Tongariro National Park, New Zealand’s first national park, covers approximately 495 square miles and contains three active volcanoes. The park is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including bats, birds, ferns, beech trees, and heather. Popular activities include hiking, skiing, rafting, and camping.
Tongariro National Park is a national park located on the North Island of New Zealand. It was donated to the New Zealand government by indigenous Maori peoples in the late 19th century, making it New Zealand’s first national park. The park covers a large area and contains three active volcanoes. The fauna and flora commonly found in the park include bats, birds, ferns, beech trees and heather. Popular park activities include hiking, skiing, rafting, and camping.
Located in the central part of the North Island, New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park occupies an area of approximately 495 square miles (796 square kilometers). It was founded when a Maori chief granted a portion of land approximately 16 square miles (26 square kilometers) to the national government in 1887 on the condition that its natural state be preserved. The government agreed to this plan and, since the park’s founding, has protected its natural features and expanded it through the purchase of surrounding land.
Perhaps the most famous features of Tongariro National Park are its three volcanoes, named Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Mount Ruapehu. At about 9,176 feet (2,797 meters), Ruapehu Peak marks the highest point on the island. Each of these volcanoes is active, with Ngauruhoe erupting every nine years. Several areas of the volcanoes feature glaciers, snow, ice, and lakes, leading many to consider them extremely scenic.
Among the animals commonly found in Tongariro National Park are bats and a diverse range of birds, including rare species such as kiwi and blue ducks. Due to its different heights, the park encompasses different types of climates. Therefore, it is home to a wide variety of plants. Particularly common plants include ferns, heathers and beech trees.
Each year, Tongariro National Park hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors from New Zealand and overseas. Two of the most popular activities in the park include skiing Mount Ruapehu and hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a scenic 12-kilometer trail linking Tongariro and Ngauruhoe Mountains. Another popular activity is rafting in the Tongariro River. Many tourists choose to stay in Tongariro during their visit, camping in tents at designated campsites, renting a rustic hiker’s cabin, or booking a room at one of the many lodges found throughout the park.
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