Day Trip: Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Description

Stunning Emerald LakesViews of Mount Ngauruhoe, also recognizable as Mount Doom from Lord of the RingsDual UNESCO World Heritage status19.4 km (appx. 12 mi)Beginning elevation: 1100m (appx 3,600')Ending elevation: 800m (appx 2,624')

Tongariro's Alpine Crossing is one of New Zealand's best day hikes. It was the beginning of winter when I went and the park has just gotten its first snowfall for the season which really added to the dramatic scenery.

Starting from the Mangatepopo car park, I headed towards Soda Springs and on through the snowy flats of South Crater. Conditions kept changing around here, so it helped to have a waterproof jacket and ice axe (optional) with climbing around the Devil's Staircase.

From there, it was on to the highest point of the walk by Red Crater to take in the stunning views of the Emerald Lakes and Blue Lake before descending through the active volcano area and walk's end at the Ketetahi car park.

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Hiking

Lake

Scenic

Day Trip: Tongariro Alpine Crossing Reviews

Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Backpack the Tongariro Northern Circuit

Most people visiting Togariro National park do the 1 day Alpine Crossing. I opted to do the full circuit, a 27 mile hike that takes you all the way around the prominent summit of Mt. Ngaroe.I traveled the trail clockwise, leaving from Whakapapa Village and heading to Waihohonu Hut on the first day. This part of the trail is fairly flat and winds 14.3 km around the south side of Ngaroe.Day 2 bro...

Hike the Ridge Walking Track

The trail for this hike starts next to the bathrooms that are about 150m down the road (south) from the Whakapapa Visitor Center. If you're standing in the road looking at the bathrooms, the trail head is to the right. You will be going uphill the entire time without much flat trail, but it's not for too long. The trail starts out going through the woods and then after 10 minutes or so you'll c...

Backpack to Tama Lakes

The Tama Lakes trail can be walked easily as a day hike but we chose to overnight to escape the crowds (very popular hike) and fully enjoy the landscape, as well as the beautiful stars, sunrise and sunset. We walked the track in early winter (June) which I think is the prettiest time to explore the area.The trail begins as part of the Tongariro Northern Circuit, leaving from the end of Ngauruho...

Hike the Taranaki Falls Loop

The walk starts with red tussock grass. After a short distance, you will walk into alpine shrub. The track up to the falls is a very gradual incline. To get to the lower falls, a long staircase through a forest of toatoa trees provides a quick descent down the cliffs on the east side of the falls. As you reach the bottom of the cliffs, Taranaki Falls appears, leaping from the cliffs. Continue d...

Hike Tongariro Alpine Crossing

To anyone who has seen The Lord of the Rings then you will have a little extra incentive for going on this one of a kind trek through Mordor (Northern New Zealand in reality). The backdrop for a good portion of the trek showcases the mighty Mt. Ngaurauhoe, also referred to as Mt. Doom. Yes, you read that right, this is the volcano used in the movies as Mt. Doom and as soon you catch first sight...

Hike Mt. Urchin Track

It is recommended to do this hike on a clear day if you would like to have good views from Urchin Trig. We did it on a cloudy and misty day and although the hike was still awesome, the top was shrouded in a heavy layer of mist. We could not continue along the ridge or get any views of the surrounding valleys, Lake Taupo or Lake Rotoaira in the distance.Start from the Car park on the gravel road...