Hey there adventure seekers! Join me as I lace up my boots and delve into the wild beauty of Arthurs Pass and day hike to Hawdon Hut, nestled amidst the majestic Southern Alps.
I left Ashburton at the delightfully early hour of 6.30am heading for Springfield where I was picking up a friend, we then carried on towards Arthurs Pass for our day hike to Hawdon Hut. Just after the Cass River, and the start of the Cass Lagoon track, we turned right towards the Hawdon Valley over the Mt White bridge.
Arriving at the car park, there was only one vehicle, and a couple of campervans in the distance.
We laced up our boots we were hitting the trail just after 8.45am, from the car park there is a very brief bush section before hitting the Hawdon River and the first of 10 crossings, unfortunately there is no way to keep dry feet on this day hike. We have been so fortunate this year with winter being very mild, so even though the crossings were wet our feet were not freezing.
The track is well marked the whole way, alternating between native bush and open river flats. We stopped for morning tea beside the river after 1.5 hours of walking, sitting on a soft mossy terrace while embracing the view and sheltering from the cool breeze.
The trail zig zags up the Hawdon River, crossing about 10 times (depending on flow and channels) before the final stretch to the 20 bunk Hawdon Hut. About 10 minutes before reaching the hut, you pass through a large clearing where remnants of the previous hut resided.
The newer hut sits in a large clearing above the river, offering commanding views of the snow capped mountains and the upper river.
It's a great spot for lunch, either inside the hut or sitting outside on the spacious balcony soaking in the views.
Overall, this is a great day hike near Arthurs Pass village offering impressive views of snow capped mountains while providing a sheltered valley to hike up. It takes about 3 hours from the car park to the hut and just over 2 hours to return. So add this day hike to your list and go get exploring!
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