Last updated November 2026
West of Hastings, the land rises into the Kaweka Range, the dividing spine of a forest park that the Department of Conservation has managed since 1987 and that DOC’s history page puts at about 59,000 hectares.
Kaweka Forest Park mixes open tussock tops and sub-alpine shrubland with red and mountain beech on the range flanks and pockets of podocarp forest in the lower river valleys.
DOC lists rafting, canoeing, hunting, fishing, hot springs and tramping among the things to do, with picnic and camping spots at the road ends. Puketitiri Road heads inland to Whittle Road, which leads to the Kaweka and Lotkow roads. Road ends lie about 50 to 75 km from Hastings in a straight line.
Practical Information
- Location
- Kaweka Range, north-west of Napier; road ends off Whittle Road (via Puketitiri Road), Makahu Road, Kuripapango Road and the Napier-Taihape Road
- Distance from the city
- Road ends are about 50 to 75 km from Hastings in a straight line
- Size
- About 59,000 hectares according to DOC’s history page; DOC’s hunting page gives 68,000 hectares
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation
- Huts
- DOC names Makino, Middle Hill and Komata huts, the historic Iron Whare and Manson Hut, and Robson’s Lodge
- Dogs
- Only certified hunting dogs and other approved dogs listed on DOC’s hunting page; all other dogs are banned
- Fires
- Restricted fire area, with a fire permit needed all year; total fire ban all year at the Kuripapango (Ox Bow) and Mangatutu campsites
- Status
- Department of Conservation: Kaweka Forest Park page
About Kaweka Forest Park
The park was created in 1974, when 52,000 hectares of State Forest was gazetted as a forest park. Another 7,000 hectares were added later. The New Zealand Forest Service ran it until 1987, when the Department of Conservation took over. A plan from 1991 still sets out the park’s management objectives.
The Kaweka Range runs roughly north to south through the middle of the park. DOC describes alpine shrublands, tussock valleys and beech forest, with sub-alpine shrubs, tussock and hardy alpine herbs on the open tops. Red and mountain beech cover the flanks, while the lower river valleys hold pockets of rimu, miro and mataī alongside lacebark, five finger and kōhūhū.
On the eastern faces, fire and introduced animals removed most of the old forest, and regenerating mānuka and kānuka have taken its place. Lower, rolling country to the north and west drains to the Mohaka and Ngaruroro rivers.
Rare and threatened species recorded in the park include North Island brown kiwi, kārearea (New Zealand falcon), kākā, whio (blue duck), the native flowering plant dactylanthus and mistletoe. Visitors may also see or hear yellow-crowned parakeet, whitehead, fernbird, robin, rifleman and tūī, with long-tailed cuckoo arriving in summer. Ten native freshwater fish species have been recorded in the Mohaka River.
Today DOC’s main focus is controlling Pinus contorta, a pine planted to fight erosion that is now spreading and displacing native plants above the bushline. Kiwi chicks raised at the Opouahi Kiwi Crèche, north of Napier, are released into the park to boost wild numbers.
A History of Fire, Sheep and Erosion
Before Europeans arrived, there were Māori settlements on the eastern Kaweka foothills, especially near the head of the Tutaekuri River, which DOC calls “an excellent transport route”. The forests were a food source, there were settlements near the Mangatutu and Mangatainoka hot springs, and tribes came from as far as Taupō to the upper Mohaka River’s renowned eeling grounds.
Large-scale clearance began in the late 1800s, when merino sheep were grazed over the range and huge fires were lit to clear the forest. One shepherd recalled being handed “a box of matches” to burn off as they mustered.
Erosion was rife, farming failed, and by about 1900 most sheep had been taken off the southern range. Much of the land became State Forest, and in 1959 the Forest Service set up an experimental station at Makahu Saddle to work on erosion in the North Island high country, planting mainly Pinus contorta.
Kuripapango, on the old inland route, was a stopping place for packhorse trains and bullock wagons and a holiday retreat with two hotels. Its heyday ended after one hotel burned in 1901 and the Main Trunk railway made the route less important.
The Lumsden family’s 1908 farmhouse there is now Robson’s Lodge, which can be booked. The Iron Whare, a vertical slab tōtara musterer’s hut probably built in the 1870s, and Manson Hut are DOC heritage sites.
Road Ends and Getting In
DOC lists these access points, with distances measured from Napier:
- Whittle Road: 60 km west of Napier off Puketitiri Road, leading to Kaweka and Lotkow roads. Watch for quarry trucks.
- Kaweka Road: 64 km from Napier, for Ferny Ridge, Littles Clearing, the Black Birch Range and Makahu Saddle, which DOC says gives access to Kaweka J.
- Lotkow Road: 64 km from Napier, for Gorge Stream and the Donald River area. River crossings on the road change regularly.
- Makahu Road: 72 km from Napier, for the Te Puia Track, the Mangatutu camping area and Makino and Middle Hill huts.
- Kuripapango Road: to the Lakes car park, for the Kiwi Saddle and Mackintosh areas.
- Comet Road: off the Napier-Taihape Road 7 km west of Kuripapango (83 km from Napier), a 4WD track into the southern park.
DOC recommends 4WD on the access roads. The park is mountainous, with sudden weather changes, whiteouts, high winds on the ranges and fast-rising rivers, so check the NIWA Kaweka J forecast, use Plan My Walk for longer trips and tell someone your plans.
Hunting in the Kaweka
Sika make up more than 90 percent of the deer in the park, according to DOC’s hunting page, with red deer about 10 percent. Sika are popular for their elusiveness, and DOC says hunters do best in the warm months from November to March, when the deer are in their bright summer coats.
DOC knows of no pigs or goats in this part of the park. Hunting permits and hut passes come from DOC offices, and only certified hunting dogs and other approved dogs may come in.
Where to Learn More
Department of Conservation: Kaweka Forest Park: park information, road ends, fire rules, alerts and status. Park information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Department of Conservation: Kaweka Forest Park history and culture: Māori history, the sheep runs, Kuripapango and the high-country erosion research. Park information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Kaweka Forest Park?
On the Kaweka Range north-west of Napier. Its road ends are about 50 to 75 km from Hastings in a straight line, reached mainly via Puketitiri Road and Whittle Road or the Napier-Taihape Road.
How big is the park?
DOC’s history page gives about 59,000 hectares: 52,000 hectares gazetted in 1974 plus about 7,000 added later. DOC’s hunting page gives a different figure, 68,000 hectares.
Who manages the park?
The Department of Conservation, since 1987. The New Zealand Forest Service ran it from 1974, when it was gazetted as a forest park, until then.
Can I light a fire?
Only with a permit, which is needed all year. The Kuripapango (Ox Bow) and Mangatutu campsites have a total fire ban all year.
Can I bring a dog?
Only certified hunting dogs, guide dogs and other dogs DOC approves. All other dogs are banned.
Can I hunt in the park?
Yes, with a DOC permit. Sika are the most common deer, with some red deer.
Do I need a 4WD?
DOC recommends 4WD on the access roads, and river crossings on Lotkow Road change regularly.
Are there huts?
Yes. DOC names several huts, including the historic Iron Whare, a musterer’s hut probably built in the 1870s, and Robson’s Lodge at Kuripapango can be booked.
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