Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain

From the car park follow the old road up to Diamond Lake, then climb the path and steps up the bluffs to the viewing platform above it. At the junction take the left-hand path, over wet, rocky ground with a little easy scrambling, to the summit of Rocky Mountain at 775 m, looking over Lake Wānaka to Tititea/Mount Aspiring. Come down the eastern side, with the short spur out to the Lake Wānaka lookout over Glendhu Bay, then descend to the platform and the car park.

It is 7.2 km round with 570 m of ascent; allow about 4 hours. The grade is Moderate: steep, often slippery paths with a short stretch of easy scrambling.

Parts of the track are steep and slippery even in summer, the eastern side has steep drop-offs, and ice can make it unsuitable in winter. There is no lambing closure here, so it is a good spring choice while Roys Peak is shut. Dogs are not allowed, and bikes may go only as far as Diamond Lake. The bluffs above the lake are popular with rock climbers. There is a toilet at the car park but none on the track.

The free DOC car park is on the sealed part of the Wānaka to Mount Aspiring road, about 18 km west of Wānaka; camping is not allowed there. There is no public transport.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.