[1] The Tongariro National Park is a World Heritage site which has the distinction of dual status, as it has been acknowledged for both its natural and cultural significance.

[3][4] The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is usually walked from Mangatepopo in the Ruapehu region to Ketetahi Hot Springs, due to the Mangatepopo end being higher in altitude (1,120 m or 3,670 ft) than the Ketetahi Hot Springs end (760 m or 2,490 ft), therefore requiring less climbing.

[5] As of October 2023, the Department of Conservation instituted a booking system for the hike in order to gather better information about its usage.

The last two hours of the walk involve a long descent down the northern flank of the volcano, passing the Ketetahi Hot Springs.

The springs are located on 38 ha (94 acres) of private land owned by the local iwi Ngāti Tuwharetoa that has never been part of Tongariro National Park.

Almost the entire length of the crossing is in volcanic terrain with no vegetation and fully exposed to weather – at moderate altitude.

The Department of Conservation is concerned about trampers being unprepared for the conditions they may encounter and introduced the name change to warn the many poorly equipped visitors of potential hazards.

Key hazards are the high wind chill factor, the rapid change in weather and very poor visibility in the sudden storms with blinding snow and cloud.

The terrain underfoot for most of the walk is either sharp edged new volcanic rock or loose and shifting tephra, mainly ash and lapilli.