Mountain biking in Tongariro National park. Mt Egmont/Taranaki in the distance. Photo courtesy Ruapehu Tourism.

Short and day walks
There is a good choice of short and day walks in Tongariro National Park. Most are located in the area of Whakapapa Village, with several others in the Ohakune area, as well as two more in the northern enclave north of Lake Rotoaira. They provide easy but excellent opportunities to enjoy magnificent views over the volcanoes and the volcanic plateau. They also give access to many volcanic features, as well as to a range of ecological units: beech forest, podocarp forest, bogs, tussocklands, and subalpine areas. Read details...

Tramping
  Thanks to its spectacular volcanic background, to a diversity of landscapes and ecological units, to good tracks and an excellent network of huts, the park offers superb yet relatively easy tramping. The Tongariro Northern Circuit is one of New Zealand's Great Walks. A shorter version of it, the Tongariro Crossing, has been described as 'New Zealand's finest day walk'. When done in clear weather both offer the most rewarding and spectacular views of the volcanic landscape traversed, as well as of the surrounding country, plateau, ranges, and lakes.
A somewhat longer walk of up to 6 days, the 'Round the Mountain' circuit leads the tramper through the diversity of landscapes that stretch down the sides of Ruapehu: from wet rainforest and extensive bogs dominated by lofty lava cliffs and waterfalls in the south-western quarter, through the desolate fields of volcanic ashes and scoria of the Rangipo Desert in the east, and into shrublands and tussocklands further north.
Among the most significant one day tramps are the walks to the summits of the three large volcanoes.
Visit our section: Tramping in Tongariro National Park

Skiing
  Three ski fields constructed on the sides of Ruapehu offer the most significant downhill skiing in the North Island.
When the conditions are adequate, usually in late winter and spring, the park also offers good opportunities for ski-touring, on Ruapehu as well as Ngaruhoe.

White water
There are some popular spots for kayakers and rafters, mostly outside the park, on the Whakapapa River and its tributaries in particular.

Mountain biking
Mountain biking is not allowed within the park boundaries off formed roads, because of the fragile nature of the volcanic soils and bogs, and the number of walkers. However a number of mountain-biking routes, some challenging, have been created close to the park in the Tongariro and Erua Forests and Rangataua Conservation area.

Fishing
Most rivers have both brown and rainbow trout (rainbow only in the Whakapapa catchment), but they are not very numerous. Licences are available from Department of Conservation offices throughout the region.

Hunting
Within the park hunting is for red and sika deer, wild pigs and goats. Hunting permits are available from the four Department of Conservation offices at Ohakune, Whakapapa, Turangi and Taupo.