Mount Iron is the obvious hill with a cliff face next to Wānaka township. Along with the Glendhu Bay walk, the loop around the hill (aka the Mount Iron Track) is the go-to for locals.
For visitors, the 240-metre, often steep climb is probably not so enticing as there are so many other options for the hour and a half it takes to complete the loop track, though it is quicker if you go up and down the same way. We have always done it in poor weather because it is so accessible. You can start the loop either from the car park off State Highway 84 at the southwest end of the Mount or from Old Racecourse Rd on the east side.
In practice, the Mt Iron Track is really two very different experiences. From the State Highway 84 car park, it is a moderately steep and continuous hike up to the top on the west side of the mountain. This section is relatively exposed, with steep rabbit-infested grassland. It is not that pleasant when it is warm, windy and dusty. There are some patches of kānuka and some striking examples of matagouri, a rather unfriendly-looking spiky native bush. The view over the town and lake is the major redeeming feature, and it only takes about 20 to 30 minutes to get to the top, which is bounded by the cliff on the south side.
Once at the top, the views are superb, and some interesting panels describe the area's history, including the effect of glaciation. Mount Iron was a harder rock that survived the ice grinding that carved out the Lake and flattened the surrounding area.
You can continue to the east side track from the top to complete the loop or return the way you came.
The section of the Mount Iron Track on the east side of the Mount is a more interesting hike than the west side. You can start from the end of Old Racecourse Road in Wanaka or walk from the SH84 car park below the south-end cliff to where the track starts its climb up the side of the cliff in a series of switchbacks.
Most of this walk is well sheltered in kānuka forest, and as you climb higher, you can enjoy great cliff-edge views over Albert Town and Hāwea. The track is rough and rocky in places, but it always feels straightforward.
There is one almost magical section, especially when it is wet. This is about halfway up, where a large area of intensely green moss grows below the kānuka, creating a surprising rainforest effect in a normally dry place.
