Last updated November 2026
Fourteen fiords cut into the south-west corner of the South Island, from Milford Sound/Piopiotahi in the north to Preservation Inlet in the south, and all of them lie inside Fiordland National Park.
The Department of Conservation calls it New Zealand’s largest national park: more than 1.2 million hectares of granite peaks, glacier-carved valleys, rainforest and hundreds of lakes. It was constituted in 1952 and declared a World Heritage Area in 1986.
Te Anau, the closest town with facilities, is about 150 km from Invercargill and home to the park’s visitor centre, while DOC’s southern areas of the park include Tuatapere and Lake Monowai/Borland Road. Dogs are not allowed anywhere in the park.
Practical Information
- Location
- South-west corner of the South Island, from Milford Sound/Piopiotahi to Preservation Inlet
- Distance from the city
- Te Anau, the closest town with facilities, is about 150 km from Invercargill
- Size
- Over 1.2 million hectares (Department of Conservation)
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation
- Visitor centre
- Te Rua-o-te-moko/Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre, 1 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau
- Walking times
- Great Walks: Milford Track 4 days, Kepler Track 3 to 4 days, Hump Ridge Track 3 days, Routeburn Track 2 to 4 days
- Dogs
- No dogs
- Status
- Department of Conservation: Fiordland National Park page
About Fiordland National Park
Ice made this landscape. DOC explains that glaciers have covered the area several times over the last two million years, grinding out U-shaped valleys that later filled with sea or fresh water.
The fiords are the drowned ones, some reaching as far as 40 km inland. The lakes are the others, and Lake Hauroko is the deepest in New Zealand at 462 metres.
Between the water and the peaks, the park holds ancient rainforest, beech forest along the lakeshores, tussock on the ridgelines, and alpine meadows, tarns and gardens higher up.
DOC names kiwi and kākāpō in the park’s story: in the late 1890s and early 1900s the conservation pioneer Richard Henry moved both to islands in Tamatea/Dusky Sound, which made him caretaker of New Zealand’s first island wildlife sanctuary.
DOC lists walking, hunting, mountain biking, fishing, boating, kayaking and climbing across its different areas, with hunting listed in several of them.
Māori and European History
In Māori tradition, DOC notes, the demigod Tuterakiwhanoa carved the landscape out of formless rock. Few people lived here year-round, but seasonal food-gathering camps were linked by well-used trails. Takiwai, a translucent form of pounamu, was gathered from Anita Bay and nearby, close to the mouth of Milford Sound/Piopiotahi.
Captain Cook’s crew were the first Europeans to visit, spending five weeks in Tamatea/Dusky Sound in 1773; Astronomer’s Point there marks where New Zealand’s position was fixed. Cook’s charts brought sealers and whalers, who formed the country’s first European settlements.
Surveyors, explorers and prospectors pushed inland from the mid-1800s, and in the 1890s Preservation Inlet had a gold rush that DOC says drew more than 2,500 miners and sawmillers. Most of the mines, mills and farms did not last.
The Milford Track has its own history. DOC credits Quintin McKinnon and Ernest Mitchell with finding the route in 1888, and McKinnon and Donald Sutherland with opening it in 1889 and beginning to guide tourists along it. The Omanui/McKinnon Pass Memorial marks the route today.
Main Areas of the Park
DOC divides the park into several areas, each with its own character:
- Lake Te Anau: beside Te Anau, the closest town with facilities.
- Lake Manapouri and Doubtful Sound/Patea: a lake and a fiord that DOC calls majestic.
- Milford Road and Milford Sound: described by DOC as one of New Zealand’s most scenic drives.
- Hollyford Valley: a remote forested valley running from mountains to sea, for tramping, hunting, fishing and climbing.
- Lake Monowai and Borland Road: off-the-beaten-track tramping, hunting, boating and fishing.
- Tuatapere: mountain and coastal country around the Waitutu and South Coast area.
- Southern Fiords: historic sites, walking and kayaking.
Great Walks and Historic Huts
Four of DOC’s Great Walks are wholly or partly in Fiordland: the Milford Track (53.5 km, 4 days), the Kepler Track (60 km, 3 to 4 days), the Routeburn Track (32 km, 2 to 4 days, shared with Mount Aspiring National Park) and the Hump Ridge Track in southern Fiordland (60 km, 3 days), which is booked through the Hump Ridge Trust.
The Great Walks season runs from November to April. DOC says conditions from May to late October can be challenging, and only walkers with the skills and experience should attempt them then.
The park also keeps some historic huts and sites. Clark Hut was built in 1941 for government deer cullers, Freeman Burn Hut dates from the 1930s on the old Bradshaw Sound to Lake Manapouri track, and Caswell Sound Hut is the only physical trace left of the 1949 New Zealand-American Fiordland expedition.
Port Craig, which DOC calls New Zealand’s most complete sawmilling complex, and the Tarawera silver mine and smelter are among the other heritage sites.
Visiting from Invercargill
Te Anau is the usual gateway, with Te Rua-o-te-moko/Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre at 1 Lakefront Drive. DOC’s park page has information on getting in by road, air or boat, and on weather, gear and planning, so read it before a longer trip. Tell someone your plans if you head into the backcountry.
A few park rules apply everywhere: no dogs, no drones without a permit, and check, clean and dry all gear when moving between waterways to stop didymo and other freshwater pests. Climbers are asked to use established access points and not to damage trees or add fixed bolts.
Where to Learn More
Department of Conservation: Fiordland National Park: park information, history, areas, rules and the visitor centre. Park information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Department of Conservation: Compare the Great Walks: lengths and times for the Milford, Kepler, Routeburn and Hump Ridge tracks and the other Great Walks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is Fiordland National Park?
Over 1.2 million hectares. DOC calls it New Zealand’s largest national park.
How far is Fiordland from Invercargill?
Te Anau, the closest town with facilities, is about 150 km from Invercargill. DOC’s southern areas include Tuatapere and Lake Monowai/Borland Road.
When did Fiordland become a national park?
It was constituted in 1952 and declared a World Heritage Area in 1986.
How many fiords are there?
Fourteen, from Milford Sound/Piopiotahi in the north to Preservation Inlet in the south, some reaching up to 40 km inland.
Which Great Walks are in Fiordland?
The Milford Track, Kepler Track and Hump Ridge Track, plus part of the Routeburn Track. The Great Walks season is November to April.
Are dogs allowed?
No. DOC does not permit dogs anywhere in Fiordland National Park.
Where is the visitor centre?
Te Rua-o-te-moko/Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre is at 1 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau.
What is the deepest lake in the park?
Lake Hauroko, which at 462 metres is the deepest lake in New Zealand.
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