Mount Iron Walking Track

A gentle walk up the eastern side of the landmark Mount Iron offers superb views of rivers, lakes and mountains.
For walkers it is 1.5 hours return,

The cycling track goes up the other side of the hill and is a greater call upon fitness, bikes are prohibited on the eastern side of the loop track.

Time: 3/4 hour to the top, rising to 240 metres above the car park. Shoes
with a good grip are needed as there are loose stones underfoot.
This walk offers superb views of Lake Hawea, the upper Clutha basin,
the Cardrona Valley, much of Lake Wanaka itself and you can even see
as far as Mount Rob Roy which is close to Mount Aspiring.
The ‘mountain’ itself is a ‘rock sheep’, sculpted like the mountains to
the west by glaciers. The western slope is relatively gentle where the
glacier scoured over it but to the east is a ragged, vertical cliff where the
ice clung to the rock and plucked it away as it moved on. Lake Wanaka
itself is dammed by the rock debris, or moraine left when the glacier
receded.
If you take the track on the Wanaka side, it zig-zags up the side through
matagouri and manuka bushes, over stiles and, for a time, a four-wheel
drive track. At the top there are some informative plaques and a great
place to picnic and take in the views.
The track descends more steeply. In places, wooden walkways have
been built over the difficult parts. At the bottom you skirt the hill on a
level track and return to the carpark.