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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: -39.04496, 176.01526. 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
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 4-5 hr one way
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Kaimanawa Forest Park
- 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 track begins on the Kiko Loop and continues as far as the park boundary on the slopes of Mt Ngapuketurua.
This DOC directory entry covers Ngapuketurua Track in Central North Island, within Kaimanawa Forest Park. 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: 4-5 hr one way
- 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
Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
The track starts half way round the Kiko Loop Track. The first section is well-benched and graded, but after about 30 minutes it begins to climb steeply through beech forest.
The track provides access to good hunting country below the Ngapuketurua bush line.
Getting there
10 km north of Tūrangi, turn off SH1 onto Kiko Road. Follow this for 17 km through the privately-owned Lake Taupo Forest to the park boundary.
Know before you go
This track once led from Kiko Road over Ngapuketurua to Cascade Hut, but now access ends at the park boundary with East Taupo lands block. Contact Helisika, phone +64 7 384 2816.
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.
