Various mountain tracks allow relatively easy access to the summit, with the shortest (2 hour) track leading through the famous
Windy Canyon. Great views over the island to the
Coromandel Peninsula and the
Poor Knights Islands are often possible from the top of the mountain. The summit area is a breeding ground for the
black petrel, and the track in this part is mostly composed of boardwalks and stairs to protect the breeding areas and prevent erosion. A number of rare and declining plants on the mainland are largely restricted (or completely restricted) to Great Barrier Island are found on Mount Hobson, these include,
Pittosporum kirkii,
Epacris sinclairii,
Kunzea sinclairii, and also
Olearia allomii. ==Geology==