Distance: 4.5 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 543m to 780m. Gain: 307m. Loss: 92m . Gradient: 5 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

The crossing of Three Mile Stream was unbridged in 2007, but new topomaps (2015) show a bridge present, so it may since have been rebuilt - check with DOC. This is a large stream in a confined bed and could easily flood after rain, though easily crossable in normal flows.

A good cut marked track runs along terraces on the north side of Lake Sumner. 2.5km after Three Mile Stream, a short track is signposted on the south side of the main track to an 'observation point' where partial views of Lake Sumner are increasingly being swamped by growing bush. 1.5km later a signpost marks the junction with a track down Marion Stream leading down the Hurunui valley.

(1-2hrs)

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A good cut marked track runs along terraces on the north side of Lake Sumner. 1.5km after the Marion turnoff a short track is signposted on the south side of the main track to an 'observation point' where partial views of Lake Sumner are present through increasingly tall bush.

The crossing of Three Mile Stream was unbridged in 2007, but new topomaps (2015) show a bridge present, so it may since have been rebuilt - check with DOC. This is a large stream in a confined bed and could easily flood after rain, though easily crossable in normal flows. The turnoff to Three Mile Stream hut, up Three Mile stream is signposted on the western bank.

(1-2hrs)