Rotopounamu Track other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)
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NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0) · OpenStreetMap · Official page · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).
7-day forecast
Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)Best time to hike
Best months: Jan–Apr, Nov · highs 13–18 °C (55–64 °F)
- J18°10°169
- F18°10°150
- M16°9°177
- A13°7°175
- M10°5°212
- J8°3°253
- J7°2°240
- A8°2°233
- S10°3°239
- O11°5°229
- N14°6°193
- D16°9°225
Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.
How we pick months
Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.
About this trail
This track circles a beautiful lake surrounded by native forest and is a special favourite of tree lovers, birdwatchers, and families.
NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0).
Trail facts
- Length
- 3.7 km · 2.3 mi (DOC route geometry)
- Source
- NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0)
- Difficulty
- Easy (3/10) (Easy · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0))
- Typical time (DOC)
- 2 hr loop
- Official page
- doc.govt.nz/link/902453542d6d4e3c8e503769363
- Mountain range
- Pihanga Range (North Island Volcanic Plateau; GMBA)
- Nearest town
- 6.6 km SW of Turangi (Waikato Region) · GeoNames
- Park or forest
- Tongariro National Park
- Best months
- Jan–Apr, Nov
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Waikato
- Continent
- Oceania
- Route centre
- -39.0244, 175.7457
How it’s scored
Easy (3/10). Official rating: Easy · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0).
A score is omitted when we do not have an official rating or enough measured length and elevation gain to compute one. Nothing is guessed. Read the NPS method: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/how-to-determine-hiking-difficulty.htm
Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.
Nearest trails
distance from the trail centreTongariro River Trail
4.8 mi · 7.7 km · Waikato
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
5.6 mi · 9.0 km · Tongariro National Park
Pukawa Bay walks
7 mi · 12 km · Waikato
Tree Trunk Gorge tracks
10 mi · 16 km · Kaimanawa Forest Park
Tongariro Northern Circuit
11 mi · 17 km · Tongariro National Park
Umukarikari Track
11 mi · 18 km · Kaimanawa Forest Park