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Nothing brings you closer to Taupo’s unforgettable wilderness than walking through it.
Taupo’s untouched ancient forests and swamplands, impressive geothermal wonderlands, and breath-taking volcanoes are crisscrossed with excellent walking and hiking tracks of all lengths and levels of difficulty. From pleasant lakefront and riverside strolls like the Great Lake Walkway and Huka Falls trails, through to the Tongariro River Trail and Lake Rotopounamu native bush walks ringing with birdsong, to the epic full-day alpine trek known as the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which treks across a cratered volcanic moonscape dotted with gemstone-coloured lakes.
Thermal walkways at Craters of the Moon and Orakei Korako expose the power and mystery of the earth’s inner workings in the strange and wonderful landscapes of Taupo’s geothermal areas, and walks in the Pureora Forest Park take you deep into a magical and ancient world of moss covered trees, crystal-clear rivers and melodious birdsong.
Taupo has some of the best walking tracks in New Zealand, all just awaiting the addition of your boot-prints.
Explore them below, then start planning your walk with New Zealand Mountain Safety Council's Plan My Walk app. An awesome app that provides you with useful information on each track with active alerts, the weather forecast, and the essential gear to bring. Click here to check it out
Waipahihi Botanical Reserve is an amazing garden built with love, and is also a beautiful Taupo walk for the whole family.
These two family short easy walks starting from Urchin Campsite at the end of Kaimanawa Road in the Kaimanawa Forest Park are perfect for families.
This short loop walk from Kakaho Campsite takes in the fantastic views and the tall trees of the Pureora Forest.
An easy short walk to a lookout point with panoramic views over the southern end of Lake Taupo.
At the mouth of the Tauranga-Taupo River in the small village of Oruatua, there are two easy walking tracks to enjoy the river, the native bush of the reserves and the expansive lake views.
This easy walk winds through native bush along the lake edge, offering fantastic views and great picnic, swimming and fishing spots. It's perfect for families and those wanting to enjoy Lake Taupo.
This track is the shortest route to the top of Mount Pureora. On a clear day walkers are rewarded with views across Lake Taupō, the Mamaku Ranges, Mount Taranaki, and Mount Ruapehu.
The Ketetahi Track is a section of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. You can get close up views of the active Te Maari Craters.
Mount Urchin offers an easily accessible wilderness of beautiful beech forest, incredible views and a real alpine environment.
Spa Thermal Park is home of the famous Otumuheke Stream hot pools. From here, you can also explore the Huka scenic walking trails and the Rotary Ride mountain bike trail.