Mount Iron Loop Track Walk is a 6.5km medium walk that will take you around 2 hours in a nice loop around the base then up to the top of Mt Iron.
This great short walk gives you 360 degree views at the top. Mt Iron Is just ten minutes walk from Wanaka’s shopping centre. At 545 meters you will not miss Mt Iron Scenic Reserve and you will enjoy the fantastic views of Lake Wanaka, Hawea and Mount Aspiring National Park. This walk can be a bit steep in parts.
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Quick Facts about this walk
- Location: Wanaka, Central Otago
- Distance: 6.50 km
- Time needed: 2 Hours
- Difficulty: Medium
- Wheelchair Access: No
- Route: Round Trip
- Elevation: 545m
- Wet Feet: No
- Toilets: Yes
- Dogs: Leash only
- Mobile Coverage: Yes
You’ll see more photos further down the page where we’ve detailed the walk in the points of interest sections. If we’ve updated the walk with newer photos I’ve used my trusty Samsung Galaxy Note S24 Ultra smart phone, it’s got an excellent wide angle with no photo enhancement needed, just straight from the camera.
Older photos will be from Garry’s GoPro Hero 4. Copyright to Freewalks.nz. If you wish to use any photo please ask first. Click anywhere on the photo gallery below to make it bigger.
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Summary points about this walk
Points of interest along the walk
Point 1: Starting point of Mt Iron Scenic Reserve walk
We had an almost perfect day if it was not for the freezing wind, the track was very easy to find, just jump over the fence and follow the markers.
The first problem we had within minutes of starting off was the wind, it was so strong it was blowing the dirt from the extra dry track into our faces, and then we had every dog owner in Wanaka out walking his or her dog. Yes, the dogs had to be on a lead. So don’t walk the track before nine o’clock in the morning, wait for them to go home.
Point 2: Halfway up Mt Iron Scenic Reserve
Because of the rabbit problem there was no grass, just weeds and scrub and a truck load of rabbit droppings. As we started to climb Mt Iron the wind picked up ten fold, it was trying to blow us off the rock, and to top it off the sun disappeared behind the clouds, now I was freezing, talk about not being prepared.
Point 3: Mt Iron Scenic Reserve Summit
The views on the top of Mt Iron of Lake Wanaka town and the lake made up for the freezing wind and covered in dust. We did not stop for long on the summit, just long enough to spot Lake Hawea and Mount Aspiring National Park and read up on the history of Wanaka, then we dived over the back of Mt Iron to get out of the freezing wind.
Point 4: Heading down
Heading down was very good, we were out of the wind and walking through patches of Manuka bush as we descended to the base of Mt Iron and the welcoming warm sun . It was a good decision to walk around Mt Iron in a clockwise direction. The Northern side is a lot steeper and in a couple of places the fine dirt made the track very slippery.
Point 5: Heading back to the start
Walking back around the base was a piece of cake, not a lot to see but dog dropping and a couple of cuddly rabbits.
