National Park (officially Waimarino) is a small town on the North Island Central Plateau in New Zealand.

Formerly known as National Park Village, it is the highest urban township in New Zealand, at 825 metres.

This was to avoid confusion with other Waimarino entities, and also the name had come into common usage from its location close to Tongariro National Park.

[3] The name of the village was reverted (back) to Waimarino on 18 December 2024 [4] (also see the paragraph below starting "In 2023 the Uenuku iwi...") following a decision made by the Hon Minister Chris Penk.

[7][8] In 2023 the Uenuku iwi/Te Korowai o Wainuiārua proposed renaming National Park back to its original name, Waimarino.

The New Zealand Geographic Board supported this move, and started a consultation period on 7 November.

[9] In August 2023, KiwiRail erected new signage at the railway station recognising the original name of Waimarino.

The opening of the Main Trunk line in 1908 created a vast opportunity to log and mill the large trees in the native forests, with 30 saw mills and associated bush tramways established in the National Park area alone.

With the arrival of caterpillar tractors in the 1930s the extraction process was accelerated with National Park station having one of the greatest throughputs of timber in New Zealand.

It is sited next to the North Island Main Trunk railway line and close to the junction of State Highways 4 and 47, halfway between Ohakune and Taumarunui and 45 kilometres southwest of the southern shore of Lake Taupō.

The summer temperatures are moderate due to the altitude of the village, resulting in cool nights and mild to warm days.

[15] Tourism is its main industry, with 1,500 visitor beds in commercial accommodation and private chalets.

In the summer the village is a popular base for Tongariro and Whanganui National Park for hiking, biking and kayaking.

KiwiRail's Northern Explorer scheduled passenger service stops at the National Park Railway Station on its journey between Auckland and Wellington.

To the northwest of the town, the railway track performs the convoluted dance that is the Raurimu Spiral, one of New Zealand's most impressive feats of engineering.