A first-timer’s guide to DOC campgrounds
Cheap, beautiful and basic on purpose. What to expect from conservation campgrounds — and the etiquette that keeps them good.
Department of Conservation campgrounds are the best-value beds in the country: sites in places private operators could never build, priced so a family can afford a week. The trade is simplicity — many are basic by design, and what facilities exist varies a lot from site to site.
Know before you go
Check the specific campground’s details and booking requirements through DOC before you commit — popular sites and peak periods often need booking, and rules differ by site. Assume you need to be self-sufficient: water treatment, rubbish out with you, and cash or a booked pass rather than expecting eftpos in a valley.
The etiquette
Arrive before dark, keep the generator ambitions modest, and leave the site cleaner than you found it. These places stay wonderful because almost everyone follows the same quiet code.
Campgrounds and the walks around them, on the map.
Find a campsite