#9 of 18 sights in Mount Aspiring
Sight · Mount Aspiring National Park
A wide lake view built into the Routeburn’s high alpine crossing.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Aspiring Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Mount Aspiring National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Mount Aspiring audio tourMore stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Lake Harris is a small alpine lake beside the Routeburn Track, below Harris Saddle. The path climbs through wetlands and tussock flats, then sidles along bluffs above the water. This is a lake view for Routeburn walkers, not a drive-up stop.
Lake Harris lies on the 11.3 km section from Routeburn Falls Hut to Lake Mackenzie Hut, which takes about 4½ to 6 hours. Harris Saddle/Tarahaka Whakatipu is the track’s high point at 1,255 m; beyond it, the route crosses the exposed Hollyford Face. The Routeburn can be walked in either direction and usually takes three days and two nights. Its trailheads are 325 km apart by road, so plan transport for both ends.
May to late October is outside the Great Walks season. Snow, ice, avalanche terrain and sub-zero temperatures raise the risk, while facilities are reduced; make this crossing only if you’re fit, experienced and equipped with alpine skills. The day-use shelter shortly beyond the saddle has toilets, and dogs aren’t allowed on the Routeburn.
Wildlife
60 sightingsKeaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
112 sightingsRockwrenMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
26 sightingsYellowheadMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
13 sightingsTūīMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
27 sightingsBellbirdMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
35 sightingsRiflemanMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Mount Aspiring. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
Sight · 0.3 km awayHarris Saddle / Tarahaka WhakatipuA high pass above Lake Harris, with a climb toward sea views.
Sight · 1.8 km awayRouteburn FallsA 9.8 km walk to a cascade at the bushline.
Lodging · 1.8 km awayRouteburn Falls HutSleep at the bushline with the falls close by.
Campground · 2.9 km awayRouteburn Flats CampsiteA 15-site walk-in camp on the Routeburn's open grassy flats.
Lodging · 3.1 km awayRouteburn Flats HutA good first night on the Routeburn, with the valley opening wide.
Sight · 6.3 km awayBridal Veil FallsA 57-metre fall framed by the Routeburn's forest and snowy peaks.Parkwolf’s Mount Aspiring ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
