For easily accessible views of Ruapehu, you can’t beat a trip to the summit of Urchin in the Kaimanawa Forest Park.

The well-defined track leads up through beech forest before entering the sub-alpine zone and the barren tops.

A weathered trig station marks the 1392m summit. Urchin can also be used as a starting point for a multi-day trip up the nearby Waipakihi River.