Best Trails in Marlborough Region, New Zealand

A rewarding walk with fantastic views

Nice view at the top, I do suggest going back down the way you went up if you don't want to walk back through town to get to your car.

Great views

Great little hike!

Biked Torea Bay to Punga Cove. The first 4 miles or so are a challenging uphill, but totally doable on the bike. After that it becomes a bunch of rolling hills that are actually much more challenging. Many of the uphills are very steep and rocky and I had to walk my bike up many sections. Having said that, I’m not the most technical of riders and I assume others will be able to cope better. The trail rewards you with many spectacular and varied views of the Sounds.

Highly recommend!

perfect for trail running, has some muddy and rooty sections though. the moment you reach the lookout and get the view of the Marlborough Sound is awesome!

For an easy walk it was beautiful this time of year. Had a play on the old shipwreck, the flowers are blooming and the sun was shining

Nice trail with nice views of the Picton harbor and sound along the way. Toilet about halfway out. Moderate fitness is all that’s needed for this one.

I backpacked the entire length starting at Ships Cove, ending in Anakiwa. I carried all of my gear and it took me 3 days (I'm a 25 year old female from the USA).

Day 1: Ships Cove to Camp Bay ~26.5km

Take a water taxi from Picton to Ships Cove one way. I used Beachcombers and the ticket was $71. You have the option to pay $5 between each day and have the taxis take your bags to the next stop if you'd like.

At Ships Cove the trail starts with an aggressive ascent that lasts a few hours. It then flattens for most of the rest of the day. You will pass Minors Camp on your way to Camp Bay, which is another place you could camp and do some day hikes around. Camp Bay is $8 and offers toilets, water and overhead shelter if needed.

Day 2: Camp Bay to Cowshed Bay Campsite ~23km

The day starts again with an aggressive uphill climb and throughout the day has steep up and down hiking. I recommend taking your pack off to hike up to Eatswell Lookout. Its a steep little hike off the path, but WELL worth the effort with a vista that shows you all the ground you've covered so far. The day ends with a descent into Cowshed Bay Campsite which has toilets and a cold shower. Cost is $13 a night.

Day 3: Cowshed Bay to Anakiwa ~20.5km

Steep ascent out of Cowshed Bay that continues for several hours. Probably the hardest part of the track after carrying gear for two days. This is also where you are crossing private land, so be sure to have the $18 private land pass. You can purchase this from the water taxi services or the offices in Cowshed Bay. You will be most exposed during this day, so have a large brimmed hat and sunscreen handy. The second half of this day is all flat and then downhill into Anakiwa.

Anakiwa does NOT have any hostels or service stations or rubbish bins. So don't plan for this to be your replenish spot. Use the public restrooms and running water to fuel up and either return to Picton here by water taxi, or follow the Link trail for an additional day or 20km to Picton. There are several Campgrounds along the way you can stay at for this. HOWEVER, the Link trail has been washed away in a lot of coastline areas. So I don't recommend hiking along the windy road. I hitchhiked back.

hands down the best hike I've ever done. beautiful scenery and very well maintained trail.

Excellent paths with incredible views of the water.

Hope they will work something out so we can walk it again.

Beautifully maintained trail.

1 St fall is very smal. Second is better, good to take a dive.

Was wet, needed hiking boots as was not suitable for walking shoes. shipwreck was fun for the kids to see.

fantastic easy walk and the sounds are beautiful.

I walked the loop track during the winter months. I found it boring during that time as there was no bird life nor no flowers. Also the tide was out.Nice to see the hills each side

great walk. take some water and a snack

We really enjoyed the Snout Trail in late May. The trail was maintained well. It was a bit muddy after a recent rain, but was still very reasonable. The views were stunning and very frequent until the Queen Charlotte overlook. After that, the trail goes down quite steeply into the forest until you reach the final clearing at sea level. If you’re just interested in views, I’d recommend turning around at Queen Charlotte. Otherwise, it’s a great hike throughout!

if you like to walk through thick bush with just a few areas to see the view of the Sounds, then you will love this hike! if not, then you will be bored quickly. there are very nice views of the Sounds but only a very small percent of the time.

I enjoyed this level loop around a local lagoon with layers of hills visible all around. Lots of geese and other birds.

Drop-dead gorgeous views of the Marlborough Sounds. Most of the trail sheltered from hot sun. Feel like you're the only person on earth when you reach the end.