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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: -39.17721, 175.36635. 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
- 11 km return return via same track
- Walking time
- 4 to 5 hr
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Waimarino - Ōwhango area
- Dog access
- Dogs with a DOC permit for recreational hunting or management purposes only. 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
Walk to a lookout point with views of Mt Taranaki and Mt Ruapehu, then on to the remote Tupapakurua Falls.
This DOC directory entry covers Tupapakurua Falls Track in Central North Island, within Waimarino - Ōwhango 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: 11 km return return via same track
- Walking time: 4 to 5 hr
- 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 for recreational hunting or management purposes only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
The track begins with an easy 20 minute walk to the Taranaki Lookout with a view towards Mt Taranaki, and views back to Mt Ruapehu and Hauhungatahi.
From this point the track becomes more rugged, suitable for more experienced walkers. The track follows a ridge and then descends steeply about 230 m down to a stream. Conditions can be slippery / muddy following rain.
Tupapakurua Falls plummet to the valley floor in splendid isolation, amidst regenerating podocarp forest. There is a wonderful diversity of plant and tree species with good stands of tawa, mature rimu, miro and totara.
Climbing back up from the stream, the track winds its way around bluffs with beautiful forest views and good lookout points to the waterfalls.
Return via the same track.
This old Forest Service track was upgraded by the local community in partnership with DOC, adding a wonderful forest walk to the region.
DOC maintains the track to the lookout but not to the falls.
Getting there
Begins at Fishers Road, Waimarino (formerly National Park Village). Either walk from the village up Fishers Road to the beginning of the track itself (30 min), or drive up Fishers Road to the parking area.
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.
