Manson is one of our 75 Top Trampers’ Peaks. View all peaks in the list.

Manson, the king of the western Kāweka, sits at a chiefly 1448m above sea level and has a commanding view over the rest of Manson Country and the highlands beyond. The scarred peak bears the marks of a legacy of ill-fated farming failures, fires and introduced foragers, such as deer and rabbits. A visit to the remote summit of Manson is a must-do for the intrepid multi-day tramper. 

As you might expect from that introduction, the approach to Manson is not quick. The most common routes all cross the main Kāweka Range and winding Ngaruroro River before the climb to Manson even begins. 

One such route starts at Lakes car park, a 90-minute drive from Napier. From the car park climb steeply toward Kuripapango (1250m) before following the Smith Russell Track north-west along the ridgeline to Kiwi Saddle Hut. 

From here, head west along the track, gradually descending through beech forest. After about 1.2km you will come to a junction. Take the track to your right, which turns north and drops steeply to Kiwi Creek. Follow the creek downstream along rocky banks, crossing from bank to bank as necessary until picking up the marked track near Kiwi Mouth Hut. Note there is a marked track to the hut that goes over Pt1238, but dropping into the creek avoids the extra elevation gain.

Kiwi Mouth Hut is an ideal overnighting spot before the final push to the summit. 

The route from the hut to Manson follows Ngaruroro River for several hundred metres to a swingbridge. Cross the river and start climbing the steep track towards Manson Country, through dense thickets of mānuka. 

Over the next three hours the trail climbs 700m, passing Pt1045 and Pt1311 before reaching the short side track to the current Manson Hut (the original split beech and tōtara hut is about 400m further down the hill). From the turnoff, climb along the undulating ridgeline to reach the large summit rocks atop Manson. 

From here, tracks head west towards Otutu Hut and north towards Spion Kop and Rocks Ahead Hut. The latter track can be used to turn the trip into a multi-day loop back to Lakes car park via Back Ridge or Kāweka J.