Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site of mixed cultural and natural values. It was the sixth national park established in the world. The active volcanic mountains Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro are located in the centre of the park.
There are a number of Māori religious sites within the park, and many of the park’s summits, including Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu, are tapu, or sacred. The Tongariro National Park is home to the famed Tongariro Alpine Crossing, widely regarded as one of the world’s best one-day hikes.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing in Tongariro National Park is a tramping track in New Zealand, and is among the most popular day hikes in the country. The crossing passes over the volcanic terrain of the multi-cratered active volcano Mount Tongariro, passing the eastern base of Mount Ngauruhoe. The full distance of the track is 19.4-kilometre.