Which New Zealand volcano was used as Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings?

Mount Ngauruhoe was the New Zealand volcano used as the main stand-in for Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings films.

Ngauruhoe is an active volcanic cone in Tongariro National Park on New Zealand’s North Island. It is geologically a secondary cone of Mount Tongariro, although it is often treated as a separate mountain. Its steep, symmetrical profile made it a natural visual match for Tolkien’s fictional Orodruin.

The films did not use Ngauruhoe exclusively: Mount Ruapehu supplied some other Mount Doom views and filming locations. The production also avoided filming Ngauruhoe’s summit because it is sacred to Māori. This is why answers such as Tongariro or Ruapehu can arise, even though Ngauruhoe is the standard trivia answer.