Nestled in the rugged wilderness of Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand, the Alex Knob Track is an excellent day hike that takes you to stunning viewpoints of the famous Franz Josef Glacier.
The Alex Knob Track is 8km (one-way) and has a total elevation of 1,200m.
The track has three main lookout points: the Rata Lookout, the Christmas Lookout, and finally the Alex Knob Lookout. We hiked to the Christmas Lookout since we were hiking at the start of winter, when it is not advised to go any further without alpine hiking gear (which we don’t have).
After discussing with some friends and people who had hiked the area, the Alex Knob hike was recommended to us as having the best views of the glacier.
The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive guide with firsthand experience of the track for you to have the best possible experience.
Location of the Alex Knob Track
The start of the Alex Knob Track can be found in Franz Josef. When you arrive in Franz Josef (from Fox Glacier side), follow the signs towards the glacier (not the township), but you won’t be going to the glacier car park at the end of the road. Instead, there will be a small carpark on the righthand side of the road next to the sign for the Alex Knob Track (see below).
Franz Josef Glacial Walk Car Park (for Alex Knob Track)
The parking for the Alex Knob Track is about midway down the glacier access road on the right hand side.
The car park is sign posted as the Lake Wombat/Alex Knob car park.
It’s a generous lay by on the side of the road, which are common for the more off the beaten track hikes.
Alex Knob Track Difficulty
This track is of a medium difficulty level due to the adventurous, steep, and challenging nature of the path.
The start of the track is a gravel path which takes you all the way along to Lake Wombat and is slightly undulating but is very easy.
Once you turn onto the bush track and start your ascent, you will encounter tree roots, occasional scrambling, and a few large step ups along the way.
The Alex Knob Track is unsuitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs, and those with limited mobility.
Duration of the Alex Knob Hike
The official DOC estimated time to complete the Alex Knob Hike is 6 hours return. This is to complete the full trail, reaching the Alex Knob Lookout.
As we only hiked to the Christmas Lookout our hiking time was 4 hours, and we were only 1.5km away from the Alex Knob Lookout. Six hours seems like a reasonable estimate.
The details of the Alex Knob Track are as follows:
- Alex Knob hike track length: 8km to the summit (16km return)
- Alex Knob track elevation: 1,292m (+1,093 during hike)
- Estimated time: 6 hours return
- Lookouts: Rata Lookout 4.5km, Christmas Lookout 6.5km, Alex Knob Lookout 8km
Best Time to Visit
The Alex Knob Track is accessible year-round. The best months to hike this track would be from spring to summer. This is because of the humidity levels inside the lush West Coast forest- we hiked it in May (Autumn nearly winter), and we were able to hike in shorts and t-shirt because it was so warm.
However, despite it being accessible year-round, it is advised not to hike past the Christmas Lookout in the winter months. You will need alpine hiking gear and alpine hiking experience to get to the top as it will be snowy and icy.
In hindsight, I think we could have successfully hiked all the way to the top of the Alex Knob Track despite it being May and slightly snowy. Granted, this is not full winter. We met a fellow hiker while we were at the Christmas Lookout who had just come from the top and she had minimal equipment. But we hadn’t planned to continue so we didn’t.
The Alex Knob Track
The Lookout Points
There are three significant lookout points along this track.
- Rata Lookout
- Christmas Lookout
- Alex Knob Lookout
We would recommend aiming for one and sticking to your plan. I don’t see why you should not go for the Christmas Lookout- it is only an extra 1.5km further on than the Rata Lookout. We walked to the Christmas Lookout and it’s better so definitely worth it.
Description of the Alex Knob Track
Starting the Alex Knob Track is gentle and forgiving; from the trailhead you follow a slightly undulating gravel path until you reach the turnoff for the forest path. This first section is a steady climb through lowland, native bush until you reach the Rata Lookout point.
Along the way you will have occasional glimpses of the surrounding environment, but they are very rare so don’t expect to see much until you reach a lookout.
The Rata Lookout
Found at 4.5km in, The Rata Lookout is your first opportunity to see how high you are as this is the first break in the bush for a while. It is also your first opportunity to have eyes on Franz Josef Glacier.
There wasn’t too much room here and honestly, compared to the other lookout points, the views are not as impressive.
Our recommendation is to keep going.
From the Rata Lookout you have 1.5km of bush to negotiate your way through on the rocky path until you get to the Christmas Lookout. This section will see you encounter a few of those steep step ups that we mentioned.
The Christmas Lookout
The Christmas Lookout is extremely impressive and gives you a direct eyeline to Franz Josef Glacier.
Sadly for us when we got there the cloud was coming in strong so we didn’t get to see much of the full view but it was still incredible.
It has got enough space for a group of people to stop and have lunch.
From this lookout the glacier does not look as massive as it is. However, given that there are so many helicopter flights up and onto the glacier you can use them as size references. Believe us when we say you will struggle to see the helicopters as they are so small.
This lookout had much better views of the glacier compared to the Rata Lookout, so it is 100% worth the extra effort to get to it.
For those looking to turn around at this point, here are our hiking stats:
Total track length: 13.5km
Total elevation: 803m
Time taken: 4 hours
The Alex Knob Lookout
We can’t give our first-hand experience on this stop as we did not go to it due to the winter conditions. However, we have done plenty of research when we were planning, and we were so close! It’s on the list to go back to.
Once you continue past the Christmas Lookout, the ground becomes covered in moss and grass, making it slightly more difficult. Once you are through here, you then pop out above the clouds and are walking in fresh, open air.
The views from this lookout are unrivalled by the previous two as you are at the highest point.
As we said, just be prepared if you are going in winter because the conditions may get very alpine.
Do We Recommend the Alex Knob Hike?
Yes! We had a thoroughly enjoyable time on this track. It was fun, challenging, and diverse.
The clouds were heavy in the sky, but we still managed to see most of the Franz Josef Glacier from the lookout. As most of the track is covered with forest and bush, having questionable weather only really affects you if you are going all the way to the Alex Knob Lookout where you emerge above the treeline.
Lake Wombat
The Lake Wombat hike is located 1.1km along the gravel track that you start on when leaving the carpark for the Alex Knob Track .
This fern lined track takes you to a beautiful lake that was formed approximately 9,000 years ago from glacial ice. The track offers plenty of opportunity for bird watching in the native bush.
We recommend visiting Lake Wombat at the end of the Alex Knob Track. The weather conditions down here are much less likely to change compared to the conditions at 1,200m. If you have a clear window, get the big hike done successfully and enjoy the side quest of Lake Wombat after.
(Please excuse the slightly dodgy photo here, the sun was in completely the wrong place).
This was a lovely way to finish was what a hot and sweaty hike through the forest. We sat down on the bench, drank the rest of our water and enjoyed the setting sun illuminating the scene a beautiful golden colour.
Practical Tips for the Alex Knob Track
Always Check the DOC Website before Hiking
As always, it’s worth knowing the weather conditions before you set off. Not only will you have a better experience in fair weather, is it much safer to go in good weather. The track is quite rough underfoot at times, so we don’t want any broken bones.
Click here to see the weather forecast for this area
Click here for the DOC website for the Alex Knob Track
Take Plenty of Water
Always carry more water than you think you’ll need. We will say this on every article that is about hiking.
We took a few bottles each. Being in the dense forest, it can be quite humid regardless of the time of year. So if you’re wearing your layers and your legs are putting in a good effort, in that humidity you’ll need to replenish your body’s water supplies.
Ben needed to drink loads as he was super sweaty and literally steaming because he was an idiot and didn’t take his fleece off for a way to long… Which leads us nicely into the next point!
Carry Warm & Waterproof Layers
Conditions can change so quickly. Especially when you’re hiking up to higher altitudes. You do not want to be caught short in the rain.
Take more layers than you think you’ll need. It might be a pain to carry up (as Ben found), but at the top the layers were appreciated as temperatures dropped off rapidly due to the altitude we were at.
Take Bug Spray & Sun Protection
Sandflies, bugs and other insects are rife in this area. This area of the West Coast is a “high nuisance” are for sandflies, and they are horrible! Spray any bare skin so they can’t get to you. Despite this, on the Alex Knob Track we didn’t find them too bad. Better safe than sorry though.
The New Zealand sun is strong all year round due to the lack of Ozone layer, so sun protection is always necessary. Sunglasses, hats, sun cream- take it all!
Conclusion
As a summary of this article, we have covered all the essential information we think you’ll need for a successful hike along the Alex Knob Track. The views at each lookout point are progressively more impressive and the track itself is a fun, active challenge.
If you are interested in more New Zealand hiking adventures that we have written about, check out a few of our articles below!
If you’re planning on doing this hike you probably want to stay in the local area so check out some places to stay in Franz Josef here.
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