Taranaki Falls, on the lower track, is a 20-metre waterfall that drops over a large andesite lava flow erupted from Ruapehu about 15,000 years ago. The loop walk sits in Tongariro National Park and starts from Whakapapa Village on SH48, 100 metres below the Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre on Ngauruhoe Place. The lower track is the more sheltered option on windy days. It runs through tussock and alpine shrubland, then into beech forest, where whiteheads, grey warblers and rifleman are commonly seen. It descends to the Wairere Stream and climbs beside it past Cascade Falls.
Beyond the falls, a flight of 100 steps climbs into a forest of mountain toatoa before joining the Tama Lakes Track. The return passes red tussock and eroded gullies, with layers of pumice and ash from earlier eruptions, and views of Ngauruhoe's symmetrical cone on a clear day. The track is part of the Te Araroa Trail. Dogs are not allowed, and other pets follow conservation land rules. Our pick in Whakapapa Village for a walk with mountain views.