| Routeburn River | |
| Name Other: | Route Burn |
| Pushpin Map: | New Zealand South Island#New Zealand |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 270px |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Mouth of the Route Burn |
| Source1: | Route Burn Left Branch |
| Source1 Location: | Lake Wilson |
| Source1 Coordinates: | -44.7295°N 168.1785°W |
| Source2: | Route Burn North Branch |
| Source2 Coordinates: | -44.6584°N 168.1985°W |
| Mouth Location: | Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu |
| Mouth Coordinates: | -44.7344°N 168.325°W |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | New Zealand |
| Subdivision Type2: | Region |
| Subdivision Name2: | Otago |
| Subdivision Type3: | District |
| Subdivision Name3: | Queenstown-Lakes |
| Progression: | Route Burn → Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu → Lake Wakatipu → Kawarau River → Lake Dunstan → Clutha River / Mata-Au → Pacific Ocean |
| Tributaries Left: | Sugar Loaf Stream |
| Tributaries Right: | Double Barrel Creek |
| Waterfalls: | Routeburn Falls |
The Routeburn River, also known as the Route Burn, is a river in New Zealand. It is a short stony river that flows for some 15 kilometres[1] into the Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu[2] in the South Island. The Routeburn River flows alongside a section of the Routeburn Track. The upper reaches of the river are found in the Routeburn North Branch and leave the Routeburn Track around the Routeburn Flat Hut area.
The river has two main branches of similar length, which meet some 8 kilometres from the Dart. Both of these streams have sources in the Humboldt Range. One of these streams flows due south from the slopes of the 1960-metre Nereus Peak; the other flows south then east from Lake Wilson, a small tarn, passing through Lake Harris and over the Routeburn Falls. Several smaller streams join the river from the south closer to its entry into the Dart River.[1]