These 7 best Egmont National Park day walks include the famed Pouakai Crossing. They are a great way to get the full Taranaki experience.
I have spent a lot of time exploring the trails around Mt. Taranaki since it is the closest mountain to where I live. There are some epic multi-day walks, but a lot of the fantastic features of the area can be experienced on these day walks. A couple of benefits of doing day walks as opposed to overnight walks is that you don’t to carry too much and at the end of the day you get a shower, meal, and sleep in a bed.
Notes On these Day Walks
You will probably notice that several of these are in the Pouakai Range. I really enjoy the trails in that area because from the tops you can see the entire cone of Mt. Taranaki and the tops are covered in tussock that make for fun exploring. The highlight for most of these is the area above tree line due to the supreme views. I do enjoy walking in the bush and there are some good trails with native bush that I haven’t included here such as the Ram/Ngatoro walk or Curtis Falls. There are some epic multi-day walks in Egmont National Park that I’m also not listing here, but area must do’s.
7 Best Egmont National Park Day Walks
Pouakai Tarns
The Pouakai tarns walk is one of the iconic walks in the area. The track heads up through native bush along a well made boardwalk and stairs for about an hour and a half before topping out on the Pouakai Range and then traversing and dropping to the tarns. This is the photo you’ve seen countless times.
Pouakai Crossing
The crossing is a 19 km walk, beginning at the North Egmont Visitor Centre, climbing up above the bush on the main cone and then traversing around the mountain towards the Pouakai Range. It crosses the ahukawakawa swamp, a side trail to the tarns, and then drops down to the trailhead. Really cool walk, but does require a car shuttle or advanced planning for a ride.
Mt. Taranaki Summit
For peak baggers, this is your day walk. Please be advised that in good weather in summer the summit can be reached and returned from in like 5 hours for fit, experienced people. But, on average it takes closer to 8 hours. Heed the warning signs, pay attention to the weather and be prepared. The views are insane, especially if you see a sunrise from the top.
Fanthams Peak
This is an alternative to the main summit, but is no easy hike. The start is in the forest at Dawson Falls Visitor Centre, but then the last bit climbs up the steep scoria to the flattish top of Fanthams Peak. There is a hut at the top, Syme Hut.
Lake Dive Loop
This is another fun day walk from the Dawson Falls area. This loops encompasses forest on the lower track to the lake and then climbs up above the bush to traverse around the tussock slopes on the upper track. For fit people, this can be combined with Fanthams Peak for a really sweet day.
Translator Tower Loop
This is probably one of the shorter day walks, but still somewhat challenging. This loop starts from the North Egmont Visitor centre, climbs up from the bush above treelike, traverses the tussock slopes towards the translator tower and Taranaki Alpine Club Tahurangi lodge. Then it drops down the puffer back to the trailhead. This is a great walk if you have limited time as it takes about 3-4 hours.
Pouakai Summit Via Dover Road
For those looking for a bit harder climb, the highest point in the Pouakai range can be accessed directly up a trail off of Dover Road. The trail is hard to find the start of and is quite steep as it goes up, up, and up. Once it pops out of the bush the views are awesome as it follows a narrow ridge up to the summit and the views all around, out to the sea and Mt. Taranaki itself.