If you’re looking an easy walk into the North West Nelson alpine area, with a great hut and plenty of opportunities to explore off the beaten track Lake Sylvester is a great choice.
The walk up follows an old truck access track that was originally made when the 3 lakes (Iron Lake, Lake Sylvester and Little Lake Sylvester) were used to top up the Cobb Dam when it was low. It takes an easy hour to make it to the hut, and an additional 10 mins to get to the lake itself. From the lake you can explore the rocks at the head of the lake which has a great array of alpine plants (including leonohebe and vegetable sheep) and theres also a few Kea normally found in the area.
For the more adventurous theres a great route to the stunning Diamond Lakes (a great overnighter) and the Iron Hills which are awesome to explore – keep an eye out for rock wren up there too.
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