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Hiking

Lake Wilkie: a quiet forest-and-lake walk in the Catlins

ReGear

Explore Lake Wilkie near Papatowai: a 30-minute return forest walk, lakeside interpretation, accessible-route considerations and real aerial maps.

Lake Wilkie bordered by Catlins forest.

Lake Wilkie is a good stop for slowing down. The interest is in the change from tall forest to the plants around the small lake, with interpretation along the way.

On this page: Quick facts · Start · Maps · Route · What to bring

Quick facts

  • Allow about 30 minutes return.
  • Roughly 1 km out and back including the lakeside section.
  • Wheelchairs and buggies can reach the lake; steeper gradients need assistance.
  • No dogs.

Getting to the start

Use the Lake Wilkie car park off the Southern Scenic Route, just south of the Outdoor Recreation Centre in the Tautuku area, near Papatowai.

Location and route maps

Orange highlights follow DOC’s recorded track on real aerial imagery. Open either map for a closer look.

Lake Wilkie location relative to Papatowai on real aerial imagery, with north up.
Lake Wilkie mapped walking track highlighted orange on real aerial imagery, with its entrance marked and north up.

DOC track information and official map

What the walk is like

  1. Follow the signed path from the roadside car park into podocarp forest.
  2. Pause at the lake viewpoint.
  3. Continue to the lakeside interpretation and boardwalk section.
  4. Return by the approach track.

Effort and conditions

The walk is short, but it is not flat throughout. DOC’s panels explain how the lake formed and how the surrounding plant communities change. Allow time to look and listen rather than treating it as a quick march.

What I would bring

I would take a light waterproof jacket, walking shoes and water. A small pack leaves your hands free if you are helping someone on the slope.

Planning your return

Use facilities and arrange drinking water before arriving. Tautuku Bay and the estuary boardwalk are separate walks; follow Lake Wilkie signs for this outing. Check DOC’s current notices before travelling.

More walks to compare

Sources and photo credits

Sources checked 1 October 2026.

Maps: LINZ Basemaps and imagery contributors, CC BY 4.0. Track geometry: Crown copyright, Department of Conservation, DOC Tracks dataset, CC BY 4.0. Location labels and route highlights added.

Photo: View over Lake Wilkie.jpg — Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia. Public domain. Resized for display.