Photo: Genevieve Chase · CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain
A stack of walks off one car park, from a 45 minute lake circuit up to a 775 metre summit above Glendhu Bay.
The Diamond Lake Conservation Area gives you options. A short circuit rings the lake, a longer climb reaches a lookout above it, and from there you can carry on to the Lake Wānaka lookout or loop to the Rocky Mountain summit. The landscape was carved by Ice Age glaciers and holds stands of native forest and shrubland. Take care in winter, when ice can make the Diamond Lake track unsuitable.
Highlights
- Short lake circuit that suits families
- Lookout platforms over Diamond Lake and Lake Wānaka
- Views across Glendhu Bay and the surrounding peaks
- Rocky Mountain's 775 m summit via a loop track
Good to know
- Location
- Diamond Lake Conservation Area, Wānaka
- Start point
- Diamond Lake Conservation Area car park on the Wanaka - Mt Aspiring Road
- Distance from Wānaka
- 18.5 km west along the Wanaka - Mt Aspiring Road
- Duration
- Diamond Lake Circuit Track return: 45 min. Diamond Lake lookout return: 1 hr. Lake Wānaka lookout return: 2 hr. Rocky Mountain Summit Track return: 3 hr.
- Track length
- Diamond Lake Circuit 2.5 km; Diamond Lake lookout 2 km; Lake Wānaka lookout 5 km; Rocky Mountain Summit 7 km
- Grade
- Sections of this track are steep, with significant fall hazard, and the track is often slippery even in summer
- Season
- Not recommended during the winter months due to ice. Extreme care is required in winter, and the Diamond Lake Track may not be suitable to walk. The road may be icy in winter.
- Family-friendly
- Yes
The Diamond Lake circuit suits families, but the climbs above it are steep with a significant fall hazard and are often slippery even in summer. Rock and sport climbing is available on the surrounding bluffs, and mountain biking is permitted to Diamond Lake only.
Visiting from Sundale
Diamond Lake is 18.5 km west along the Wānaka to Mount Aspiring Road, the same road as the park, and the drive is sealed the whole way. One car park gives you four different walks, which makes it the pick when everyone in the group wants something different from the day.
Start with the 45 minute lake circuit if you have small children, add the hour-long Diamond Lake lookout if that goes well, or carry on to the Lake Wānaka lookout at two hours or the Rocky Mountain summit at three. The sections above the lake are steep, with a significant fall hazard, and are often slippery even in summer.
Take water and sun cover, because the upper slopes are open. Afterwards the playground and the seasonal pool tend to finish off tired kids nicely, and the lake foreshore is five minutes on foot from the park if anyone still has energy left.
Stay nearby
Questions
Which of the walks suits young children?
The Diamond Lake Circuit Track, about 45 minutes return over 2.5 km. The climbs above the lake are steep with a significant fall hazard, so think carefully before taking children higher.
Can we walk it in winter?
It is not recommended during the winter months because of ice, and the Diamond Lake track may not be walkable at all. The road out there can also be icy, so take extreme care.
Can we bike or climb there?
Mountain biking is permitted as far as Diamond Lake only. There is also rock and sport climbing on the surrounding bluffs.
Sources
- Drive west along the Wanaka - Mt Aspiring Road for 18.5 km to the Diamond Lake Conservation Area carpark; lookout platforms over Diamond Lake and Lake Wānaka with views of Glendhu Bay; glacier-carved landscape with native forest and shrubland; winter ice warnings — source
- Diamond Lake Circuit Track return 45 min 2.5 km; Diamond Lake lookout return 1 hr 2 km; Lake Wānaka lookout return 2 hr 5 km; Rocky Mountain Summit Track return 3 hr 7 km; Rocky Mountain's 775 m summit; steep sections with significant fall hazard; not recommended in winter due to ice — source
Nearby
More things to do.
Blue Pools Track
An easy forest walk over two swing bridges to river pools that run an extraordinary blue.
30 minutes one wayEasy walking track
Eely Point Walk
A 20 minute lakeshore walk from Wānaka town to a sheltered picnic and boating spot.
20 min
Glendhu Bay Track
A lakeside track from the edge of town along the western shore of Lake Wānaka to Glendhu Bay.
3-4 hrIntermediate grade for mountain bikers, with a few steep gradients
Your Wānaka basecamp
Make Sundale your base.
Cabins, studios, motels and soft-grass camping, five minutes from the water and close to everything above.