| Emerald Lakes | |
| Location: | Tongariro National Park |
| Type: | Volcanic crater lakes[1] |
| Coords: | -39.1344°N 175.6546°W |
| Image Bathymetry: | NZ_Tongarino_NP_054_(17257291332).jpg |
| Caption Bathymetry: | Map of walking tracks around Tongariro National Park, with the Emerald Lakes to the northeast of Mount Ngauruhoe |
| Alt Bathymetry: | Map of Tongariro National Park with the Emerald Lakes to the south of Mount Tongariro |
| Pushpin Map: | New Zealand |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the Emerald Lakes |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | The Emerald Lakes are located in the central North Island |
The Emerald Lakes (mi|Ngarotopounamu|lit=[[Pounamu]]-hued lakes[2]) are a group of small lakes in Tongariro National Park, named for their distinctive colour. The lakes are the result of water filling explosion craters near the summit of Mount Tongariro, with the colour coming from minerals dissolved from the surrounding landscape, particularly calcium carbonate.[1] [3]
The lakes are visible to hikers on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing when they begin their descent from the highest point of that track, at an altitude of .[4]
The lakes have previously been infested with Juncus bulbosus, invasive to New Zealand, however since 2019 the New Zealand Department of Conservation have sought to control the weed, which has decreased to undetectable levels due to this work.[5]