Strip of mountain beech forest along the Wairere Stream. Photo NC.

The Tongariro Northern Circuit is almost exclusively a 'no-forest' walk. There are two other forest areas in addition to this one near Whakapapa Village: the first in the Waihohonu Valley, the second surrounding Waihohonu Hut.
The nature of the vegetation cover in Tongariro National Park has much to do with the history of eruptions, both of the Tongariro volcanoes, and of the Taupo volcano. The almost exclusive tussock cover in the north-west of the park is thought to have resulted from the destruction of the former forest during the Taupo eruption of AD 186. In the erosion banks of streams and tracks, many charred logs and pieces of charcoal can be seen interspersed in Taupo pumice layers (cf next view). Mountain beech is the natural tree cover at these altitudes in the park, and forest confinement in small patches along streams largely reflects the method of seed dispersal typical of that species, which relies on running water to carry seeds.