Mangahuia Campsite

Mangahuia is a simple DOC campsite in beech forest on the western side of Tongariro National Park, well placed for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and the volcanoes of the central plateau. It's a short drive to the shuttle pick-ups and the village amenities at Whakapapa and National Park.

Expect a quiet, bush-fringed spot with basic facilities and cool alpine nights. In winter the plateau turns to a ski destination, so check conditions and road status before you head up.

Mangahuia is one of the closer DOC sites to the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which matters because the shuttle buses leave very early. It is basic — long-drop toilets, stream water to treat, no power — and it sits in beech forest at 800 metres, so it gets genuinely cold at night. Book the shuttle before you arrive; the Crossing is a one-way walk and you cannot leave a vehicle at both ends.