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Whakapapa Ski Resort Guide

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Whakapapa Resort Guide

The Whakapapa resort summary is: Whakapapa has 15 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.

Video by:Mt Ruapehu

Whakapapa Resort Guide

The Whakapapa resort summary is: Whakapapa has 15 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:

Beginners level skier
Beginners/
Intermediates

Trails:

30
30%
45%
25%

Hectares of Ski:

445
Snowmaking: 10%

Whakapapa Lifts:

  • drag lift icon7
  • ski lift icon7
  • cablecar icon1
Total lifts = 15
Live in resort, and can update this information? Become a resort manager
Whakapapa Resort GuidePhoto credit: Sarah Milicich

Visiting Whakapapa

Helpful resort information to assist planning your trip to Whakapapa.

  • Season opens
    3 Jun 2022
  • Season closes
    24 Oct 2022
  • Accommodation
    —
  • 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.

    Whakapapa Live Weather

    ResortSnow DepthTemp. (°C)Wind (km/h)Weather
    Top Lift: 0.7 m
    1
    25
    		part cloud
    Middle Lift: 
    3
    25
    		rain showers
    Bottom Lift: 0.11 m
    4
    25
    		rain showers

    When's the snowiest month to visit Whakapapa?

    AugustAverage: 3.6 snow days per week
    The snowiest week in Whakapapa is week 1 of August. There are typically 3.6 snowy days during this week with 32 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
      Spring snow
    • Off-piste Condition
      —
    Whakapapa snow depths: updated 28 September 2022
    Upper snow depth:
    		70 cm
    Lower snow depth:
    		11 cm

    Visitor Reviews of Whakapapa

    Overall: 3.3 Based on 40 votes and 54 reviews

    • Snowsure 3.1
    • Variety of pistes 3.9
    • Off-piste 4.1
    • Scenery 4.2
    • Apres-Ski 2.6
    • Vote

    April from New Zealand writes:

    Ruapehu is a volcano which means it has wicked terrain, Whakapapa on the south side is awesome.

    There is loads of off-trail terrain to explore with plenty of fun and interesting on-trail runs.

    It is also a great spot for learning. Happy Valley on the lower mountain is great for doing so and there's sometimes a slightly more advanced beginner area on the upper mountain near the top cafe. They also sometimes have a park set up next to a T-bar.

    It is a tricky maunga (mountain) to plan for as the weather can change at any time. It's best to stay in the area for a week or plan trips last minute (literally the night before) to score epic days.

    Read 54 more reviews of Whakapapa or submit your own

    Resorts close to Whakapapa

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