Silica Rapids

Time: 2.5 hr return
Distance: 7 km return via Bruce Road

Begins 250 metres above Whakapapa Visitor Centre.

Through mountain beech forest, the track travels alongside a cascading stream, arriving at the creamy-white terraces of Silica Rapids. Subalpine plants, amid a mixture of swamp and tussock country, feature around the track as it returns to the Bruce Road 2.5 kilometres above the starting point. This highly varied walk reveals a range of vegetation types and also has spectacular views of Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe on a clear day.