Lakeside Camping in the South Island: Lake-by-Lake Guide to Where to Stay

What lakeside camping is like

A lakeside night means views, early light and a swim or a paddle in summer, and it also means wind, which funnels down the long lakes, and cold nights, because the lakes sit in high valleys. Most of the best camps are holiday parks or DOC campsites rather than freedom camping spots, since councils around the busiest lakes restrict camping to protect the shore.

The table lists the main lakes, the usual kind of base and a note for each. The guide to campgrounds at lakes and waterfalls covers Nelson Lakes, the West Coast and some North Island lakes, and the scenic campsites guide picks sites for their views.

The Mackenzie lakes: Tekapo and Pukaki

Lake Tekapo is the best known, with a village on the shore, holiday parks within walking distance and some of the clearest night skies in the world, which the Tekapo camping guide and the guide to lupins and Southern Lights cover. Council rules for freedom camping in the Mackenzie are tight, so book a holiday park or read the Mackenzie guide first.

Lake Pukaki, 45 minutes south, is the colour people photograph: glacial flour turns the water an unreal turquoise, with Aoraki Mount Cook at the far end. Glentanner Holiday Park at the foot of the lake is the closest camp, Twizel the nearest town, and the Christchurch to Tekapo and Aoraki road trip links the two.

Wānaka, Hāwea and Wakatipu

Lake Wānaka has holiday parks in the town and lakeside campgrounds at Glendhu Bay on the road to the Matukituki valley, and its calm mornings reward an early start. Lake Hāwea, over the saddle, is quieter, with a holiday park and the council rules for freedom camping described in the Wānaka guide. Both are popular from December to February, so book.

Lake Wakatipu has holiday parks at Queenstown, Frankton and Glenorchy and DOC lakeside campsites such as Twelve Mile Delta and Kinloch. The lake level rises and falls by about 20 centimetres a day in Queenstown Bay, a seiche that DOC describes on its Queenstown page, which Southern Māori describe as the heartbeat of a giant. The Queenstown to Glenorchy camping guide covers the road along the water.

Fiordland: Te Anau, Manapouri, Eglinton and Mavora

Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri are the gateway lakes to Fiordland, with holiday parks in the towns and DOC campsites nearby. On the Milford Road, the Eglinton Valley has DOC campsites in beech forest and beside the water, including Lake Gunn and Cascade Creek, which are basic and popular, so check DOC's page for fees, bookings and the road status before you drive.

The Mavora Lakes, reached by a gravel road from near Mossburn, have DOC campsites in a wide valley used as a film location for the Lord of the Rings. They are remote and quiet, with no shops, so bring everything. Freedom camping rules for Te Anau are in the Te Anau guide, and the Fiordland road trip covers the loop.

North of the Alps: Nelson Lakes and the West Coast

Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotoroa in Nelson Lakes National Park have the best-known DOC lake campsites in the north, at Kerr Bay and on the Rotoroa shore, and the West Coast has Lake Māhinapua and Lake Brunner, both with sites near the water. The guide to campgrounds at lakes and waterfalls covers Rotoroa, Kerr Bay and Māhinapua with fees and access notes, so this guide does not repeat them.

These lakes get more rain than the Southern Lakes and have more sandflies, so pack accordingly. The Nelson Lakes and West Coast pages on DOC's site list the campsites each region has.

Sandflies, wind, cold and water quality

Sandflies are worst at dawn and dusk beside the lakes, especially in Fiordland and on the West Coast, as the sandflies guide explains, so carry repellent and cover up. Wind can make a lake too rough for a paddle, and high-sided vans get pushed around on lakeside roads, so check the forecast and park out of the gusts.

Lake water is cold even in summer. Check the councils' and LAWA's swimming advice before a swim, since algae blooms can make a lake unsafe, and never wash with soap or dump wastewater into a lake. Fire seasons can ban fires near the lakes, and the campfire rules guide covers how to check.

Using KiwiCamping around the lakes

KiwiCamping shows the holiday parks, DOC campsites and dump stations beside the lakes, with filters for campervan access. Save a lake for each night, set them out as a trip with dates, and use the forecast to decide where the wind and rain will be least trouble.

Your saved lakes and guides are kept on the phone, so they still open at a camp with no signal, while the map tiles, routing, weather and photos need coverage. You pay nothing to download it, with in-app purchases available.

Places along the way