Last updated November 2026
Protesters once occupied platforms in the treetops of Pureora Forest, and their stand helped bring native logging in the forest to an end.
Today Pureora Forest Park straddles the Hauhungaroa and Rangitoto ranges west of Lake Taupō, between Te Kūiti, Taumarunui and the lake, and the Department of Conservation says it protects the last remnants of the podocarp forests that once covered most of the central North Island.
A 12 m Forest Tower now stands near where the protesters perched, giving a view into the canopy. Walking and mountain biking tracks, the Timber Trail, old logging tramways and the unmodified Ongarue Spiral are all part of a visit.
The park’s eastern road ends, off State Highway 32, are about 39 to 42 km from Taupō in a straight line.
Practical Information
- Location
- Hauhungaroa and Rangitoto ranges, west of Lake Taupō and east of Te Kūiti
- Distance from the city
- The eastern side, reached from State Highway 32, is about 39 to 42 km from Taupō in a straight line
- Walking times
- From 10 minutes (Bismarck Road car park to the Forest Tower) to about 3 hours one way (Waihāhā Hut Track)
- Facilities
- Forest Tower; Waihāhā Hut with a small camping area; Piropiro Campsite; Pā Harakeke at Pureora sells a small range of goods; no petrol at Pureora
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation (Te Kūiti Office)
- Status
- Department of Conservation: Pureora Forest Park page
- Track markers
- On marked bush tracks, DOC and most councils use orange triangles for the walking route. Triangles or tape in other colours, usually pink or blue, mark pest-control lines and traps. They can lead off the track, so don’t follow them.
About Pureora Forest Park
The forest is the reason the park exists. DOC describes it as the last remnant of the extensive native podocarp forests of the central North Island, and its history page shows an ancient tōtara with a protester’s platform still in the branches.
On the Waihāhā side, the track from State Highway 32 passes through shrubland into dense podocarp forest along the Waihāhā River.
The best-known way to see that forest from above is the Forest Tower, a 12 m structure about 10 minutes’ walk from the Bismarck Road car park. DOC recommends it for watching kūkū (kererū), kākāriki and kākā at canopy level.
DOC notes that the park’s walking and mountain biking tracks vary in difficulty and need experience. There is no petrol at Pureora, so DOC suggests filling up at Benneydale, about 15 minutes west on State Highway 30, or Mangakino, about 20 minutes east. Pā Harakeke sells a small range of goods and opens every day in summer and on weekdays in winter.
Logging, Tramways and the Treetop Protest
DOC’s history of the park starts with the timber trade. In 1946, Pureora was one of the last native forests to be opened up for logging.
Steam log haulers dragged logs to the mill until the late 1940s, and in the 1950s a two-tonne Caterpillar tractor hauled split tōtara posts and battens out of the bush until it broke down and was left where it stopped. The mill village still has a range of workers’ houses dating from 1947.
The bush tramways that carried the timber are a big part of the park’s heritage. DOC says much of the Ongarue tramway system survives unmodified and is nationally significant for its role in the timber industry, and the Ongarue Spiral is still in its original form. The Timber Trail cycleway between Pureora and Ongarue follows old tramways, bulldozer tracks and haul roads.
In 1978 protesters occupied platforms in the treetops near the present Forest Tower. DOC says their action led to a government moratorium on logging and, in the end, to the end of native forest logging in the park.
Science has a place in the story too: Bog Inn Hut was built in 1960 to house researchers studying “The Bog”, a nearby mountain mire. DOC’s Te Kūiti Office sells copies of The Drama of Conservation, a history of the park.
Getting There and Main Areas
DOC lists three main approaches:
- From State Highway 30: Maraeroa or Barryville roads lead to Pureora Village, and Waitaramoa Road reaches the northern block.
- From State Highway 32 (the Taupō side): Arataki, Kākaho or Waihora roads reach the eastern side of the park. The Waihāhā Hut Track starts at the Great Lake Trail car park on Western Bay Road, south of the Waihāhā Road turnoff, and DOC allows about 3 hours one way to Waihāhā Hut, which sits in a clearing above the river where the track meets the Hauhungaroa Track.
- From State Highway 4: Ongarue or Waimiha lead to the south-western side.
Other walks and tramps in the park include the Rimu Walk, the Waihora Lagoon walk, the Waipapa Loop and the climb to Mount Pureora.
DOC advises carrying food, water, warm clothing and a raincoat because the weather changes quickly, checking NIWA’s Mount Pureora forecast, and getting topographic maps from the local DOC office for tramping or hunting trips.
Where to Learn More
Department of Conservation: Pureora Forest Park: park information, access roads and status. Park information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Department of Conservation: History of Pureora Forest Park: logging, the Ongarue tramway, the mill village and the 1978 treetop protest.
Department of Conservation: Waihāhā Hut Track: the track from State Highway 32 to Waihāhā Hut on the Taupō side of the park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pureora Forest Park?
On the Hauhungaroa and Rangitoto ranges west of Lake Taupō and east of Te Kūiti. Its eastern side, off State Highway 32, is about 39 to 42 km from Taupō in a straight line.
What is the Forest Tower?
A 12 m tower about 10 minutes’ walk from the Bismarck Road car park, with views into the forest canopy. DOC suggests it for watching kererū, kākāriki and kākā.
What happened at Pureora in 1978?
In 1978 protesters occupied treetop platforms near the present Forest Tower. Their protest led to a logging moratorium and eventually the end of native forest logging in the park.
Is there a hut on the Taupō side?
Yes. Waihāhā Hut is about 3 hours one way from the Great Lake Trail car park on State Highway 32, with a small camping area beside it.
Can I buy petrol at Pureora?
No. DOC says the nearest fuel is at Benneydale or Mangakino.
What is the Ongarue Spiral?
Part of the historic Ongarue tramway system that carried timber out of the forest. DOC says the Spiral survives unmodified.
Who manages the park?
The Department of Conservation, through its Te Kūiti Office.
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