Notable lake · Southland, Southland
Rainbow Lake
Rainbow Lake is a lake in Southland, Southland.
Rainbow Lake: 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 lake: Full / gates open · Low water level · Entry closed.
Best time to visit Rainbow Lake
Season: August to December when reservoirs are full and gates may open.
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 Rainbow Lake — distance from nearby cities
Coordinates: -44.69031, 168.09318. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.
Places to visit near Rainbow Lake
- Tūhawaiki Mountain · viewpoint · Southland · ~2 km · Must-see
- Mount Gifford · viewpoint · Southland · ~5 km · Must-see
- Karetai Peak · viewpoint · Southland · ~5 km · Must-see
- Te Wera Peak · viewpoint · Southland · ~6 km · Must-see
- Darran Mountains · viewpoint · Southland · ~6 km · Must-see
- Sabre Peak · viewpoint · Southland · ~9 km · Must-see
- Mount Gunn · viewpoint · Southland · ~9 km · Must-see
- Mount Underwood · viewpoint · Southland · ~9 km · Must-see
- Harris Saddle / Tarahaka Whakatipu · viewpoint · Queenstown-Lakes · ~9 km · Must-see
- Mount Madeline · viewpoint · Southland · ~12 km · Must-see
- Mount Crosscut · viewpoint · Southland · ~12 km · Must-see
- Mount Talbot · viewpoint · Southland · ~13 km · Must-see
- Somnus · viewpoint · Queenstown-Lakes · ~13 km · Must-see
- Humboldt Mountains · viewpoint · Queenstown-Lakes · ~13 km · Must-see
- GW - 06 Routeburn Track · trek · Queenstown-Lakes · ~15 km · Must-see
- Mount Christina · viewpoint · Southland · ~15 km · Must-see
- Mount Tūtoko · viewpoint · Southland · ~16 km · Must-see
- Mount Belle · viewpoint · Southland · ~16 km · Must-see
Other lakes, dams & reservoirs near Rainbow Lake
- Queenstown Gardens · lake · Queenstown-Lakes · ~74 km · Must-see
- Lake Manapouri · lake · Southland · ~131 km · Must-see
- Lake Adelaide · lake · Southland · ~7 km
- Lake Turner · lake · Southland · ~7 km
- Lake Wilson · lake · Queenstown-Lakes · ~9 km
- Lake Hyslop · lake · Southland · ~9 km
- Lake Harris · lake · Queenstown-Lakes · ~10 km
- Lake Mariana · lake · Southland · ~10 km
- Lake Marianette · lake · Southland · ~10 km
- Black Lake · lake · Southland · ~11 km
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · © GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Wikidata (CC0)
Frequently asked
Is Rainbow Lake full? Are the gates open?
No visitor has reported the water level status for Rainbow Lake yet. Typical pattern: moderate; weekends busier. Busiest: Weekends and long holidays.
What is the best time to visit Rainbow Lake?
August to December when reservoirs are full and gates may open. Moderate; weekends busier.
What are the places to visit near Rainbow Lake?
Nearby: Tūhawaiki Mountain (viewpoint, 2 km), Mount Gifford (viewpoint, 5 km), Karetai Peak (viewpoint, 5 km), Te Wera Peak (viewpoint, 6 km), Darran Mountains (viewpoint, 6 km), Sabre Peak (viewpoint, 9 km).
Is Rainbow Lake worth visiting?
Rainbow Lake is listed as a notable lake in Southland on Spotwander.