Whakaari Conservation Area came under the auspices of the Department of Conservation last year, which opened up about 9000ha of rugged land to the public on foot, cycle and horseback.
Whakaari (meaning "To hold up to view") is found between Glenorchy and Mt Aurum and boasts two major walking tracks - Mt Judah and McIntosh loops.
Doc Wakatipu area office community ranger Anna Humphries said the tracks offered amazing views of the Humboldts, Dart Valley and Mt Earnslaw, depending on how high trampers hiked.
"It's alpine, tussock and grassland terrain and the bottoms of valleys still have beech forest.
It was a very important area for the mineral, scheelite, from the 1880s and there are a lot of historic miners' huts still on site," Mrs Humphries said.
Queenstowners and visitors can leave their vehicles at the signposted car park, about 2km south of Glenorchy.
The car park has interpretation panels and a map and is the gateway to the Mt Judah Track.
"You'll pass more interpretation panels and Glenorchy Battery and the State Mine until you reach the Junction," she said.
"There are two tracks from the Junction. You can carry on up Mt Judah to the Jean Hut and there's a slightly harder, rougher track that takes you up to the three-bunk Heather Jock Hut.
"It takes about three hours to get to Jean Hut and another 90 minutes to two hours to get to Heather Jock from there, which loops back to the Junction."
Mrs Humphries said Mt McIntosh was the other major track, which dropped down from the Junction and took about half a day to reach the three-bunk McIntyre Hut on the track.
The top hut was the four-bunk McIntosh Hut, another half a day uphill.
"There's a loop tramping track from McIntosh Hut along Long Gully Saddle and it follows the drop of the land to the bottom of Buckler Burn to the car park," Mrs Humphries said.
"Expect icy conditions in places. Mt Judah Track is on the right side of the hill to be in sunshine and is a fairly well-maintained old farm track, but when the sun goes in, the temperature drops.
"McIntosh Loop is on the shaded side and people need to be prepared for the cold. You would need to take lunch, water, plenty of layers and good walking shoes for both tracks.
"And if you're planning an overnight trip to the huts, a sleeping bag would be a good idea.
"The old horizontal mining shafts are not safe to access but people are able to walk into the mining huts."
