Cnr Kent Road & Junction Road (SH3), New Plymouth Central (06) 759 6060
www.newplymouthnz.com/OurDistrict/Attractions/Walkways/LakeMangamahoe.htm
Lake Mangamahoe is a 262ha commercial production forest and scenic park located 10 minutes drive south of New Plymouth. Maintained by the district council, the man made lake was created in 1931 by forming a dam across the valley. It now serves as the town’s water supply and is used for power generation.
With public access to the lake restricted prior to 1990, today it is popular for leisure use. With picnic areas, walking circuits and designated mountain bike trails, it's also a great spot for photographers wanting to catch a stunning shot of Mount Taranaki from various scenic lookouts.
Products and specialities
Lake
Mountain Biking
Walking tracks
Commercial production forest
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Reviews
One of my favourite places to visit, now I’ve found out there’s a million tracks to ride your bike on here too! This lake is like an endless supply of bike trails, with dozens of different directions or paths to follow, you could almost customise your own track! There a bit of an easy track in the forested area to the right of the lake, but the rest is more for experienced or at least intermediate bikers as it can be a bumpy ride!
This is another favourite of mine that I visited frequently as a child and still do to this day. There are so many spots to sit and eat your picnic! Not to mention the very long wall of hydrangea that his the road the whole way! Wherever you sit down to eat, there will be ducks, swans, and geese to keep you company; although don’t feed them any bread, the council say they’re getting too fat!
Lake Mangamahoe has about eight different bike trails to explore. This is great to do in spring as it’s not too hot and the rain holds off enough for it to be safe enough to ride. The Kiwi and Kea trails are great for beginners, families and leisurely riders. But if you’re a bit of a daredevil, the Hudson Alley trail is for you as it has a surprisingly steep finish to get that adrenaline going! Lake Mangamahoe is a great scenic reserve so take a picnic in your backpack and sit yourself down in one of the lovely spots and enjoy the view.
