huckepack

Tongariro Northern Circuit

Length

Stated
35.5 km, the stated length (Department of Conservation)
Map line
36.7 km, OpenStreetMap along the official track
Used for
The charts on this page, and comparing trails in the search

35.5km

Ascent · descent

This trail
Estimated from the terrain model (≈): no source states them
How
Every main stage's climbs and drops between samples 100 m apart
Keep in mind
In forests the model reads the treetops, so it reads high there

estimated: 1,370m ↑1,360m ↓

Difficulty

What
How hard the trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days
Scale
Easy to Hard, with the same thresholds for every trail; each takes its hardest measure
Keep in mind
It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get
  • Terrain: DemandingPath grade: ≈ T3
  • Climate: Moderate in Jan–FebCold: 4 °C at night (January)
  • Effort: ModerateLongest day: 5 h (stage 5)

All measures

Terrain: Demanding; Climate: Moderate in Jan–Feb; Effort: Moderate
Suggested
3–4days

Per stage

How
The 5 main stages' totals over their number
Source
Department of Conservation, so the averages come from one source
Ascent
The terrain model's estimate per stage (≈): the stages state no climbs

7.4km· about 270 m ↑
Season

Landscape

Source
ESA WorldCover satellite land cover, along the main route
  • Grassland and shrubs: 72%
  • Bare rock and sand: 22%
  • Forest: 6%
  • Farmland and villages: 1%

Landscape along the route

Mostly Grassland

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons by rheins, sarang Sarang and Michal Klajban; each photo's licence in the gallery

Location

Country
New Zealand
Regions
Manawatū-Whanganui, Waikato
Start
Mangatepopo Carpark
Finish
Whakapapa Village
Route type
Point to point
Travel hubs
  • National Park (Waimarino)20.1 km by road · 23 min
Protected areas
Tongariro National Park (UNESCO World Heritage)
Managed by
Department of Conservation (Te Papa Atawhai)Official website
GPX
GPX trackOur tracing from OpenStreetMap
  • Trail
  • Start
  • Stage start
  • Finish
  • Contour lines

Difficulty

Terrain

Rates
How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot?
How
Rated over the whole main route.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Path grade
the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated
  1. EasyT1
  2. ModerateT2
  3. DemandingT3
  4. HardT4 to T6
Climbing
ascent of the main stages over their length
  1. Easyunder 15 m per km
  2. Moderate15–30 m
  3. Demanding30–50 m
  4. Hard50 m or more
Steep stretches
share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model)
  1. Easyunder 5 %
  2. Moderate5–15 %
  3. Demanding15–30 %
  4. Hard30 % or more
Natural ground
share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own
  1. Easyunder a third
  2. Moderatea third to two thirds
  3. Demandingtwo thirds or more

Demanding

  • SAC hiking scale

    This trail
    T3 (our estimate)
    Basis
    DOC grades the track intermediate in the Great Walks season, advanced and expert outside it: the steep climb to Mangatepopo Saddle and Red Crater, where "loose rocks and stones on the steep slopes … present a major slip hazard", a "loose, rocky ridge" down to the Emerald Lakes and a steep descent into the Oturere Valley over lava flows; open alpine terrain. Demanding mountain hiking on loose volcanic slopes (T3).
    Scale
    The Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard)
    Why
    Trails rate difficulty in many local scales, or only in words; we translate each into this one so trails compare
    Keep in mind
    An estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather
    T1 · Hiking
    Well-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
    T2 · Mountain hiking
    A continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
    T3 · Demanding mountain hiking
    The path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
    T4 · Alpine hiking
    Often no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
    T5 · Demanding alpine hiking
    Mostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
    T6 · Difficult alpine hiking
    Pathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.

    The scale at the Swiss Alpine Club

    estimated T3
  • Climbingestimated 37 m per km
  • Steep stretches11 % of the way
  • Natural ground73 %

Climate

Rates
How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get?
How
From 30 years of daily weather (ERA5), rated per month. Without months picked: the trail's best run of at least two season months, each measure at its hardest month. Pick months in the search to rate it for yours.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Heat
mean daily high at the lowest point
  1. Easyunder 22 °C
  2. Moderate22–27 °C
  3. Demanding27–32 °C
  4. Hard32 °C or more
Cold
mean nightly low at the highest point
  1. Easy8 °C or more
  2. Moderate3–8 °C
  3. Demanding−2 to 3 °C
  4. Hardbelow −2 °C
Wet days
days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points
  1. Easyunder 10
  2. Moderate10–14
  3. Demanding14–18
  4. Hard18 or more
Snow
days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point
  1. Easyunder 1 day
  2. Moderate1–3 days
  3. Demanding3–6 days
  4. Hard6 days or more
Wind
mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points; over land: a point whose 25 km weather cell is mostly sea takes the nearest mostly-land cell's
  1. Easyunder 15 km/h
  2. Moderate15–20 km/h
  3. Demanding20–25 km/h
  4. Hard25 km/h or more

Moderate in Jan–Feb

  • Heat · February18 °C by day
  • Cold · January4 °C at night
  • Wet days · January13 days
  • Snow · January0 days
  • Wind · January15 km/h

Effort

Rates
How long are the days?
How
Rated by the longest main stage; a time range counts its upper end.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Longest day
walking time of the longest main stage, stated or by DIN 33466
  1. Easyup to 4 h
  2. Moderate4–6 h
  3. Demanding6–8 h
  4. Hardmore than 8 h

Moderate

  • Longest day · stage 55 h

Climate

Days in season · lowest point
11–18°C
Nights in season · highest point
−2 to 4°C
Wet days a month
11–17
Daylight
11.1–14.9h
SeasonSeasonDay high and night low−10 °C0 °C10 °C20 °CWet days, at the highest point5101520Daylight14.6 h13.6 h12.5 h11.1 h10.0 h9.4 h9.7 h10.6 h11.9 h13.2 h14.3 h14.9 hJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Climate by month, 1995–2024 average
MonthLowest point, day high / night low (°C)Highest point, day high / night low (°C)Wet daysSnow daysFrost nights at the highest pointDaylight (h)
January17.7 / 911.9 / 3.512.40.33.614.6
February17.9 / 9.612.2 / 4.1110.1213.6
March15.7 / 7.810 / 2.310.70.46.512.5
April12.8 / 5.87 / 0.2121.513.611.1
May9.8 / 3.64.1 / -2134.922.710
June7.1 / 1.51.5 / -413.59.427.29.4
July6.1 / 0.60.6 / -4.91513.230.29.7
August6.8 / 0.51.4 / -515.612.830.210.6
September9 / 1.93.4 / -3.615.610.127.611.9
October11 / 3.45.3 / -2.116.76.723.413.2
November13.3 / 57.6 / -0.514.53.116.614.3
December15.7 / 7.810 / 2.3160.76.714.9

Climate by month

Source
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averages for 1995–2024
Places
The trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to their height
Bars
From the mean night low to the mean day high
Wet days
At least 1 mm of rain; snow days at least 1 cm of snow
Daylight
Sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month
Shading
The trail's season

Stages

RouteDistanceAscentDescentElevationTime
1Mangatepopo Carpark Mangatepopo Hut1.7 km50 m ↑10 m ↓1,160 → 1,190 m0 h 25
2Mangatepopo Hut Emerald Lakes8.0 km680 m ↑90 m ↓1,200 → 1,790 m3 h 30
3Emerald Lakes Oturere Hut4.0 km20 m ↑410 m ↓1,750 → 1,360 m1 h 30
4Oturere Hut Waihohonu Hut8.1 km240 m ↑500 m ↓1,360 → 1,090 m3 h 00
5Waihohonu Hut Whakapapa Village15.4 km380 m ↑350 m ↓1,110 → 1,130 m5 h 00

Totals and averages count the main stages only. ≈ marks our estimates where the source gives no figure: ascent and descent and heights from the terrain model (Copernicus DEM, 30 m grid, sampled every 100 m), to the nearest 10 m.

Terrain

Highest · lowest point
1,869m high1,094m low

Gradient

Steepest climb
30 % (17°), 148 m up over 500 m, stage 2
Steepest descent
−27 % (15°), 137 m down over 500 m, stage 3
Gradient
Height per distance: 20 % is 20 m up per 100 m forward; 100 % is 45°, not 90°
Keep in mind
Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: steps and ladders within them are steeper
GradientAngleFeels like
10 %6°Noticeable on a road
20 %11°A steep path, slow going
30 %17°Very steep, often steps
100 %45°Scrambling

30% ↑−27% ↓

Steep stretches

This trail
2.2 km up, 1.8 km down: the darkest parts of the profile
Steep
15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), in 200 m stretches
Why it matters
Slow going uphill, hard on the knees downhill

4km

Surfaces

  • Natural ground: 73%, 25.9 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.
  • Gravel: 27%, 9.7 km. Gravel, compacted and stony surfaces: mostly forest roads and farm tracks.
  • Paved: 0%, 0.1 km. Asphalt, concrete and cobbles: roads and village streets.

73% natural27% gravel<1% paved
1,200 m1,400 m1,600 m1,800 m1,869 m1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 50 km35.7 km

Terrain along the route

Heights
Copernicus terrain model, 30 m grid, every 100 m along the main route; in forests it reads the treetops
Colours
Each 200 m by its gradient in walking direction: climbs warm, descents violet, darker when steeper (to ±30 %)
Ground
The strip below, from OpenStreetMap; the 46% without a surface tag is read from the way type (footpaths natural, tracks gravel)

Landscape

Forest6%Grassland and shrubs72%Bare rock and sand22%Farmland and villages1%1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 50 km35.7 km

Landscape along the route

Source
ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite map
Points
Every 100 m along the main route; each takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground
Groups
Its eleven classes, folded into the six shown
Keep in mind
What the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there

Sleeping

Wild camping is restricted. Camping only at the campsites by the three huts, booked year-round: "Camping is not allowed within 500 m of this track".

13.7 km without a bedCamping3Huts5Hostels0Rooms11Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 50 km35.7 km

Places to sleep along the route

Ticks
One per place to sleep: 3 campsites, 5 huts, 0 hostels, 1 guest houses
Counted
Within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end (stage towns often lie off the trail); no hotels or day shelters
Shaded
The longest stretch without any, km 21.3–35
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list closed ones, so book or check locally

Water & Supply

Clean water

This trail
35.7 km without clean water, km 0–35.7, stages 1–5
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Within 500 m: 1 taps, fountains and drinking springs, 1 places to sleep with drinking water
Not counted
The 7 places to sleep: DOC's huts have tap water that is not treated; boil it before use. They count as any water
Source
OpenStreetMap; the counts include the approach and variant, the chart shows the main route

35.7kmScarce

Any water

This trail
14.4 km without any water, km 21.3–35.7
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Clean water, plus the 2 springs within 500 m and the places to sleep whose water isn't treated
Keep in mind
Spring water's quality is unknown: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer

14.4kmRegular

Shops

This trail
35.7 km without a shop, km 0–35.7
Counted
1 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol station shops, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
Keep in mind
Small village shops are often missing in OpenStreetMap, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one

35.7km
Water · 14.4 km withoutPublic drinking water · 35.7 km withoutSprings (treat before drinking) · 27.2 km withoutRefills at places to sleep (treat before drinking) · 14.4 km withoutShops · 35.7 km without1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 50 km35.7 km

Water and shops along the route

Ticks
One per place along the main route
Counted
Drinking water and springs within 500 m; refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m; shops within 1 km, or 3 km of a stage's end
Shaded
Each lane's longest stretch without. "Water" counts every kind and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally

Wildlife

Nothing found

No dangerous animals or plants listed

We found no official source on dangerous animals or plants along this trail, so none is listed. That doesn't mean there are none: ask locally before you go.

Only official sources count here; none covered this trail's wildlife when we checked. Tumbleweed: drawn by us.