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The Mount Crichton Loop Track is one of the shortest day hikes near Queenstown. This means that it is accessible by almost anyone and great for those with limited time. Here’s everything you need to know about the Mount Crichton Loop Track.
Queenstown is surrounded by hiking trails that help visitors explore its natural beauty. The Mount Crichton Loop Track is just one of these trails and considering its rather short distance, this hike is rather neat.
Along the trail, you can find stunning waterfalls, spectacular viewpoints, and interesting history. If you are after a short and easy hike to enjoy a beautiful day around Queenstown the Mount Crichton Loop track is a great choice!
Here’s everything you need to know about the Mount Crichton Loop track!
Where is the start of the Mount Crichton Loop Track?
The Mount Crichton Loop Track starts from the main highway that connects Queenstown and Glenorchy. The parking lot for the trail is just past the entrance to the Twelve Mile Delta campground turn off on the left-hand side of the road (if you’re driving from Queenstown).
The drive only takes around 15 to 20 minutes and you can easily locate it on Google Maps.
How hard is the Mount Crichton Loop Track?
The trail is very easy and is also well maintained. Not only is the trail short but it also doesn’t incline much. There are also plenty of places to stop with shade, and given enough time, almost anyone could do it!
On the signs posted it says the loop takes 2.5 hours, however, Bailey and I completed the trail in 1 hour 45 minutes with taking a couple of short stops for photos!
Highlights on the Mount Crichton Loop Track Trail
Although this trail is in no way Queenstown’s finest, it still does boast some pretty beautiful scenery. These include a stunning viewpoint that overlooks the Remarkables mountain range, a picturesque waterfall located at the Sam Summers Hut, and of course, the Sam Summers Hut itself!
The Sam Summers Hut is an old hut used by Sam and his family back in the gold mining days. It is still original and is over 80 years old!
For some of the trails, you also follow rivers and cross small streams and the water is beautiful! Be sure to check out the small mining tunnel, you’ll see signs posted along the way. These signs also provide some great info about life back then!
What to bring
For this hike, any shoes will do as the trail is maintained really well, in fact, I actually hiked the Mount Crichton Loop track in flip flops! As for water and food, I would still recommend bringing a small bottle per person and maybe a snack each. Other than that. the rest is up to you!
The Mount Crichton Loop Track is a great short hike that most people would enjoy. In no way is it one of the greatest hikes to do on New Zealand’s south island, but if you feel like surrounding yourself with nature and getting some sun then I highly recommend giving the trail a go!
Other easy hikes around Queenstown
Queenstown Hill – One of the most incredible short hikes in Queenstown that you will want to do over and over again. It should only take 2hrs to trek the 2.5 km/1.6 mi to the summit but in our experience, we allow up to 4hrs because there are so many great views.
Bob’s Cove Track – It’s debatable if this hike can really be considered as such because it is so easy and only takes around 30 minutes to complete! Almost anyone can do this loop. You’ll see turquoise waters and tropical esque greenery from the top. Bring your swimsuit for a dip at the beach area.
Lake Alta – Another short return hike to do, especially if you’re a Lord of the Rings fan (it was a filming location!). At the end of the 3.5 kilometer/2.2 miles Lake Alta Track you’ll reach an impressive alpine lake. This hike is mainly straight uphill on the way there so you’ll get the hard part out of the way once you reach the top.
Routeburn Nature Trail – You can hike one of 6 sections of this trail in one day depending on which length and level of difficulty you want to go for. The Routeburn Road Trailhead to Routeburn Flats Hut is one of the easiest parts to hike. The 11km/9.3 mi return trail is mostly flat and still provides river, alp, and forest views. You can also join a guided full-day tour to hike the Routeburn Nature Trail. This specific tour comes highly recommended and includes transport from Queenstown.
Other Activities to do While You’re in Queenstown
Aside from hiking, there are lots of other amazing and inexpensive things to do in and around Queenstown. I’ve included a few below along with some activities that cost a bit more, but are completely worth it!
- Ride the gondola – The gondola in Queenstown is an iconic activity that takes you up the side of a mountain to Bob’s Peak high above Queenstown. The view is insane, especially if you stay for sunset. And at the top of the gondola, you’ll also find the Luge, a unique go-cart-like experience that’s powered by gravity. I recommend buying combo tickets for the gondola AND the Luge!
- Visit a sheep farm – New Zealand has more sheep than people, so you must visit a sheep farm while here! But hey, why not do it in style? This Walter Peak Farm Tour includes a cruise in a vintage steamship to this picturesque seaside farm. Once there, you’ll enjoy a tasty meal of high-end barbequed meats or seafood- buffet style. Cap things off with the choice of desserts and cheeses. Afterward, you’ll watch a sheep shearing demonstration or a sheepdog show.
- Go bar hopping – There are some awesome bars in Queenstown’s small town center, from the humble tradies bar to more extravagant and luxurious ones. Smiths Craft Beer House is one of my favorite places to go when I want to try some new beers. 1876 has a lovely patio on a nice day and Cowboys is a fun place to party!
- Take a scenic food and wine tour – The Queenstown area is a foodie heaven, with incredible wine and cuisine that you just have to try. And on this day tour, you’ll sip wine from New Zealand’s largest wine cave, be served a gourmet lunch, and indulge in local cheeses – all with an epic view to boot!
- Go ziplining – If you love a good adrenaline rush like me, you’ll enjoy this zipline over Lake Wakatipu and the snow-capped Southern Alps. You can pick from 3 height options depending on how daring you’d like to be. Regardless of which you choose, you’ll be flying high over incredible scenery!
Where to Stay in Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is filled with amazing things to do but also awesome places to stay! One thing about Queenstown, though, is that if you don’t book in advance, you’ll miss out on the best places (and the best prices!). So to help you out, we’ve compiled this list of our top hotels in Queenstown for all budget types.
Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa – $$$
Bailey and I spent our anniversary at the Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa and really loved our stay. It’s located a little out of town but they run a free shuttle every 30 minutes. The place has an indoor pool, full spa, and an onsite bar/restaurant where we watched the sunset over the lake. The rooms are beautiful in classic Hilton-style with comfy king-sized beds and bathtubs. Suites even come with fireplaces.
To me, it’s great value starting at $225 NZD per night. You’ll find the best deals when you book in advance on Booking.com.
Melbourne Lodge – $$
The Melbourne Lodge is a gorgeous hotel just a 5-minute walk to downtown. But what I love about this place is it sits on the end of Queenstown near the airport meaning that you never have to drive through town to visit the ski fields or many major attractions, saving you time. It has everything from budget rooms to self-contained apartments. From their guest lounge and deck, you also get a view of the bay and gondola.
Rooms here can be as little as $130 NZD per night! Check out prices and book your stay online here.
The Flaming Kiwi Backpackers – $
The Flaming Kiwi Backpackers was the first place I ever stayed in Queenstown. It’s a great budget backpacker hostel with a very social vibe. The beds are comfy and come with a privacy curtain, and there’s also a shared lounge, kitchen, barbecue, laundry facilities, and free onsite parking. The building is kind of old but is kept quite clean. Dorm beds here start at $55 NZD per night.
You can book The Flaming Kiwi Backpackers on Booking.com or through Hostelworld.
For even more options, check out our guide on where to stay in Queenstown. We break down the best areas and provide hotel recommendations for each.
Note: When booking hotels we always use Booking.com. The reason? They are almost always cheaper (we have booked over 250 hotels with them) and if you find a better price they’ll match it guaranteed – even if it’s a special on their own website!
Renting a Car or Campervan in New Zealand
The first step to planning your New Zealand road trip is choosing your set of wheels! Most people rent a campervan or motorhome to get around, but you can also just rent a normal car and stay in hotels (as opposed to camping.)
You can search for rental cars online with Discover Cars in advance to compare car models and prices. We’ve used this website all over the world and if you want more details, read our honest review of Discover Cars for more details!
You can also do this with motorhomes and campervans on a website called Motorhome Republic. It shows all of the available campervans and motorhomes for your specific New Zealand road trip dates. You can compare prices and company reviews here too!
JUCY is our personal favorite campervan rental company in NZ. We love JUCY because they have such a range of both cars and campervans available, so you’re pretty much guaranteed to find something to suit your budget and travel style.
We’ve actually secured an exclusive discount code for our readers with JUCY. Just click here to browse their availability and use the code DTRAVEL25 at checkout to get 5% off! What a good deal!
You can check prices, availability and book with JUCY online here.
Star RV is another company we personally recommend but specifically for motorhomes! They offer larger motorhomes (as opposed to budget campervans) at really reasonable rates.
Star RV has actually given us a discount code for our readers too! Use the code DTRAVEL25 at checkout to get 5% off your motorhome rental! Click here to browse availability, prices, and book with our discount code!
Note: For both Star RV and JUCY, no discounts or promotions will be applied for pickups from December 16, 2024 to January 19, 2025 for New Zealand and Australia. But for the entire rest of the year, the discount is yours!
Thanks for reading!
We want to help you make the most of your time spent in Queenstown. You can check out all our Queenstown blogs right here!
Or read more on other popular spots like Milford Sound, Mount Cook or the Catlins, here are some specific posts on these areas:
Traveling from Queenstown to Milford Sound
Best photo locations in Mt Cook
