Photo: Jason Pratt from Pittsburgh, PA · CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Mount Iron Track
A short loop climb to a rocky summit with 360 degree views over both lakes and the Upper Clutha basin.
Mount Iron is a glacier-carved rocky knoll rising nearly 250 metres above the surrounding country, and the summit gives a full circle view. It is the easiest of the Wānaka climbs to fit into a morning, and the car park sits just off the main road into town. The surface has loose rock and water-cut sections, so decent footwear helps.
Highlights
- 360 degree views from a 548 m summit
- Looks over lakes Wānaka and Hāwea, the Cardrona and upper Clutha valleys
- Close to town, so it works as a short morning walk
- Dog friendly on a leash
Good to know
- Location
- Mount Iron, Wānaka
- Start point
- Car park off SH84, the main road into Wānaka from the east
- Distance from Wānaka
- just 2 km from town
- Duration
- 1 hr 30 min loop
- Track length
- 4.5 km
- Season
- Take extreme care in winter due to ice and mud making the track very slippery in places. Mount Iron may be closed in summer due to increased wildfire risk.
- Dogs
- Dogs must be on a leash, as the track crosses private land
- Family-friendly
- Yes
May be closed during summer because of increased wildfire risk. Queenstown Lakes District Council now manages the reserve land at Mount Iron, so check the council site for current status.
Visiting from Sundale
Mount Iron is the one to do on a morning when you do not want to give up a whole day. The car park is off State Highway 84, the main road into Wānaka from the east and just 2 km from town, so it is a short drive from the park and you are climbing within minutes of arriving.
The loop takes about an hour and a half over 4.5 km, and the surface carries loose rock and water-cut sections, so wear shoes with grip. Dogs are welcome on a leash because the track crosses private land. There is no water on the hill, so bring your own and something for the sun.
Come back for a swim in the seasonal pool or a coffee in the lounge and the afternoon is still yours. Plenty of guests pair it with breakfast in town, which is about ten minutes away, and save the bigger climbs for a full day later in the stay.
Stay nearby
Questions
Can I take my dog up Mount Iron?
Yes, on a leash. The track crosses private land, so keep your dog under control for the whole loop.
Is it suitable for children?
It is the gentlest of the Wānaka summit climbs at 4.5 km and around an hour and a half for the loop. The surface has loose rock, so keep an eye on smaller legs.
Is Mount Iron open all year?
Take extreme care in winter, when ice and mud make it very slippery in places. It may also close in summer when wildfire risk is high. The reserve is managed by Queenstown Lakes District Council, so check the council site for current status.
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
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.
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.Sections of this track are steep, with significant fall hazard, and the track is often slippery even in summer
Eely Point Walk
A 20 minute lakeshore walk from Wānaka town to a sheltered picnic and boating spot.
20 min
Your Wānaka basecamp
Make Sundale your base.
Cabins, studios, motels and soft-grass camping, five minutes from the water and close to everything above.