
But this protection is not enough, the national park also needs our help to continue preserving the natural wonders. When you’re hiking any of the trails throughout Fiordland National Park – or anywhere for that matter – please follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles.
There are no bins at the trailhead, along the track, or at Harris Saddle Shelter so please pack out all your rubbish, including food scraps and tissues! The closest rubbish bins are at Te Anau. You’ll find toilets at Harris Saddle Shelter and Lake Marian Car Park, 7.7 km south of the Deadmans Track Trailhead.
Where To Stay Near The Deadmans Track
The closest town to the Deadmans Track is Te Anau, located roughly 1 hr 20 minutes south of the trailhead. Te Anau provides a wide range of accommodation options to fit any budget. However, if you’re looking to indulge and experience Milford Sound overnight, you can’t beat the Milford Sound Lodge!
Here is a list of our top recommended places to stay in Te Anau for various budgets:
- Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park – This budget accommodation is our go-to when we need to stay in Te Anau. The staff are always friendly and the amenities are very clean and provide everything you need.
- Blue Thistle Cottages – These affordable self-contained cottages offer some peace and quiet, located just outside of town on the way to Milford Sound.
- The Mayflower Cottage – Perfect for couples, this mid-range studio apartment is centrally located in town, within walking distance of restaurants, cafes and shops.
Camping Near The Deadmans Track
The best way to experience Fiordland National Park and explore the multitude of walks in Milford Sound is by camping along Milford Road. There are 10 campsites scattered along the scenic road, all of which boast breathtaking views of the encompassing mountains.
Our favourite campsite in Milford Sound is Cascade Creek Campsite. It’s located just a few minutes walk from the beautiful Lake Gunn and is the closest site to the Deadmans Track Trailhead.
For more information about the campsites along Milford Road, check out our comprehensive guide to Camping in Milford Sound.
Final Thoughts
The Deadmans Track and Conical Hill is an adventure that will leave you breathless – from the effort, the panoramic views and the magical beech forest. From the moment we stepped onto the overgrown trail, we knew we were in for an unforgettable experience and it wasn’t long before it claimed the number one spot on our list of the best day in New Zealand!
But there’s no denying that this track forces you to work hard to reap the rewards! Make sure that you’re prepared for some serious scrambling through a tangled overgrown forest and an overall relentlessly steep ascent. Wearing long sleeves and pants will save you from many unnecessary scratches and we also recommend packing some light gloves for the alpine grass section – especially if it’s wet.
We hope that this guide to hiking the Deadmans Track and summiting Conical Hill has inspired you to get out there for yourself. If you still have further questions about this adventure, please feel free to leave a comment below or get in touch with us via Instagram.
Happy Hiking 🙂
