The natural beauty of the Karanagahake Gorge is visible from the road, but stopping to explore some of the walks will lead you to stunning swimming holes, fascinating relics from the gold mining past and spectacular vistas. Two of the more popular walks are the Karangahake Windows Walk overlooking the Waitewheta River (1 hour/ 2.5km) and the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway (2hrs one way) which follows the old Paeroa to Waihi Railway line and the Ohinemuri River. The Karangahake Gorge can also be explored as part of the Hauraki Rail Trail cycle track, you can hire bikes in the nearby town of Paeroa to cycle this section of the trail for the day.