Takapō Regional Park
Explore 165 hectares of land along the eastern shores of stunning Lake Tekapo/Takapō where you'll find picnic spots, an enclosed dog park and 24 kilometres of cycling and walking tracks.
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How to get there
Takapō regional park lies on the eastern shore of Lake Tekapo/Takapō against a backdrop of the Two Thumb Range.
Vested as a soil conservation reserve, we took stewardship of the 165-hectare park in 1989. Covered in conifer trees, the park has beautiful views from the walking, cycling and running tracks.
The park can be accessed by car from Lilybank Road or by foot or bicycle from the Lake Tekapo township along the lake edge or Cowans Hill.
Takapō Regional Park map
Park facilities
- Shared-use mountain bike and walking tracks – 24kms of shared-use tracks. Graded easiest, easy and intermediate for mountain bikes.
- Mountain bike-only tracks
- Pump track
- Dog park – This is a 2.2-hectare fully fenced and sheltered enclosure. Outside of this, dogs must be on leads and under effective control at all times.
- Picnic areas – Two areas have picnic tables provided, but there are plenty of other spaces with shade, shelter and water. Visitors may use portable gas BBQs, provided they are used at least 2 metres away from vegetation.
- Car parking – There are three car parks. The Station and the Homestead carparks include wheelchair-accessible toilets.
- Event hire – There is a large space accessible from Te Waka Tauraka a Tewera/Tewera Carpark suitable for special events, like outdoor movie screenings and markets. Park tracks can be booked for track-specific activities, like mountain bike races and trail runs. You will need to pay a fee and get a permit. For more information, visit ecan.govt.nz/parkevents.
- Toilets – there are two wheelchair accessible toilet facilities: one at the Station carpark and the other at the Homestead carpark.
Park activities
Mountain biking/walking - There are 24km of shared-use tracks through the forest and along the lakeside environments within the park, each covering different fitness levels. These include:
- Family loop (4.4km, easy)
- Perimeter loop (6.9km, intermediate)
- Throne track (0.8km, easy).
The Te Araroa Walkway runs through the park, which forms part of the national Te Araroa trail is for walkers only, as is a short but steep lookout trail for views of the lake and Mount John.
Mountain bike-only tracks
- The Berm Rider is a downhill track running from the top of the park, off the perimeter loop, down towards the Station carpark.
- Two other short tracks include the Andrew Cowan Track and the Milky Way.
- A pump track can be accessed from the Station carpark.
Swimming and boating -There are shallow areas at the lake’s edge for swimmers. There is a 5-knot speed restriction zone for recreational boaties.
Disc golf- Two nine-hole disc golf courses run along the lakefront:
- a family-friendly course for all levels and ages, which starts at the Homestead carpark. View the course map.
- an advanced course, starting at Te Waka Tauraka a Tewera (Tewera carpark). View the course map.
You can hire discs at local village businesses:
- Kiwi Treasures and Information Centre,
- Lakes Edge Holiday Park.
You can also purchase discs at a local sporting goods store.
Park history: A place of historical significance and restoration
Mana whenua named the area Takapō, which means ‘to leave by night’. The ‘Tekapo’ spelling resulted from settlers mishearing Takapō and has no meaning in te reo Māori.
In 2023, we transitioned from the name ‘Lake Tekapo regional park’ to ‘Takapō regional park’ as part of our commitment to our partner, Ngāi Tahu.
Historical significance
Tradition has it that the tohunga (spiritual leader) Hipa Te Maiharoa is the only person to have swum the lake and escaped the taniwha (a supernatural creature). The lake served as a place of mahinga kai for South Canterbury Ngāi Tahu, with waterfowl and tuna (eel) at the top of the menu.
In the mid-1850s European settlers first ventured into the Mackenzie Basin, and the Tekapo dam was built in 1951.
The soils around and within the regional park are mostly sandy/silty and weakly structured, and are very vulnerable to wind erosion if left bare – they have undergone significant erosion in the past and this was problematic for the soils themselves and for the adjacent highway, which often had poor visibility due to soil blown from the area that is now the regional park.
The first tree planting began in 1957 to mitigate this wind erosion.
Takapō/Tekapo: A place of historical significance and restoration
Lake Tekapo Recreational Society
Lake Tekapo Recreational Society was set up to work alongside us in the development of the Takapō regional park.
Its goal is to provide recreation opportunities while still allowing for soil conservation, which is the reserve's underlying purpose.
Its main ongoing function is to care for the park and help preserve and develop it for locals and visitors to enjoy for many years to come.
Biodiversity - Managing wilding pines and Te Ipuraki o Motu Ariki replanting
Wilding pine management
Exotic conifers, including pines, fir and larch, were planted here to control erosion, but have since become a major seed source for wilding pines in the Mackenzie Basin.
In 2022, Environment Canterbury, Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua and the local community came up with a plan to remove the trees in stages over a 25-year period. This ensures the community can continue to enjoy the park, and we maintain soil erosion integrity while removing the pest trees.
The plan replants the majority of the cleared areas with fast-growing non-pest species that will provide soil stability in the immediate term, and protection to slower-growing native species.
You can find out more about the wilding pine problem.
Te Ipuraki o Motu Ariki replanting
We have a replanting project underway, named 'Te Ipuraki o Motu Ariki' meaning 'the food bowl of Motuariki'. Motuariki is the name of the small island in the middle of the lake.
Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua gifted us the name 'te piripiri' (meaning 'to stick close together') for the 25 to 30 native planting areas that will be established throughout the park to increase biodiversity, and include natives like dwarf kōwhai, koromiko, tōtara, tussock, and taramea.
Find out more about replanting Lake Tekapo/Takapō Regional Park.