Hump Ridge Track, Hiking trail in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
Hump Ridge Track is a three-day hiking route in the southern part of Fiordland National Park, New Zealand, running through coastal forest, open subalpine terrain, and clifftop sections above the Tasman Sea. The route forms a loop between two lodges, crossing the broad ridge that gives it its name.
The route follows old logging paths from the early 1900s, when Port Craig on the coast operated as a sawmill settlement that exported timber by sea. Once logging ended, the settlement was abandoned, and the trail now passes through what remains of that working landscape.
The trail passes through land that Māori have known and traveled for centuries, and the southern coastline it follows was once a regular route between communities. Visitors walking the coastal section can sense how the land has long connected people rather than separated them.
The walk takes three days and involves steep sections, so solid footwear and rain gear are strongly recommended regardless of the forecast. Lodges along the way provide beds and meals, which means you only need to carry a daypack rather than full camping equipment.
The Percy Burn Viaduct, which the trail crosses, is a wooden structure from the logging era and one of the tallest surviving timber viaducts in New Zealand. It was built to carry log wagons across a deep gully and still stands in its original form today.
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