Gertrude Saddle Route: 8 km in Fiordland
The Gertrude Saddle Route is a named day walk in Fiordland. The governing figure used here is 8 km (DOC · Gertrude Saddle), not a straight line between towns.
Typical time on the route is 5 to 7 hours return. Grade: Alpine route. Season window: December to March.
Not a walking track. Crampons in the shoulders. Black Lake is the midpoint. Te Anau is the bed. People get benighted here every season.
The itinerary on this page is the published stop sequence: Te Anau, Homer Hut / car park, Black Lake, Gertrude Saddle. Cabins and holiday homes load live around each stop; hut and trailhead pins without a town page still search by radius.
Book DOC huts and Great Walks on the DOC system where that applies. Town beds are what this site lists. Carry the day’s food on remote legs — several of these routes have no shop between ends.
Stop by stop
Te Anau — town. Homer Hut / car park — Milford Road. Black Lake — mid-route. Gertrude Saddle — the view to Milford.
Distances, grades and seasons above follow DOC · Gertrude Saddle. Confirm opening dates, slips and hut bookings on the operator or DOC page before you travel; alpine and West Coast tracks close or reroute after weather.
