Track to Dawson Falls
Alerts
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Forecast point: North Taranaki VC (960m) · 5.9km away
Check the DOC website for current alerts and conditions before you go. This site gets current alert info from DOC, but is not an official source of information.
Walk to the lookout point or the base of Dawson Falls in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki.
Elevation
Cover mapped summer 2023/24.
Description
Descend the short stepped track to join Kapuni Loop Track and turn right to continue on either to the base of the 18 metre falls or the lookout point.
The falls was named after Thomas Dawson, the first European to discover this 18 m high waterfall in 1885.
To Māori they are known as Te Rere o Noke or the Falls of Noke, a Māori warrior who hid from his pursuers behind the falls.
Getting there
- Starting in Stratford, turn off State Highway 23 into Celia Street, which becomes Opunake Road.
- Follow this for 14 km, then turn right into Manaia Road.
- Continue on this road for 9 km up the mountain to Dawson Falls Visitor Centre.
Know before you go
Be ready for changeable weather
Taranaki Maunga has changeable and unpredictable weather. Check the forecast and carry enough clothing and equipment to ensure you are able to cope with any type of weather, at any time of the year.
Snow, high rainfall and storm damage can make tracks impassable.
Weather
Forecast at the start of the track