Trails › New Zealand › Waikato

Tongariro River Trail

Trail11 km · 7 miEasy · 3/10Best Aug–Jun

Next nearby hike: Rotopounamu Track 4.8 mi · 7.7 kmExplore Waikato →

Waikato, New ZealandTongariro National ParkRotopounamu Track · Tongariro National ParkTongariro National ParkEndStart5 kmN ↑

Tongariro River Trail other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)

Get directions · Google MapsApple Maps

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: Aug–Jun · highs 10–21 °C (50–70 °F)

  1. J21°13°128
  2. F21°13°114
  3. M19°12°138
  4. A16°9°133
  5. M13°7°158
  6. J10°5°189
  7. J10°4°181
  8. A10°5°176
  9. S12°6°171
  10. O14°7°164
  11. N17°9°142
  12. D19°11°162

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

Follow the banks of the Tongariro River alongside farmland, through native bush and urban areas, enjoying magnificent river views. An easy, mainly flat track with multiple entry points - a great family friendly option.

NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0).

Trail facts

Length
11 km · 7 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 - 3 hours
Official page
doc.govt.nz/link/f7a6048f329e4d9bafde4d68a5e
Nearest town
1.1 km NE of Turangi (Waikato Region) · GeoNames
Best months
Aug–Jun
Country
New Zealand
Region
Waikato
Continent
Oceania
Route centre
-38.9857, 175.8196
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 centre

All trails in Waikato → · All 1,167 trails in New Zealand →