Taranaki Falls loop from Whakapapa Village

Walk the loop clockwise, as DOC describes it. From the car park by the visitor centre go east along Ngauruhoe Place to the lower track, which crosses tussock into beech forest, passes the closed Mangatepopo Track turn-off and follows the Wairere Stream up past Cascade Falls to the foot of Taranaki Falls, where the water drops about 20 m over an old lava flow. Climb the steps beside the falls, turn right at the junction above, and follow the upper track west over the red tussock, with views of Ngāuruhoe, back to the village.

It is 6.4 km round with 125 m of ascent; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Easy: well-formed tracks, bridged streams and a flight of steps.

Ruapehu and Tongariro are active volcanoes: on 4 October 2026 GeoNet had Ruapehu at alert level 1 and Tongariro at 0, with no track near the village closed, so check the current levels. The Mangatepopo Track is closed since the 2025 fire. Frosts come in any month, and the lower track is the sheltered choice on a windy day.

The car park by the visitor centre is free; the winter 3-hour parking limit in the village is enough for this loop. There is no public bus to Whakapapa Village; shuttles run from National Park Village, Tūrangi and Taupō.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.