Arthur's Pass National Park

Arthur's Pass National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand. Established in 1929 it was the first national park in the South Island.

Arthur's Pass is a mountain pass over the Southern Alps, 140 km from Christchurch and 95 km from Greymouth. The pass is named after Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson, who led the first party of Europeans across the pass in 1864.

The small hamlet of Arthur's Pass village is located about 5 km south of the pass on State Highway 73.

The National park is a popular destination for tramping, skiing and mountaineering.

The mountains around Arthur's Pass contain some very challenging terrain the tracks are often very steep and exposed to the weather. Safely traversing the terrain requires at least a moderate level of experience, knowledge and equipment as it is true 'back country'.

Image by Karsten Sperling.