The 17 km Ohakune Mountain Road provides year-round access to the southwest side of Ruapehu from the town of Ohakune, the carrot capital of NZ! It terminates at the Turoa Ski Field car park, which is also one of the optional start points for the Mountain to Sea Cycle Track.
The start of the road is dominated by mature rainforest, with many big trees, including rimu, mataī and kahikatea, reaching 30+ metres. You will also see kāmahi, broadleaf and five fingers, tree ferns and tōī (mountain cabbage trees) along the road's edge.
The road then gradually climbs 1,000 metres. As it does so, the forest becomes dominated by beech trees, which eventually give way to more open views across the volcanic mountain, with a range of shrubs and other plants around the snow line. In places, they aggregate together to make for a stunning natural garden amongst the otherwise rocky Makotuku Flat, just below the final climb to the car park. Keep an eye out for the two big red rocks as a marker of where to stop.
Several walks are easily accessed and clearly signposted from the side of the road. These include Waitonga Falls and Mangawhero Falls.
