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Key facts
- Distance
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 2–3 hr return
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- East Egmont area / Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
This track leads to Curtis Falls where you can enjoy a summer dip in the shallow pool beneath the falls. The track also leads to Maketawa Hut.
This DOC directory entry covers Curtis Falls Track in Taranaki, within East Egmont area / Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time: 2–3 hr return
- DOC grade: Advanced
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Follow the Curtis Falls Track from the car park at Ngāti Ruanui Stratford Mountain House, turning right down steps into the valley of the Te Pōpō Stream.
Steps and ladders up the other side lead steeply uphill before dropping sharply down a steel ladder into the gorge of the Manganui River. Follow the river bed, rock hopping upstream, crossing the river several times, before reaching the base of the falls.
Take care and supervise children as there are steep drop offs, particularly if you go off track and climb up the side of the falls. The track upstream to the falls can be impassable in flood.
Return downstream to the track junction, turning right to go back to the car park, or turning left to head to Maketawa Hut (2 hr to 2 hr 30 min from the junction).
The track to Maketawa Hut can be overgrown. It crosses several unbridged streams that can be impassable after heavy rainfall.
Getting there
In Stratford, turn off State Highway 3 into Pembroke Road and follow this up the mountain for 14.5 km to Ngāti Ruanui Stratford Mountain House.
Know before you go
Be ready for changeable weather
Taranaki Maunga has changeable and unpredictable weather. Check the forecast and carry enough clothing and equipment to ensure you are able to cope with any type of weather, at any time of the year.
Snow, high rainfall and storm damage can make tracks impassable.
Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki weather forecast – NIWA website
Unbridged streams on this track may be impassable after heavy rain.
This track has significant fall risks. Take care and supervise children round the waterfall and off the staircases and steel ladder down into the Manganui Gorge.
Track erosion around streams may be present.
Expect overgrown and steep and slippery terrain in places. Navigaton may be difficult.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
