Notable nature spot · Ashburton, Canterbury
Lake Heron Nature Reserve
Lake Heron Nature Reserve is a nature spot in Ashburton, Canterbury.
Lake Heron Nature Reserve: crowds and conditions
Typical pattern: moderate; weekends busier. Been there recently? Post today’s status and it shows here for the next traveller.
Status options for this nature spot: Open, good conditions · Very crowded · Approach road bad · Closed / not accessible.
Best time to visit Lake Heron Nature Reserve
Season: November to March for sightings; sanctuaries may close in peak monsoon.
Busiest days: Weekends and long holidays.
Crowd: Moderate; weekends busier.
Typical week: Mon light · Tue light · Wed light · Thu light · Fri light · Sat busy · Sun busy.
How to reach Lake Heron Nature Reserve — distance from nearby cities
Coordinates: -43.46797, 171.18444. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.
Places to visit near Lake Heron Nature Reserve
- Hakatere Conservation Park · sanctuary · Ashburton · ~7 km · Must-see
- Mount Taylor · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~15 km · Must-see
- Arrowsmith Range · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~25 km · Must-see
- Mount Potts · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~27 km · Must-see
- Mount Somers · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~29 km · Must-see
- Mount Harper · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~30 km · Must-see
- Mount Sunday · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~31 km · Must-see
- Sharplin Falls · waterfall · Ashburton · ~31 km · Must-see
- Mount Hutt · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~34 km · Must-see
- Rangitata Gorge · viewpoint · Timaru · ~40 km · Must-see
- Butler Range · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~41 km · Must-see
- Lyell Glacier · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~42 km · Must-see
- Blair Peak · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~42 km · Must-see
- Rakaia Gorge · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~45 km · Must-see
- Mount Whitcombe · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~46 km · Must-see
- Malcolm Glacier · viewpoint · Ashburton · ~46 km · Must-see
- Alma · viewpoint · Timaru · ~48 km · Must-see
- Achilles Peak · viewpoint · Mackenzie · ~48 km · Must-see
See everything within a day’s drive of Lake Heron Nature Reserve
Other wildlife, forests & gardens near Lake Heron Nature Reserve
- Hakatere Conservation Park · sanctuary · Ashburton · ~7 km · Must-see
- Peel Forest Park Scenic Reserve · sanctuary · Mackenzie · ~52 km · Must-see
- Te Kahui Kaupeka Conservation Park · sanctuary · Timaru · ~55 km · Must-see
- Craigieburn Forest Park · sanctuary · Selwyn · ~59 km · Must-see
- Korowai / Torlesse Tussocklands Park · sanctuary · Selwyn · ~65 km · Must-see
- Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park · sanctuary · Mackenzie · ~92 km · Must-see
- Arthur's Pass National Park · sanctuary · Selwyn · ~97 km · Must-see
- Waitangiroto Nature Reserve · sanctuary · Westland · ~100 km · Must-see
- Franz Josef Wildlife Center · sanctuary · Westland · ~102 km · Must-see
- Westland Tai Poutini National Park · sanctuary · Westland · ~107 km · Must-see
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · © GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Wikidata (CC0) · Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive-2.0)
Frequently asked
What is the best time to visit Lake Heron Nature Reserve?
November to March for sightings; sanctuaries may close in peak monsoon. Moderate; weekends busier.
What are the places to visit near Lake Heron Nature Reserve?
Nearby: Hakatere Conservation Park (sanctuary, 7 km), Mount Taylor (viewpoint, 15 km), Arrowsmith Range (viewpoint, 25 km), Mount Potts (viewpoint, 27 km), Mount Somers (viewpoint, 29 km), Mount Harper (viewpoint, 30 km).
Is Lake Heron Nature Reserve worth visiting?
Lake Heron Nature Reserve is listed as a notable nature spot in Canterbury on Spotwander.