Egmont National Park
Loneliest and loveliest of North Island's peaks, Mount Egmont was sighted and named by Captain James Cook in 1770. An almost perfect cone, it dominates the Taranaki Peninsula. Egmont National Park encompasses the mountaintop and its densely wooded slopes, popular with climbers and hikers in summer and with skiers in
winter. Mountain guest houses offer simple but cozy family style accommodations for visitors.
| Learn about the park and its activities at the excellent North Egmont Visitor Centre, near Egmont Village, open daily from 9 A.M. to 5 P.m.
More park exhibits are located in the Dawson Falls Display Centre on the southeast slope. You can also get park information from the Public Relations offices in New Plymouth and Hawera, or by contacting the park's chief ranger.
Mount Egmont's tranquil appearance masks a dormant volcano that last erupted over 200 years ago. Great variations in rainfall and altitude, coupled with the mountain's isolation from other high peaks, have endowed it with an unusually varied flora, including a number of plants unique to Egmont.
Nature walks and picnic areas are located near facility areas at North Egmont, East Egmont, and Dawson Falls. In good weather, the climb to the summit isn't difficult, but weather conditions can change rapidly. In summer, you can join a guided excursion. On clear days, hikers gaze inland to the peaks of Tongariro National Park and over undulating dairy lands to the sea.
To reach the park, take Highway 3 southeast from New Plymouth toward Hawera. Roads penetrate the park from Egmont Village in the north, from Stratford in the east, and from Kaponga in the southeast.
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