HIKING UP TO WANAKA'S HIGHEST POINT
21 MARCH 2023
It Soon Became Our Daily Hike
Mt Iron is the highest point in Wanaka where is stands at an impressive 250 meters tall, towering over the town and offering 360-degree views at the summit, of the Upper Clutha Basin, Lake Wanaka, The Pisa range and the beautiful Southern Alps. It's a really popular track for the locals and we climbed it quite a few times when we stayed in Wanaka. It's one of those tracks where it's not difficult but it's also not so easy on the legs which is an ideal daily hike for us.
We were staying just a few minutes round the corner from the trail head and we went regularly as it was a hike that felt good for the body and although it was surrounded by houses and roads, it still felt so secluded at the same time. The girls really enjoyed hiking up as there were a lot of pretty rocks on the track that they could put in their pockets, plus it's a dog friendly track which meant we could take the gorgeous Spoodle (Springer Spaniel x Poodle) with us that we were looking after. It's an on-lead area and there are doggy poop bags at the beginning of the track, free of charge!
The track can either be done as a loop which is a 4.5km track and takes 1.5 hours - this way you'll get views on both sides of the mountains. Otherwise going up one side and back down the other way is just as good and it means you'll end up at your car a lot quicker.
We were staying just a few minutes round the corner from the trail head and we went regularly as it was a hike that felt good for the body and although it was surrounded by houses and roads, it still felt so secluded at the same time. The girls really enjoyed hiking up as there were a lot of pretty rocks on the track that they could put in their pockets, plus it's a dog friendly track which meant we could take the gorgeous Spoodle (Springer Spaniel x Poodle) with us that we were looking after. It's an on-lead area and there are doggy poop bags at the beginning of the track, free of charge!
The track can either be done as a loop which is a 4.5km track and takes 1.5 hours - this way you'll get views on both sides of the mountains. Otherwise going up one side and back down the other way is just as good and it means you'll end up at your car a lot quicker.
You're Rewarded With 360-Degree Views
The track is an interesting mix of dirt, boulders and small stones which made is really diverse which is always more interesting. As I mentioned above, the girls found sparkly/silver rocks (Wanaka is full of them!) and some type of gemstone which they got so excited about. If you've been following us for a while, you'll know that they absolutely love them gemstones and rocks - as do I. New Zealand is full of incredibly beautiful gemstones and rocks and we have found SO many in the South Island just at the beach and along rivers.
We always walked up the west side of Mt Iron (the main carpark, closest to the roundabout) and came down the other side. The views along the west side are so beautiful and you can see across the town plus Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea and even the Southern Alps. This side is a lot more exposed than the east side as there isn't much bush, but if you're after some amazing views then we'd highly recommended walking up this side of the mountain.
The views at the summit span across the entire region and you get 360-degree views which you 100% deserve after such a great walk! There are a couple of bench seats to chill on and there's even a circular map which points to each mountain which is perfect if you're new to the area. I have zero idea what this is called, so reach out if you have a name for it!
The summit is fenced (unlike Mt Manaia and Tokatoka Peak in Northland!) which we were thankful for as it was a loooong way down! We reckon the summit of Mt John would be a pretty spectacular place to be at sunrise or sunset and next time we're in Wanaka we're going to head on up and see one!
The wind was pretty chilly up at the summit, so we were thankful that we had our jumpers and one of the days we were up there it was blowing pretty hard so when the girls were eating, we made them face the wind otherwise they would have got food allll in their freshly washed hair.
We always walked up the west side of Mt Iron (the main carpark, closest to the roundabout) and came down the other side. The views along the west side are so beautiful and you can see across the town plus Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea and even the Southern Alps. This side is a lot more exposed than the east side as there isn't much bush, but if you're after some amazing views then we'd highly recommended walking up this side of the mountain.
The views at the summit span across the entire region and you get 360-degree views which you 100% deserve after such a great walk! There are a couple of bench seats to chill on and there's even a circular map which points to each mountain which is perfect if you're new to the area. I have zero idea what this is called, so reach out if you have a name for it!
The summit is fenced (unlike Mt Manaia and Tokatoka Peak in Northland!) which we were thankful for as it was a loooong way down! We reckon the summit of Mt John would be a pretty spectacular place to be at sunrise or sunset and next time we're in Wanaka we're going to head on up and see one!
The wind was pretty chilly up at the summit, so we were thankful that we had our jumpers and one of the days we were up there it was blowing pretty hard so when the girls were eating, we made them face the wind otherwise they would have got food allll in their freshly washed hair.
East Vs West
The views down the east side of Mt Iron are really beautiful and are mostly at the start of the track once you head down. You get more of a nature view with less houses, more rivers and even the side of Mt Iron, so it really is worth doing the loop track if you're up for it!
We were surprised at how different this side of the mountain was compared to the track we had come up on the west side. It was a lot more rocky and almost slippery with the loose stones (not easy to manage when you've got a dog on the lead!) and the track was in the dense bush but honestly it just made the whole track experience so much cooler as we LOVE diverse tracks! It would be easier heading up the east side and going down the west but hey ho, what's life without a little challenge?
This side of the mountain seemed to be the most popular side as we passed a lot of people coming up and at once point the track merged with a mountain biking track so we had to watch out for those little speedsters.
The base of the track has so much bush and it looks like a really fun place for kids to explore. We never seemed to have enough time to do this but there were so many areas where you could make huts and just chill out for a bit! As it was Autumn, the trees were starting to change and there were some beautiful gold, yellow and red leaves starting to come out. We love love love the South Island in Autumn, it has so many incredibly beautiful trees to look at and photograph.
As the track flattened out, we enjoyed walking in the shade of Mt Iron as some of the days we went it was really hot. We did the loop track, so we walked past the carpark opposite Puzzling World and headed back to where our car was which does alongside the road. It's not the best end to a lovely nature walk, being surrounded by noisy and smelly cars but that's soon forgotten when you're back at your car enjoying your comfy seat (in your noisy and smelly car).
We were surprised at how different this side of the mountain was compared to the track we had come up on the west side. It was a lot more rocky and almost slippery with the loose stones (not easy to manage when you've got a dog on the lead!) and the track was in the dense bush but honestly it just made the whole track experience so much cooler as we LOVE diverse tracks! It would be easier heading up the east side and going down the west but hey ho, what's life without a little challenge?
This side of the mountain seemed to be the most popular side as we passed a lot of people coming up and at once point the track merged with a mountain biking track so we had to watch out for those little speedsters.
The base of the track has so much bush and it looks like a really fun place for kids to explore. We never seemed to have enough time to do this but there were so many areas where you could make huts and just chill out for a bit! As it was Autumn, the trees were starting to change and there were some beautiful gold, yellow and red leaves starting to come out. We love love love the South Island in Autumn, it has so many incredibly beautiful trees to look at and photograph.
As the track flattened out, we enjoyed walking in the shade of Mt Iron as some of the days we went it was really hot. We did the loop track, so we walked past the carpark opposite Puzzling World and headed back to where our car was which does alongside the road. It's not the best end to a lovely nature walk, being surrounded by noisy and smelly cars but that's soon forgotten when you're back at your car enjoying your comfy seat (in your noisy and smelly car).
A painted rock Bella found on the track
Know Before You Go
- Dogs are allowed on leash on this track
- There are 2 carparks/entrances for the track (see 'Getting There' below)
- There are toilets which are 1-minute up the track from the main carpark (it's called the Allenby Park Toilet on Google Maps)
- The loop track is 4.5kms and takes 1.5 hours
- The track from the Mt Iron Track Carpark gives the best views and is more exposed
- There is a water fountain at the Allenby Park Toilets
- This is a popular track
- The summit can be windy as it's so exposed, so take a jacket on cooler days
- The track can be slippery in winter due to mud and ice
- The eastern part of the track has a lot of loose rock so you will have good shoes (and good knees) to walk it
Mappy McMap Face
How To Get To The Mt Iron Track In Wanaka
The carpark is on the Wanaka-Luggate Highway, 4-minutes from the Wanaka lakefront.
There are 2 car park options for this track. The first is the main Mt Iron Track Carpark where the toilets are and the second is opposite Puzzling World (which is super fun!!) on the Wanaka-Luggate Highway. It's not named on Google Maps nor on the road, so just keep an eye out for the drive opposite Puzzing World and you can either head right or left on the track if you're doing the loop track.
It doesn't matter where you park, whether you're doing the loop track or going back down the way you came as it will lead back to your car (unless it gets stolen then it won't, obvs).
There are 2 car park options for this track. The first is the main Mt Iron Track Carpark where the toilets are and the second is opposite Puzzling World (which is super fun!!) on the Wanaka-Luggate Highway. It's not named on Google Maps nor on the road, so just keep an eye out for the drive opposite Puzzing World and you can either head right or left on the track if you're doing the loop track.
It doesn't matter where you park, whether you're doing the loop track or going back down the way you came as it will lead back to your car (unless it gets stolen then it won't, obvs).
Conclusion
The Mt Iron Track is one of the easiest tracks to do in the Wanaka area to get 360-degree views of the Southern Alps, Lake Wanaka and even a peek of Lake Hawea. This track is the whole package - it's got the views, the workout and the diversity to keep everyone interested!
Gallery of Mt Iron Track
Check out the rest of the awesomeness that didn't make it to the main blog but deserves to be shown.
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