St James Walkway
A five-day tramp of about 65 km through the beech forest and tussock valleys of the St James Conservation Area, from Lewis Pass to Boyle Village.
At a glance
- Starts in
- Lewis Pass
- Ends in
- Boyle Village
- Length
- 65 km
- On foot
- 5 days
- Countries
New Zealand
About the trail
The St James Walkway leaves State Highway 7 at Lewis Pass, one of the road crossings of the Southern Alps, and loops through the mountains of the Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve and the St James Conservation Area before returning to the same highway at Boyle Village.
It crosses open bog and beech forest and drops into Cannibal Gorge on the Maruia River, then climbs over Ada Pass into the tussock and mountain beech of the Ada valley and follows the Henry and Anne rivers past the historic Christopher Cullers Hut. A climb over Anne Saddle leads into the Boyle valley and down through farmland to the road.
The Department of Conservation says the walk is commonly done in five days and four nights, with five serviced huts, and suits both beginners and experienced trampers. It should not be attempted in winter except by experienced parties, as avalanches are more common from May to November, while wasps are common from December to April.