Crown Range Summit

Sorry Folks, No Crowns Here!

14 MARCH 2023

The Highest Main Road in New Zealand

In between Queenstown and Wanaka is a beautiful scenic drive through the Lindis Pass, where you feel so isolated and small, nestled amongst the mountains as you make your way to your destination. During the snowy months, the Lindis Pass is often closed due to snowfall but most of the time you can get through with snow chains on. Once you get through the Lindis Pass (if you're heading from Wanaka to Queenstown), you'll come to the Crown Range Road, which is the highest main road in New Zealand, so it's no wonder it gets a little snowy in winter!

The main feature on the drive between these two main towns is the Crown Range Lookout which shows off views across Queenstown including Lake Wakatipu. We've passed through this way maaaany times and we always stop if it's a nice day as the views never get old! The carpark for the lookout is on the main road so it's easy to stop and take photos of the views and there's heaps of space for campers and buses to stop too.

The last time we visted it was soooo cold as it was heading into autumn brrr! We were on our way to Queenstown to surprise the kids with the Below Zero Ice Bar (which is made completely out of ice - read all about it here!) and we left early enough so we could walk up the summit to stretch our legs and see what the views like were from the top.

The views are a little better the further you go up and we got to see some new areas that can't be seen from the main lookout, so if you are planning on stopping and don't have much time, rest assured the views from the lookout are really all you need! We spotted a few planes coming in to land at Queenstown Airport, so that's always fun for the kiddies to watch. Lath had a great idea for me to take a photo of him "catching" one of the planes in his hands but it completely failed.... pic below!

Some of the track up to the summit had some deep ruts in it, probably from the rain, and the track was very exposed and windy, so we were thankful we had our puffer jackets! It's a fairly steepish track but it was a good stretch of the legs and we were glad we did it on a sunny day so we got clear views.

The views are beautiful all year round, but I imagine in winter it would be pretty special with the snow all around!

Driving through the Lindis Pass, heading from Wanaka to the Crown Range Lookout

Our airplane photo fail!

A Little Further Down The Road

1-minute down the road, heading towards Queenstown, is another area that's worth stopping at for the views. There's plenty of parking spaces here and it's easy to spot where to turn in.

There's a small hill beside the carpark which is the best place to take photos from. Even though this lookout is really close to the Crown Range Lookout, the landscape is so different.

Know Before You Go

The best days to visit are cloudless or partly cloudy so you can get the clearest views
The Lindis Pass can be closed during winter due to snow and ice or sometimes you may be required to use snow chains
Be aware that some campervan hire companies don't allow you to drive on the Crown Range Road so you'll have to take the less scenic route to your destination
The track may be a muddy after rain
There is no shelter on the track
There are no toilets at the lookout
Take care on the roads and enjoy the views

Mappy McMap Face

How To Get To The Crown Range Viewpoint

The Crown Range Lookout is located between Queenstown and Wanaka. It's located on the main road so it's easy to spot (just look for masses of tourists stretching their legs and repacking their cars!). Click here for the exact location.

The other viewpoint is called the Crown Range Road Scenic Lookout on Google. Click here for the exact location.

Conclusion

The fact that the Crown Range Lookout is on the main road, means that it is 100% worth stopping to see the views. There's plenty of parking and you can enjoy the views just from the carpark. If you're feeling a little more adventurous and you need to stretch your legs, then the track up the hill is worth doing to enjoy the views from just a little higher up.