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Whakapapa Ski Resort Guide

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Whakapapa Resort Guide

The Whakapapa resort guide summary is: Whakapapa has 14 lifts within its 445 Hectares of terrain that is suitable for all levels, including terrain park enthusiasts. Find location, trail maps and piste maps covering the mountains 675m of vertical range and surrounding area. There are 30 trail at Whakapapa.

Photo credit: Sarah MilicichWhakapapa Resort Guide

Whakapapa Resort Guide

The Whakapapa resort guide summary is: Whakapapa has 14 lifts within its 445 Hectares of terrain that is suitable for all levels, including terrain park enthusiasts. Find location, trail maps and piste maps covering the mountains 675m of vertical range and surrounding area. There are 30 trail at Whakapapa.

Vertical:

Top: 2300m
Arrow
675m
Bot: 1625m

Best for:

Beginner level skier
Beginners/
Intermediates

Trails:

30
30%
45%
25%

Hectares of Ski:

445
Snowmaking: 10%

Whakapapa Lifts:

  • drag lift icon7
  • ski lift icon7
  • cablecar icon—
Total lifts = 14
Live in resort, and can update this information? Become a resort manager
Photo credit: Jenny Muir

Visiting Whakapapa

Helpful resort information to assist planning your trip to Whakapapa.

  • Season opens
    20 Jun 2020
  • Season closes
    26 Oct 2020
  • Accommodation
    Available (2)
  • Restaurants | Bars
    4 | —
  • Nearest Airport
    Taupo
  • Nearest Train Station
    National Park Village
  • Tourist Office Website
    https://www.mtruapehu.com/whakapapa
  • Tourist Office Phone
    +6478924000

Whakapapa Features

The terrain at Whakapapa includes:

  • Halfpipes
    1
  • Terrain Parks
    2
  • X-Country
    —
  • Ski Hire
    —

What's it like at Whakapapa resort?

Whakapapa (New Zealand's largest ski area since joining with Turoa Ski Resort) is part of Tongariro National Park, New Zealand's oldest National Park and a World Heritage area. Whakapapa is operated under a license issued by the Department of Conservation and is owned and run by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Ltd. There are 43 trails at Whakapapa with terrain for all ability levels, including off-piste expert terrain. The ski area can be broken into three: Happy Valley (a self contained beginners area), the east side (where the majority of lifts and services are located) and the west side (highlighted by the lift accessed back-country terrain). The nearest airport to Whakapapa is in Wellington.

Piste Map

Latest photos from Whakapapa. View all photos at the Whakapapa gallery page.

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    Explore Whakapapa Location Map

    Interactive Whakapapa trail map and piste map. View the piste and trails as well as the surrounding terrain and mountain contours for backcountry action. Find and compare nearby resorts by clicking on the resort markers.

    When's the snowiest month to visit Whakapapa?

    AugustAverage: 3.5 snow days per week
    The snowiest week in Whakapapa is week 1 of August. There are typically 3.5 snowy days during this week with 31 cm of snowfall. Check out the Whakapapa Snow History graphs below.

    What's the snow currently like in Whakapapa?

    A summary of the current snow conditions in Whakapapa. View more information on the Whakapapa detailed snow report page.

    Last 7 Days Snow Accumulation
    • Piste Condition:
      —
    • Off-piste Condition:
      —
    Whakapapa snow depths:
    Mountain
    Upper snow depth:Snow RadarTell us
    Lower snow depth:

    Visitor Reviews of Whakapapa

    Overall: 3.3 Based on 36 votes and 53 reviews

    • Snowsure 3.1
    • Variety of pistes 4.0
    • Off-piste 4.1
    • Scenery 4.2
    • Apres-Ski 2.8
    • Vote

    Malman from New Zealand writes:

    A great mt when weather gods play well with excellent terrain. Challenging mountain, challenging to get lifts going. 2019 has seen storms lasting nearly three weeks in August; from a base of a 1 meter to now 2.5m. Tragically, after a week no progress with getting a large area of mt open. At west T-bar and chair end result = extreme crowding. Meanwhile, over at Turoa main lift is yet to open for another year- six seater express. Pretty disappointing if you were a season pass holder. Pick your days very carefully if going, it can be good if it all lines up!

    Read 52 more reviews of Whakapapa or submit your own

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    Discover ski resorts near Whakapapa. Click below to view there ski resort guides.