Lake Mangamahoe is a man-made dam and lake, created in 1932, which acts as a water catchment area for New Plymouth. Water from the nearby stream and the Waiwhakaiho River feeds the lake through a 548m pipe. To protect the steep hillside from eroding, development planting was undertaken, and shelterbelts were planted to protect the pine trees growing in what is now the Mangamahoe Forest.

There is a circuit walk that is enjoyable for all ages and abilities, but some of the routes veering off the circuit have steep undulating sections that require a reasonable standard of fitness.

On the eastern side of the lake, the circuit walk splits into two routes:

• The upper ridge takes you over a forest access road used for logging operations. As this road is up high on a ridge above the lake it provides some remarkable vantage points of Taranaki Maunga/Mount Taranaki and surrounding farmland.
• The lower lakeside route takes you on an ambling walk close to the lake edge. Lakeside vegetation and regenerating pockets of native bush provide a cooling atmosphere and a home to many manu/birds. The northern section is a popular area for mountain bikers, so caution is advised on these tracks.

Adjacent to the lake are dedicated areas for horse riding and mountain biking.

For further information contact New Plymouth, Stratford or South Taranaki i-SITE Visitor Centre, or view the downloadable brochures from our website.