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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -38.92267, 174.78418. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- 1 km to the falls return via same track
- Walking time
- 30 min
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- Mount Damper and Waitaanga Conservation Area
- Seasonal restrictions
- The track is closed to hunters every year from 1 August to 31 October for the lambing season.
- Dog access
- Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. 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 short walk leads to Mount Damper Falls, one of the highest falls in the North Island.
This DOC directory entry covers Mount Damper Falls Walk in Taranaki, within Mount Damper and Waitaanga Conservation Area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 1 km to the falls return via same track
- Walking time: 30 min
- DOC grade: Easiest
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.
Seasonal restrictions
The track is closed to hunters every year from 1 August to 31 October for the lambing season.
Dog access
Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
At 74 m high, Mount Damper Falls are one of the highest in the North Island.
From the car park step over the style and walk over the formed track beside the creek. The first 10 minutes are over open farmland - respect private property, leave gates as you find them and stay on the track. Follow the track until you reach the bridge, from where the bush starts. The track descends gradually to two viewing platforms.
Getting there
The walk starts from Mount Damper Falls car park, on the Okau Road off SH3, 59 km north of New Plymouth.
Know before you go
A long drop toilet is available by the car park.
Large logging trucks are operating in this area. Drive carefully the narrow windy roads.
Dogs
Dogs are prohibited except where authorisation has been granted by DOC. People wishing to take a dog into this area need to get a permit from the local DOC office and have a current kiwi aversion certificate.
Avian awareness and avoidance training
To take dogs across private property, or tracks crossing farmland, you must get permission from the landowner.
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.
