Mountains

Queenstown is ringed by mountains, and four of them account for most of what visitors actually do here — two you drive up for the snow, and two you can walk from the middle of town.

Where to go, and when

• The Remarkables — the range along the eastern side of the lake, and the ski area in the basin behind it. Single Cone, 2,319 m, is the high point. Winter for skiing, summer for Lake Alta and the climbing at Wye Creek.
• Coronet Peak — twenty minutes from town on a sealed road, New Zealand's first commercial ski field, and the one with night skiing. It runs a summer season too: gondola sightseeing, disc golf and downhill mountain biking.
• Ben Lomond — 1,748 m, and the big day walk from town. Six to eight hours return to the summit, less if you take the gondola. Not a casual afternoon.
• Queenstown Hill — the shorter climb, 2 to 3 hours return from Belfast Terrace, with the Basket of Dreams sculpture and a 360-degree view at the top.

Seasons

Snow closes the high walks and opens the ski fields, and it runs the other way round to the northern hemisphere: the ski season is roughly June to early October, and the walking season is best from December to March. Between April and November there can be snow and ice above the bushline on both Ben Lomond and Queenstown Hill — that window is longer than most visitors expect.

In dry summers the council closes the Ben Lomond and Queenstown Hill reserves when fire risk reaches extreme, and posts it on their site and on signs at the track entrances. See Queenstown weather for what the year does.

Also worth knowing

For skiing and snowboarding beyond these two fields — Cardrona, Treble Cone, heli-skiing, rentals and lessons — see snow. For the walks that do not involve a mountain, free things to do has the lakeside and valley options.