Lion Rock / Te Piha
- 10 min return by the same track
- Easy
Lion Rock is the unmistakable rocky outcrop on the beach at Piha.
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Walking time
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10 min |
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Distance
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0.3km |
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Type
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Return by the same track
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Grade
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Easy
Unfenced cliffs. Grades explained
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Bookings
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No bookings — open access
No — open access
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Starts
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North Piha Beach, Marine Parade North, Piha |
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Maps
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NZTopo50-BB30
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Altitude
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Sea level
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52m
Altitude change 52m
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The rock is known to Te Kawerau a Maki at Te Piha, and the name has now been lent to the beach settlement of Piha as a whole. The rock was the site of a defensive pā, with middens, terraces, and pits still located all over the rock.
The rock is the neck of a 16 million year-old lava tube, part of the massive Waitākere Volcano. Recent rockfalls mean the summit is no longer accessible. The track leads to a pou recognising Ngati Tangiaro Taua, located on the shoulders of the lion.
Access the track from the north end of Piha Beach by crossing Piha Stream, or from the south end of North Piha Beach. Steps cut into rock start at the lion's tail.
The track climbs quickly and easily along the back of the lion to a viewpoint with a stone seat. Continuing beyond the marked track end here is dangerous. Several people have fallen from the rock and died.
| This track needs a photograph. |