Otago · New Zealand
Crown Range Road
Arrowtown to Wanaka
New Zealand’s highest sealed through road between Queenstown and Wanaka.
Crown Range Road climbs over the Crown Range between Arrow Junction near Arrowtown and Wanaka via the Cardrona Valley, topping out at the Crown Saddle around 1076 metres, which makes it the highest sealed public through road in New Zealand. The Queenstown side drops through a set of tight hairpin bends with wide views over the Wakatipu Basin, and the road was fully sealed in 2001. Mind the steep hairpins, ice and snow in winter when chains may be required.
Hairpins stack up the tussock, then the asphalt unspools toward the Southern Alps with the Cardrona valley far below.
Why we picked it
Scenery
Best seasons
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Where it runs14.2 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 1Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%415.6 – 1,080.1 mFrom the road
Points of interest2 stops
- The Zig ZagViewpoint1.4 mi in
- Crown Range SummitViewpoint6.5 mi in
Hazards
- Tight hairpin bends on the Queenstown side
- Snow and ice in winter, chains may be required
- Strong crosswinds near the summit
Sources
“an exhilarating road with hairpin bends, serpentines, and steep grades”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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Nearby roads
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