About Taranaki

Mount Taranaki / Mount Egmont sits in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island.

Mount Taranaki is New Zealand's most perfectly formed volcano. It is around 120,000 years old and last erupted in 1775 and volcanologists agree that the mountain is 'dormant' rather than extinct. Often described as ‘New Zealand’s most climbed mountain’, Mt Taranaki provides non-mountaineers with an achievable summit challenge.

At lower altitudes you'll walk through tall rimu and kamahi trees; higher up the volcano, sub-alpine shrubs and herb fields are found above the snow line. Lush rainforests can be found on the mountain’s slopes and are a result of the area’s high rainfall and mild coastal climate.

Although the mountain is more commonly referred to as Taranaki, it has two official names under the alternative names policy. 

The 2518-metre mountain has a secondary cone, Panitahi Peak at 1,966 metres on its south side.