| Distance | Time | Difficulty | Dogs | Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400m loop | 5-10 mins | Very easy | Not allowed | Roadside |
The Mirror Lakes walk is pretty much bang on halfway between Te Anau and Milford Sound – 56km from Te Anau, about 45 minutes’ drive. It’s one of the most photographed stops on Milford Road for good reason. On a calm morning, you’ll see the Earl Mountains perfectly reflected in these small lakes.
The whole thing’s a quick 5-10 minute boardwalk loop, wheelchair accessible, and honestly one of the easiest walks you’ll do in Fiordland National Park. I’ve stopped here maybe a dozen times – some visits are spectacular with glass-like reflections, others are just…windy lakes. But it’s worth the gamble.
While you’re in Te Anau, make sure you take a day trip out to Milford Sound. Or take a once in a lifetime scenic flight over Dusky and Doubtful Sounds. which leaves right from the waterfront in Te Anau.
From Te Anau (56km, 45-50 minutes):
From Milford Sound (62km, 1 hour):
From Queenstown (290km, 3.5-4 hours):
Parking: Small roadside car park right next to the highway. Gets absolutely packed when tour buses stop (which is often). If it’s full, you might need to wait a few minutes for a bus to leave. Free parking.
Public Transport: Pretty much every tour bus from Te Anau and Queenstown to Milford Sound stops here – it’s on the standard itinerary. If you’re on a tour, your driver will tell you when to be back on the bus.
This is dead simple – a 400m wheelchair-accessible boardwalk loop from the car park to viewing platforms and back. The boardwalk’s wide enough for wheelchairs and for people to pass easily, even when it’s busy with tour groups.
The route:
Takes 5-10 minutes unless you’re taking heaps of photos or waiting for the perfect calm moment.
The main attraction is the Earl Mountains (and sometimes Mount Eglinton) perfectly reflected in the small oxbow lakes. On a still day, it’s properly mirror-like – the reflection’s so clear it’s hard to tell which way is up. That’s why there’s that famous upside-down sign that every Milford Sound visitor photographs.
The Mirror Lakes were formed when the Eglinton River changed course ages ago, leaving these old river bends behind as oxbow lakes. They’re part of the larger system of inland waterways that makes this section of Milford Road so scenic.
You’ll walk through wetland habitat with native beech forest around the edges. If you’re quiet in the early morning, you might spot native ducks like scaup (pāpango) or grey duck (pārera) on the water. There are also long-finned eels in these lakes – local guides reckon some are decades old and massive.
The info panels along the boardwalk explain the wetland plants, beech forest, and native wildlife. It’s a nice introduction to Fiordland’s ecology if you’re heading to Milford Sound.
And sandflies. You’ll definitely see sandflies.
If you’re driving from Te Anau to Milford Sound, you’ve got heaps of stops to choose from. Here’s how Mirror Lakes compares:
Mirror Lakes is the quickest and easiest, which is why every tour stops here. But if it’s windy, I’d honestly skip it and spend more time at The Chasm or Lake Gunn instead.
Look, Mirror Lakes isn’t a destination walk. You’re not driving to Milford Road specifically for this. But as a pit stop on the Te Anau to Milford Sound journey? It’s well worth 10 minutes of your time.
The reflections on a calm morning are genuinely beautiful – worth the five minutes and the sandfly bites. I’ve taken overseas visitors here and watched them just stand there going “wow” for ages. When conditions are right, it’s properly stunning.
The wheelchair-accessible boardwalk makes it super inclusive, which is rare for this kind of scenery in Fiordland. I’ve seen people in wheelchairs, with strollers, elderly folks with walking frames – everyone can experience this one.
The downside is it’s always busy. Every single Milford Sound tour bus stops here because it’s quick, easy, and photogenic. You’re often sharing the viewing platforms with 30-50 other people. That’s fine – there’s room – but it’s not a wilderness experience.
My rating: 3.5/5 – Excellent for what it is (a quick roadside photo stop on Milford Road), but it’s entirely weather-dependent. On a perfect calm morning it’s 5/5, on a windy day it’s 2/5.
