National Park is a small village on the central plateau of the North Island of New Zealand and Located 100kms southwest of Taupo and 150kms northeast from Wanganui.  Also known as National Park Village it is the highest urban township in New Zealand at 825metres.

As the name suggests, it borders the World Heritage Tongariro National Park, New Zealand's first national park created in 1887. To the West is the Whanganui National Park. The village has great views of Mt Tongariro, Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom in the Lord of the Rings films) and Mt Ruapehu.

The town is sited next to the North Island Main Trunk railway line and close to the junction of State Highways 4 and 47, halfway between Raetihi and Taumarunui and 45 kilometres southwest of the southern shore of Lake Taupo. It is 20 minutes drive to the country's biggest skifields, Whakapapa and 50 minutes drive to Turoa on the slopes of the active volcano, Mount Ruapehu.

The village of National Park, located on the main rail line between Auckland and Wellington, services the accommodation needs of the National Park area.

Close to National village Park is the Okapata Caves and the Traverse 42 - a popular mountain bike trail. There are many excellent trout fishing spots and 4WD bike trails.

In the summer the village is a popular base for Tongariro and Whanganui National Park for hiking, biking and kayaking. National Park Village. Transport leaves daily (weather permitting) for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, known as the best one day alpine trek in New Zealand.

In winter, National Park is the ski base for Whakapapa skifield located on the north western of Mt Ruapehu.  Whakapapa skifield is a self service ski facility meeting FIS criteria for skiing and snowboarding.  Whakapapa skifield is one of two skifields in New Zealand where you can ski or snowboard outside New Zealand's official ski season.

National Park is served by the Overlander train from either Auckland Hamilton, Palmerston North or Wellington and by various coach and bus operators providing regular daily services from Auckland, Hamilton, Wanganui, Palmerston North and Wellington.

There is no schedule passenger air services to or from National Park. The nearest regional airports to National Park are Taupo or Wanganui.