Fox Glacier South Side: A Rainforest Walk to a Distant View

Fox Glacier’s South Side Walk is a forest outing with a distant glacier view. Choose it for the changing ground beneath the rainforest and the valley opening ahead, rather than an approach to the ice. The permitted endpoint is a viewpoint; the way home is back along the same track.

Through the forest to the viewpoint

Drive south from Fox Glacier/Weheka for about 2 km (1.2 mi), cross the Fox River bridge and use the car park on the left. The DOC route follows the river’s south bank over old moraine ground beneath podocarp forest.

DOC places the first glacier viewpoint around 40 minutes into the walk. Farther on, the old car park is the end of bicycle access: leave bikes there. A further walking section descends through forest to the final viewpoint. Going beyond it is prohibited because of extreme flood hazard. Return by the track you used to arrive; the riverbed is not a continuation.

For a shorter outing, turn around at the first viewpoint. That reduces the outward distance but still requires the same forest track back. Decide while you have time for the return, using the principles in out-and-back walks.

How much glacier will you see?

The 18 October 2026 access bulletin listed the South Side walk open, two hours return, with its viewpoint 2,600 m (8,530 ft) from the terminal face. Those figures describe that day, not a permanent viewing distance or a guarantee of visibility.

Read the bulletin again before leaving Weheka. Flooding, river surges and rockfall can change access quickly; heed barriers and warning signs. Warm waterproof layers belong on this forest walk because its valley setting is alpine. If the track is closed, keep the visit in town rather than trying the former glacier access route.