Egmont National Park

Egmont National Park Review

Mt. Taranaki dominates the landscape and is the focal point of Egmont National Park. The mountain rises steeply, 8,320 feet above sea level; it's difficult not to be drawn toward it. The lower reaches are cloaked in dense and mossy rain forests; above the tree line, lower-growing tussocks and subalpine shrubs cling to spectacularly steep slopes. Taranaki is the mountain's Maori name. The English name is Egmont; James Cook named it in 1770 after the Earl of Egmont, who supported his exploration. Both names are officially acceptable today. The mountain and its forest covered lower slopes form Egmont National Park, and as such are protected in perpetuity.

Mt. Taranaki is notorious for its ever-changing weather conditions, and many climbers and hikers are caught with insufficient gear. On a clear day, from even the mountain's lower slopes you can see the three mountains of Tongariro National Park in the central North Island—and sometimes even as far as the South Island.