Fox Glacier South Side Walkway, West Coast

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After the main track closed in 2019 due to flooding, the South Side Walkway became the best option for getting close to this giant of the West Coast. It’s a two-hour walk (or a quick bike ride) through the forest and down to the banks of the river where you’ll get a decent view of the glacier. Definitely not as good as the old track but still a nice walk — keep reading to see if it’s right for you.

Fox Glacier South Side Walkway / Cycleway

The walk starts at the car park on the south side of the river and cuts through the forest for most of its length. It’s wide and mostly flat (it’s a road for most of the way) and there are one or two viewpoints where you’ll get a peek at the glacier.

I was the first one on the trail on a crisp morning in May. Towards the end of the track I heard rustling and saw a deer running through the trees a short distance away — something you don’t see often while hiking in the South Island!

The End of the Road

You’ll eventually reach a car park and from there the trail narrows and winds down to the rocky riverbank. That’s the end of the track — a pretty good view of the glacier although the foreground isn’t the best. There isn’t too much else to explore — enjoy the views and then head back the way you came. You can do the moraine walk on the way back (a slight detour but shouldn’t take much longer).

READ MORE: 6 of the Best Things to Do in Fox Glacier

Is it the Best View of Fox Glacier

The old track (pictured below) had better views of the glacier — hopefully, it reopens at some point.

You can also see the glacier from various points along the road to Lake Matheson (including Fox Glacier Lookout).

Lake Matheson is a great place to visit but you can’t see the glacier from there (stunning mountain reflections though).

READ MORE: 14 of the Best Walks in Franz Josef and Fox Glacier

The Details

It should take around two hours to do this walk. The track is mostly flat but could get muddy after rain. You can also cycle it. The car park is just to the south of Fox Glacier township.

Are you planning a trip to New Zealand? Check out our South Island travel guide!

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Jon Algie

I'm a South Island local -- born in Timaru and raised in Dunedin. I left the island in 2006 and returned 10 years later. Having seen a good chunk of the world I realised how special this place is -- the most beautiful island in the world! Seven years (and almost 400 posts) later I'm still helping locals and tourists alike plan their trips around the South Island.