10 Epic Mountain Destinations to Explore

Mount Cook or Aoraki in Maori is New Zealand’s highest peak at 3,724 meters. Located in the Southern Alps on the South Island it’s the centerpiece of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. The mountain and the area around it has so much to offer visitors. The region is famous for its clear skies so it’s one of the best places in the world to stargaze. In fact it’s part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the world’s largest dark sky reserve. The park has over 400 species of plants and 40 species of birds including the only alpine parrot in the world the kea. The Tasman Glacier, New Zealand’s largest glacier is on the eastern slopes of Mount Cook and offers glacier hiking and boating. The Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre in the park tells the story of the region’s climbing history and New Zealand’s most famous mountaineer. Despite being so remote the area is accessible and has accommodation from basic camping to luxury lodges.