Mount Tauhara is a dormant lava dome volcano in New Zealand's North Island, reaching 1088 m above sea level. It is situated in the area of caldera rim overlap of the Whakamaru Caldera and Taupō Volcano towards the centre of the Taupō Volcanic Zone, which stretches from Whakaari / White Island in the north to Mount Ruapehu in the south. It is 6 km east of the town of Taupō, next to the northeastern shore of Lake Taupō. Formed about 65,000 years ago, Mount Tauhara was not a violently explosive vent, instead slowly oozing a viscous dacitic lava. It is the largest mass of dacite within the Taupō volcano, whose material is 98% rhyolitic. Little evidence of its volcanic past remains today; the peak is covered in dense native bush. There is a steep walking track to the top of Mount Tauhara, starting at Mountain Road. On a clear day, the summit offers excellent views over the Volcanic Plateau, encompassing the entirety of Lake Taupō in the southwest. The hike is relatively strenuous and takes about an hour and a half each way. The track is not well groomed; being slightly overgrown in some places. However, there is a pristine spring near the top perfect for drinking and the view at the summit is well renowned. This is the Māori legend about Mount Tauhara: "Tauhara" is Māori for "alone, or isolated".