Lake Ōkataina Scenic Reserve is located at the end of Lake Ōkataina Road. This reserve is managed by the Department of Conservation.
The area is pristine, with native bush down to the water's edge. There are several walkways in this area that provide access to the Ōkataina scenic reserve.
The name Ōkataina means "The lake of laughter", a shortened form of the original name Te Moana-i-kataina-a-Te Rangitakaroro, which means "The ocean where Te Rangitakaroro laughed". Te Rangitakaroro and his warriors were resting when one member of his group referred to the lake as an ocean and this was seen as a great joke by the rest of the group. Their laughter echoed around the lake and now remains enshrined in its name.
Lake Ōkataina was an important link in pre-European travel routes, when canoes were carried from Lake Tarawera to Lake Ōkataina. The lake and surrounding scenic reserve are remote and beautiful, with native bush down to the water's edge containing fine examples of rimu, totara, rata and kahikatea.
