Explore Lake Matheson

The Basics: Just a few kilometers outside the town of Fox Glacier, Lake Matheson provides stunning vistas in a mere 4.4 km return walk alongside a river, through dense foliage, and by expansive fields. Your adventure begins at a large carpark, complete with restrooms and a full-service cafe. This is a popular tourist destination, and travel bus companies like Stray and Kiwi Experience often stop here in the mid-mornings. 

The Walk: The track to Lake Matheson is well-signed from the carpark and begins with a short suspension bridge over the small river. The path is handicap accessible through this section to the closest edge of the lake. At this point, the Jetty Viewpoint provides a good photo-op across the lake, but you will want to continue around either side of the lake to get to the main photo ops that face the snow-capped mountains. Continuing counter-clockwise around the lake, views expand on your right-hand side across sweeping plains before a backdrop of jagged peaks. The gravel path then begins to climb through thick trees until you reach the Reflection Island Lookout. Just a few hundred meters further is the View of Views Lookout at the far end of the lake. Continue around the lake to complete the loop and grab a coffee at the cafe while you review all of your awesome shots.

Get the Shot: The two main viewpoints for photography are Reflection Island and View of Views. They both offer basically two versions of the same shot across the reflective lake waters. Reflection Island Lookout is built into the lake on a wooden dock, and it gives a straight-on perspective towards the major snowcapped peaks. The shot from Reflection Island is pictured above. View of Views Lookout's perspective contains a broader landscape of mountains with Mt. Tasman and Mt. Cook in the right-hand corner instead of center frame. The best time to snap a picture is in the early morning; the water is undisturbed, the low angle of the sun hits the mountains but doesn't reflect off the water, and the tourist bus crowds haven't arrived yet.

Secondary photographic opportunities are abundant along the walk. As mentioned and pictured above, the open grassland with the mountains in the background makes for a stunning capture. The Jetty Viewpoint focuses on the beauty of the lake itself, reflecting the reeds, trees, and plant life along the lake's borders. If you want to step up your photographic experience, book a flight with Fox Glacier Helicopters to see it all from the air! While you're in the area, you can also Hike to the Fox Glacier or Hike to the Summit of Mt. Fox above Fox Glacier