Lake Ellery Track
Haast · West Coast · Out & Back
The permit requirement shown here is DOC’s own published rule for this land. The DOC office and signs on the day have the final say. DOC’s own wording: “Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. (DOC, dog access field for Lake Ellery Track)”. Evidence: a hand-checked correction against the authority. How we check dog rules.
Good to know
A DOC dog permit is required before any dog walks here. Apply to the managing DOC office ahead of time; do not turn up with the dog first. DOC's dog access field for this track reads "Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit.", and the description on the same page says the permit is issued from the Awarua/Haast Visitor Centre. It is the general dog permit, not a hunting one.
About Lake Ellery Track
Lake Ellery Track is an out-and-back of 2.7 km, near Haast in West Coast.
DOC names the office for you on this one, which is rare: the description says dogs are allowed with a permit "which can be issued from the Awarua/Haast Visitor Centre". Call in there on the way south rather than at the track, which is 40 km south of Haast off Jackson River Road. DOC has it as a 3 km return walk, 1 to 2 hours, well formed and suitable for children.
Graded easy, it stays flat overall, and takes about 0.5–1 hr to walk.
Along the way there are native forest, lakeside stretches, river frontage, and big views. A DOC dog permit is required before any dog walks here. Arrange it with the managing DOC office ahead of your trip. Walkers rate it 4.6 / 5 across 13 reviews.