Young River (Māori: Te Awamakarara) is in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand.

[1] The ultimate source of the Young River is at the head of Young River North Branch on the eastern slopes of Mount Doris on the main divide of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana.

At the lake the river bends to the right and flows southwards for 6 kilometres (4 mi).

The Gillespie Pass Circuit tramping track crosses the river using the Young Fork Bridge.

The river continues in flowing eastwards for 7 kilometres (4 mi) until it ultimately merges with the Makarora River 3.5 kilometres (2 mi) north of the village of Makarora At 4:40 a.m. on August 29, 2007, a debris avalanche occurred blocking the Young River North Branch.