People wanting to view one of the Mount Aspiring National Park's "newest" natural features will face a tough hike through thick bush to access the site in the upper reaches of the Young Valley, near Makarora.
The Department of Conservation reopens access to the remote Young Valley on November 1, giving trampers and those interested in witnessing how landscapes change the opportunity to view a dammed lake formed just one year ago.
The yet-to-be-named lake is estimated to be about half the size of Lake Hayes.
It was created after a massive landslip swept down to dam the upper north branch of the Young River last September.
An existing track into a camping area, located at the forks of the north and south branches of the Young River - about 3.5km downstream from the lake - has been closed for the past year because of safety concerns.
Doc Wanaka manager Paul Hellebrekers said once access reopened there would be no restrictions on people walking into the isolated area to view the lake.
However, he warned that those seeking access to the lake faced a tough journey through an "area of devastation".
"It's certainly not an easy walk and you either have to bush bash or face a scramble over boulders and to get through gorge parts when following the river bed."
There are no immediate plans by Doc to create a walking track up to the lake, but if the site proved popular the department would work through the necessary process and look into providing a marked route, he said.
Uprooted and dying submerged trees surround the lake. Water cascades from a 10m wide outflow and down the 70m high rockfall.
It would take an experienced tramper a "good couple of hours" to cover the 3.5km journey from the forks camping area and swingbridge, Mr Hellebrekers estimated.
There was "no way" any future track could be built around the circumference of the lake, with sheer rock face bluffs proving impassable on one side of the 2km long lake.
