If you claim Tongariro is the WORLD’S BEST DAY HIKE, we won’t argue.
It’s awesome. And awesomely crowded.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
That comes via The Professional Hobo. Thanks.
Check our Tongariro Crossing information page 13km (8mi). If the hordes turn you off, no worries … Do the Tongariro Northern Circuit 34+km (19+mi), instead. It’s our #3 hike in the world.
besthike.com 
A refreshing video style; I liked it!
Crowdedness is a factor with high variability.
When I did the Crossing in ’95 (I think), I saw about 6 people the whole way. Of course it was near white-out conditions and couldn’t see much of anything else either, but it was still great.
Every overpopulated trail in the world is that way because of publicity, which also means a standard start time has been recommended and adopted; unhinging oneself from that tends to dramatically reduce the tourists. Instead of messing with the Shuttle, I slept at the TH in the back seat of my rental car and hitched back after; had the route to myself.
Same when I did the Circuit Feb ’09: by going around in one day instead of three, by the time I got to the Crossing section everyone was long gone. There were a few people doing out/backs on the Devils Staircase, and a few shuffling outside the huts, but that was it.
As Forrest Gump would say: “Crowdedness is as crowdedness does.”
Great video – but the world’s best dayhike is Zion Narrows. 🙂
The Tongariro Crossing is a great hike. I did it in 2005 and didn’t find the crowds too bad. The colours of the lakes were superb and how many other hikes do you get an opportunity to climb Mt Doom!
It’s a one way hike but it’s really easy to organise a pickup from your campsite or hotel to the start of the hike and then to get picked up at the end of the day.
A highly recommended day in the mountains.
Phil
If you do it outside peak season it isn’t necessarily that crowded – I did it in October, at the standard time and standard route, and there were less than 30 people on the route, and that 30 spread out very quickly so it felt like it was just me and my group most of the way
Thanks for the link to my video! I’m coincidentally on my way back to New Zealand shortly, and looking for more great hikes (which NZ is certainly not short on)!
@Jim – Where is Zion Narrows, and what makes it great?
Here’s the Besthike information page:
http://www.besthike.com/northamerica/usasouthwest/zion_narrows.html
Jim would not be alone in rating Zion Narrows one of the best hikes in the world.
You’ve probably seen pictures of it without knowing it: people standing knee-deep in clear flowing water, with 300′ high red sandstone walls towering straight up from the waters edge, glimmers of light filtering down from above.
It’s obviously in Zion NP. You sign up a day or two in advance and a shuttle drives you to the top, drops you off, and 16 miles later you’re down in the Temple of Sinawava where the free shuttle takes you back to town/campground.
Tips:
* Virgin River must be low enough or Park won’t issue Permit; this doesn’t happen until around June 1.
* You will walk in water for a couple hours, but do NOT wear sport sandals; running shoes are actually lighter, drain water just fine, and protect your toes from rocks underwater. Don’t even think of wearing boots. The local outfitters rent Five-Ten Canyoneering shoes, which have sticky rubber and work extremely well, but running shoes will get you thru.
* People used to do this as a 2-day, which is awful because keeping the pack dry and you in an upright position is a total bother; better to be having pizza and beer at the Pizza Noodle in Springdale at the end of your first day.