About 50 plants and trees have been destroyed at the Raetihi Recreational Playground.
Specimen shade trees and other smaller plants had been pulled out and thrown around the reserve and Ruapehu District Council property team leader Rebecca Van Orden said it was extremely disappointing to find someone had undertaken this mindless destruction of a community asset.
"In addition to the direct cost to Ruapehu ratepayers the biggest losers out of this are the Raetihi community," she said.
"This especially hurts families and young children who have been the primary users of the recreational playground."
She said it was not this first time similar vandalism had occurred.