Last updated November 2026
This list gathers eight short walks around Taupō where the whole outing, round a loop or there and back, takes about an hour or less. They run from Huka Falls and Craters of the Moon just north of town to Opepe on the Napier Taupō Road, Pureora Forest Park in the west and Tongariro National Park in the south.
They suit a spare hour or a break on a longer drive. Expect a roaring waterfall, a steaming geothermal valley, podocarp forest full of birdsong, a forest lagoon, a lake beach and a waterfall spilling over an old lava flow.
How We Chose These Walks
Every time comes from the walk’s manager: the Department of Conservation (DOC) on its own track pages and, for Craters of the Moon, the Craters of the Moon Trust’s website. We also looked at Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa’s national tracks data.
A walk made the list only when the whole walk, a loop or there and back, takes about an hour or less by the manager’s time. Where a manager gives a one-way time, we double it and say so. Conditions change, so check the manager’s page before you go.
North of Taupō
Huka Falls Lookout Walk
DOC gives this walk as 167 m one way and 10 minutes, so allow about 10 minutes each way. From the Huka Falls car park, cross the bridge over the falls and turn left to several lookout points; DOC rates the walk wheelchair accessible. Here the Waikato River is forced through a channel of hard rock only 15 m wide and 10 m deep, and DOC says the falls’ height varies from 7 to 9.5 m with power demand.
Huka Falls is a five-minute drive north of Taupō, off State Highway 1 on Huka Falls Road. The car park is locked from 5:30 pm to 8:30 am, with a $30 release fee outside those hours. Dogs are allowed under control.
Craters of the Moon Main Walkway
The Craters of the Moon Trust charges entry to this geothermal walk past steaming fumaroles and craters, the largest 40 m across. It gives the Main walkway as a “40 minute loop walk” of easy grade on fine gravel and boardwalk, though its home page headline says 45 minutes. The Upper walkway adds 20 minutes and numerous steps to a lookout.
Buy tickets at the kiosk or online; Taupō locals pay half price with proof of address. It opens 9:30 am to 5 pm, last entry 4 pm, closed Christmas Day. From the Taupō i-SITE, go 5.5 km north on Wairakei Drive, then 1.7 km along Karapiti Road to the car park. No dogs.
East of Taupō
Opepe Northern Walking Track
DOC gives the Northern walking track in Opepe Scenic and Historic Reserve as a 1.5 km loop of 30 to 45 minutes, graded an Easy short walk.
Follow the Napier Taupō Road (State Highway 5) 17 km from Taupō; the highway cuts through the reserve, with car parks on both sides. This loop is on the northern side, through mature podocarp forest, unusual here after the Taupō eruption, fires and logging, and good for birdwatching.
Near the car park, a side track to the right leads to the cemetery where nine soldiers from the 1869 New Zealand Land Wars engagement with Te Kooti’s warriors were buried. Dogs are allowed under control.
Pureora Forest Park
Waipapa Loop Track
DOC gives this loop in the Waipapa ecological area as 2.3 km and 30 minutes, but suggests allowing an hour to take in the area and listen for birds. It winds through tall podocarp forest, with numbered posts at points of interest and a view across the valley about halfway round.
DOC grades it an Advanced tramping track but says it suits most ages and fitness levels; it is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
Start at the end of Gully Road, behind Pureora Forest Park Lodge: west of Barryville, turn off State Highway 30 onto Waitaramoa Road, then into Gully Road. Allow 10 minutes more if the Gully Road gate is locked. No dogs.
Waihora Lagoon Walk
A well-formed track, with a boardwalk snaking through the trees, leads to a viewing platform beside Waihora Lagoon, a shallow ephemeral wetland ringed by swamp forest. DOC calls it one of the most beautiful spots in Pureora Forest Park, with tall rimu and kahikatea reflected in the water, though the lagoon can dry out in summer.
DOC gives 730 m return via the same track and 15 minutes, graded Easy to intermediate. From State Highway 32, turn onto the signposted Waihora Road and follow the gravel for about 7 km to the Waihora Lagoon car park. DOC warns that this road is in disrepair and only recommended for 4WD vehicles. No dogs.
Rimu Walk
DOC’s Rimu Walk is a 1.7 km loop of 1 hour from Kakaho Campsite, graded Easy to intermediate. It follows the Kakaho Stream through dense rimu forest, crossing bridges among tall trees with abundant birdlife, then climbs to a viewpoint over the forest and Mount Pureora.
Coming down, the track emerges further along Kakaho Road, not far from the campsite. The campsite is at the end of Kakaho Road, off State Highway 32 (Tihoi Road). DOC puts it 43 km from Taupō via Poihipi Road and Marotiri Road, or 26 km from Pureora Village via Barryville Road and Link Road. No dogs.
Tongariro National Park
Tawhai Falls Track
DOC gives 800 m return via the same track and 15 minutes for this Easy short walk. The track leads down to a viewing point near the top of Tawhai Falls, where the river tumbles over the edge of an ancient lava flow.
More steps continue to the river’s edge, but the river is fast-flowing, the rocks can be slippery, and DOC asks you to supervise children at all times. Stay away when the river floods in wet weather.
The car park is on State Highway 48, about 4 km from the Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre. DOC suggests coming early or late, and not parking on the highway. No dogs.
Ten Minute Beach, Rotopounamu
The full Rotopounamu Track circles the lake in 5 km and 2 hours, but DOC names a shorter option: from the road, take the track up to the junction and turn left for Ten Minute Beach, a summer picnic and swimming spot, about 20 minutes each way timed from the road.
Rotopounamu fills a crater on the western side of Mount Pihanga, among podocarp, broadleaved and beech forest; DOC grades the track Easy to intermediate.
The signposted parking area is on the south side of Te Ponanga Saddle, off State Highway 47, 11 km from Tūrangi. The track begins opposite, and DOC asks you to take care crossing the busy road. No dogs.
Where to Learn More
Department of Conservation: Taupō area: DOC’s track pages and alerts for Huka Falls, Opepe and other walks around Taupō.
Department of Conservation: Pureora Forest Park: DOC’s park page, with the main road access points and links to the park’s walks and campsites.
Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa: the Outdoor Access Commission: national maps and guidance on public access to walking tracks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a short walk here?
The whole outing, round a loop or there and back, takes about an hour or less by the manager’s time. The Rimu Walk is the longest at 1 hour. Where the manager gives a one-way time, as at Huka Falls and Ten Minute Beach, we doubled it.
Which are the shortest walks?
Waihora Lagoon and Tawhai Falls, each 15 minutes return by DOC’s time, then the Huka Falls Lookout Walk at about 10 minutes each way. At 167 m each way, Huka Falls is the shortest by distance.
Which walks are closest to Taupō?
Huka Falls, a five-minute drive north of Taupō by DOC’s reckoning, and Craters of the Moon, 5.5 km north of the Taupō i-SITE on Wairakei Drive and then 1.7 km along Karapiti Road. Opepe is 17 km from Taupō on State Highway 5.
Can I take my dog?
Only on the Huka Falls Lookout Walk and at Opepe, where DOC allows dogs under control. Dogs are not allowed on the other six walks, including Craters of the Moon.
Are any of these walks suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs?
DOC rates the Huka Falls Lookout Walk wheelchair accessible. At Craters of the Moon, the trust permits wheelchairs but says some areas are harder to navigate and recommends a person to assist on the gravel sections; pushchairs are fine on the lower, mostly flat loop but not recommended for the steeper lookout track. DOC says the Waipapa Loop Track is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
Do any of these walks cost money?
Craters of the Moon charges entry, with half price for Taupō locals who show proof of address. DOC locks the Huka Falls car park overnight from 5:30 pm to 8:30 am, and a $30 release fee applies outside those hours.
Why isn’t the walk from Spa Park to Huka Falls on the list?
DOC gives the Spa Park to Huka Falls Walk as 3 km one way and 1 hr 30 min, well over an hour there and back. It is for walkers only; DOC sends mountain bikers along the Rotary Ride.
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