Mount Tongariro, Compound volcano in Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

Mount Tongariro is a volcano made up of several cones in Ruapehu District and Taupō District, New Zealand, reaching an elevation of 1,978 meters (6,490 feet). Its slopes display red and black rocks, steaming fumaroles, and several crater lakes with turquoise and emerald water.

The volcano formed around 275,000 years ago through repeated eruptions that built layers of lava and ash. The most recent significant eruptions occurred at the Te Māri Craters in 2012, throwing rock over large distances.

The mountain's name comes from the Māori language. In 1887 Te Heuheu Tukino IV, paramount chief of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, gave the peaks of Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe and Ruapehu to the nation so that the land would be protected; the park is a dual World Heritage Site for its natural and cultural values. The summits are sacred to local iwi, and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing passes between Tongariro and Ngāuruhoe.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing runs between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, and the massif has no glaciers today, so snow lies mainly in south-facing gullies. Between March and October, rain can freeze into verglas on the rock. In mid to late summer the slopes are largely bare apart from remnant snow patches.

The crater lakes hold mineral-rich water heated by volcanic activity, creating unusual colors. Native birds such as the kea and pipit inhabit the barren high slopes despite the harsh conditions.