Best single-day hiking trails in Nelson Tasman

If you’re after an easy wander that still feels like a proper escape, the Maitai Caves walk is a bit of a local gem.

The St Arnaud Range track climbs steadily through red beech, silver beech, and mountain beech forest for approximately two hours before emerging at Parachute Rocks. Glacial activity in Nelson Lakes National Park many, many years ago shaped the dramatic landscape, creating moraine terraces, valleys, and lake tarns.

You’ll never experience a beach quite like Farewell Spit in Golden Bay. Mighty, majestic, and magnificent are just three words regularly used to describe the 35km sandspit that shelters the Nelson Tasman region from the wild west coast weather.

Perched at 1,650 metres, Angelus Hut overlooks Lake Angelus and is surrounded by stunning mountain vistas. From May to October, the lake often freezes, and snow covers all four routes, sometimes requiring visitors to dig their way to the hut.

The Barnicoat Ranges form the impressive backdrop behind Stoke and Richmond, rising steeply to more than 500m elevation for most of its length.

The stunning scenery at Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park changes with the seasons, from the vibrant red and golden hues of autumn, to the blanket of snow that wraps the lake in a cool embrace during winter.

The Pitt Head Loop Track is a scenic 3.2 km hiking trail located in the Southern part of the Abel Tasman National Park.

The Mount Robert Circuit undoubtedly offers some of the best views of Nelson Lakes National Park.