TARANAKI: NEW PLYMOUTH

Lake Mangamahoe has a small parking area with an absolutely stunning view over the lake to Mt Taranaki. It's down 1.2 km of gravel driveway off the main highway between New Plymouth and Inglewood.

On a clear day, this is a picture-perfect location, as you can see in the pictures. We're told that it is a favourite spot for wedding pictures, and we can understand why.

We visited with our good friends, who live locally. They weren't sure if we would be allowed to stay overnight in our self-contained motorhome, so I called the New Plymouth i-Site, who confirmed that freedom camping in certified self-contained motorhomes was allowed for up to 4 nights. 

28 Dec 2021:

We've just been advised by the council that this location is no longer available for freedom camping. It's still a nice location to have a quiet break or picnic.

The entrance gate is locked overnight, so you won't be able to leave until they are opened again in the morning.

The parking area is not large, or very level, so you might need to use wheel chocks to get level. But otherwise, this is a really choice location to enjoy.

The reserve and parking area

Stunning view of Mt Taranaki over Lake Mangamahoe