Park is administered by the Waikato DoC office in Hamilton. Ecology Among the variety of plants and wildlife, Wood Rose or Dactylanthus taylorii, a rare and endangered parasitic flowering plant, can be found on the ridges of Mount Pirongia. Variety of podocarps are found at lower altitudes: rimu, totara, tawa and tree ferns. At higher altitudes the forest changes. Hardy plants like horopito and kamahi grow on exposed ridges, and near the summit there are mountain flax, coprosmas and ferns. Commonly found birds are: pīwakawaka, kōtare, tūī, kererū and kārearea. Botanically, Mount Pirongia is also interesting area as it marks the transition between the warmth-loving kauri forest of the north and the beech and podocarp-beech forest in the south. The park's latitude is the naturally occurring southern limit for species such as kauri and mangeao. Recreation There are numerous tracks to the summit. Mahaukura - Tirohanga Circuit (8–11 hours) is a longer distance but with a gradual climb. This track is well signposted with bright orange plastic markers, but considered difficult. It leads through many steep sections but gives excellent views from Wharauroa lookout, Mahaukura peak (899 m) and Tirohanga peak. In winter and after rain the track becomes muddy and slippery. There are many narrow sections with a tangle of tree roots and rocks. There is a lookout platform on Pirongia summit from where it is possible to spot Mount Taranaki summit and Mount Ruapehu summit on a clear day (see photo below). On the west side there are Kawhia and Raglan harbours. Between the Summit and The Cone, at the junction of the Bell and Hihikiwi Tracks, a hut built in 2015 has 20 bunks. An older hut with 6 bunks is next to it. Most of the tracks near the summit have recently been laid with boardwalks (see photo below), some of them as part of Te Araroa long distance trail. See also List of volcanoes in New Zealand List of mountains of New Zealand by height Pirongia Forest Park brochure References Mountains of Waikato Mount Pirongia Pliocene stratovolcanoes Extinct volcanoes Mount Pirongia Pleistocene stratovolcanoes