Blue Pools Track
Blue Pools Track
Crystal-clear blue water is usually the main attraction here, but after a few days of heavy rain, the Makarora River looks a little different. The track winds through thick native beech forest before crossing two suspension bridges above a river squeezed between steep, forest-covered mountains. Come after rain and you might miss the blue, but you'll get plenty of atmosphere instead. This is Blue Pools Track.
Quick Details
Total Length: 3km
Elevation: Almost none
Grade: Easy
Best season: Summer and Autumn
Suitable for kids: Yes
Starting the Trail
It is absolutely bucketing down. Jess and the boys have arrived at the Blue Pools carpark in Mount Aspiring National Park, around an hour north of Wānaka along the Haast Highway. The mountains behind the trailhead are disappearing into low cloud, rain is bouncing off the gravel, and everyone is already bundled into waterproof jackets.
Perfect weather for visiting somewhere famous for crystal-clear blue water. They head past the signs and into the forest, where almost immediately the rain becomes less of a problem and more part of the scenery.
The track is wide and easy to follow, winding beneath native silver beech trees covered in moss. Everything is wet. Moss climbs the trunks and branches, the forest floor is soaked, and puddles have spread across sections of the track. It's the sort of forest that looks better in bad weather.
The rain has darkened the tree trunks and turned the moss almost impossibly green, the whole place feel enclosed despite the mountains sitting somewhere beyond it. There aren't exactly many opportunities to stop and admire it today, though. It's still pouring.
Through the Beech Forest
For most of the walk, the track continues gently through the forest without much in the way of hills to worry about. It's an easy wander, even if today's version involves slightly more splashing than usual.
Despite the weather, Jess and the boys aren't alone either. There are still plenty of people making their way along the track, rain jackets pulled tight and heads down whenever another shower comes through.
After around half an hour, the forest gives way to the first of the suspension bridges. And this is where the walk gets interesting. The Makarora River Suspension Bridge stretches across the river below, surrounded by thick forest and steep mountains disappearing into the cloud. The original bridge was replaced during major upgrades to the track, with the new bridge opening in 2025.
Today, there's a lot of water underneath it. The Makarora is running fast and high after the rain, churning around rocks and through the gorge below. From the middle of the bridge, there are views along the river in both directions, with another suspension bridge just visible further downstream. Once they're across, it's only another couple of minutes to the second bridge and the Blue Pools themselves.
The Not So Blue Pools
Under normal conditions, this is where you get the colour. The pools are fed by snowmelt from the Southern Alps, and when the river is low and the weather has been dry, the water can be incredibly clear and bright blue. Today? Not so much.
Heavy rain has sent extra water and sediment through the river, turning the usually clear pools a murky grey-green. The water is also running far too high to get down near the river, so Jess and the boys stick to the track and suspension bridge above it.
It might not be the Blue Pools people usually come here to see, but it's still pretty impressive. The river rushes through the narrow gorge beneath the bridge, surrounded by rock walls, ferns and thick forest. Looking back along the Makarora, the mountains rise almost straight from the river before disappearing somewhere into the mist.
It's a very different version of the place from the sunny photos you'll usually see. But not necessarily a bad one. They spend a little while on the bridge watching the water before deciding they've probably been rained on enough for one afternoon.
From the Blue Pools bridge, longer tracks continue deeper into the area, including the Young River Link Track. Jess and the boys, however, are heading back exactly the way they came.
The return walk follows the same track through the forest, back across the Makarora River and towards the carpark. By now the rain hasn't eased much at all, so there's no hanging around. Just a quick walk back beneath the moss-covered trees while trying to stay at least vaguely dry.
By the time they reach the trailhead, the mountains are still buried in cloud and the Blue Pools have remained stubbornly grey. They'll just have to trust everyone else that they're actually blue.
Getting There
Blue Pools Track is in Mount Aspiring National Park on State Highway 6 between Wānaka and Haast.
The trailhead is around 10km north of Makarora township and roughly 1 hour and 10 minutes from Wānaka. The Blue Pools carpark is well signposted from the highway, with free parking and toilets available.
The track starts directly from the carpark and is well signposted throughout.
Tips and Tricks
The pools are at their clearest after a stretch of dry weather. Heavy rain can quickly turn the water brown or grey as sediment washes into the river.
Bring insect repellent. Sandflies are common around the river.
Don't jump from the suspension bridges or enter the river when water levels are high. Conditions can change quickly after heavy rain.