DOC campsites in Nelson/Tasman

Camping with DOC in Nelson/Tasman

Great Walk campsites dominate Nelson/Tasman. Of the region's 37 DOC campsites, 25 are Great Walk campsites, and 26 are reached only on foot or by boat. Abel Tasman National Park alone holds 17. Just 8 list campervan access, and 31 can be booked online through DOC, so this is a region for booking ahead.

In Abel Tasman National Park, the Great Walk campsites charge adults $21 a night as NZ residents and $21 to $31 as international visitors, the top of the region's $10 to $31 range. Bark Bay, Onetahuti Bay, Mutton Cove, Anapai Bay, Waiharakeke Bay and Whariwharangi Bay have flush toilets; Apple Tree Bay, Tinline, Te Pukatea Bay and Torrent Bay Village have non-flush toilets. Mosquito Bay is listed as boat access only. Tōtaranui Campground is the exception: a standard campsite with 269 sites, the largest in the region, reached by campervan or boat, with cold showers, treated tap water and a dump station, at $18 to $20.

Kahurangi National Park holds 9 campsites. The Great Walk sites listed there, Heaphy, Brown and Scotts Beach, are $19 for NZ residents and $19 to $28 for international visitors. Heaphy and Brown also list mountain bike access and have flush toilets.

Nelson Lakes National Park has 6 campsites and most of the region's campervan access. Kerr Bay Campsite is the only serviced campsite, at $25 to $30, with powered sites, hot showers, flush toilets and treated tap water. The two West Bay zones, Buller and Jetty, are $20 with cold showers and treated tap water. Teetotal and Lake Rotoroa campsites cost $15, and Lake Rotoroa has a boat ramp and jetty.

Free camping is scarce: only 2 campsites are free, including Cobb River Campsite in the Cobb Valley, reached by 4WD or car. Dogs are allowed in some form at just 2. Campfires are permitted at 8 under fire season rules. The region also has 99 DOC huts.