Welcome to New Zealand's most comprehensive database of freely available camping information. This is the only travel map of its kind in NZ.
Freedom camping is only permitted in the signposted area.
Freedom camping is prohibited elsewhere in the reserve.
No more than 10 vehicles at any time.
Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
Hurunui District CouncilCouncil organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Hanmer Springs |
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Categories |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Feature | Value | Info |
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Overnight Camping Site Cost |
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Overnight Camping Site CostWhat is the approximate per-person cost to camp or park your vehicle overnight? Free Camping It costs nothing to stay overnight. In general this means that you should not expect any facilities. |
Overnight Stay Rules |
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Overnight Stay RulesWhat are the accommodation rules for overnight stays at this campsite? Camping and any vehicle You are permitted to stay overnight and camp (with a tent) or in any vehicle. |
Campsite Managing Organisation |
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Campsite Managing OrganisationWhat type of organisation operates this campsite? Local Council This experience is managed by a local council. |
Payment Requirement |
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Payment RequirementIs there a cost for this experience or is it free? Free access/participation The experience costs no money to access or take part in. |
Maximum Sites Available |
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Maximum Sites AvailableHow many camping or parking sites are available for staying overnight in? 6 to 10 sites There are between six and ten sites available to stay overnight in. |
Booking Required |
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Booking RequiredIs it necessary to book a campsite in advance in order to stay overnight? First Come, First Served Sites are allocated in a first come, first served basis. Get in early for the best spot. |
Powered Sites |
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Powered SitesDoes this establishment have powered sites? No powered sites This campsite does not offer any powered sites with an electricity supply. |
Vehicle Access |
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Vehicle AccessCan vehicles drive in? Vehicle accessible This location is accessible in a vehicle. |
Toilet |
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ToiletIs there a toilet available? Public toilet There are toilet facilities available to the general public. |
✓ Stunning views
✓ Clean toilets
✓ Right by a river
✓ Quiet and peaceful
✓ Friendly atmosphere
𐄂 Limited spots (10)
𐄂 Can get windy
A little gem with a beautiful swimming hole.
Marsh site, not suitable after heavy rain
Not a bad spot.
Lovely view, river, and fall colors.
By the road but very quiet .
Rating | Count | Percentage | |
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10/10 | 15 |
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50% |
9/10 | 7 |
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23% |
8/10 | 3 |
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10% |
7/10 | 1 |
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3% |
6/10 | 0 |
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0% |
5/10 | 1 |
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3% |
4/10 | 0 |
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0% |
3/10 | 1 |
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3% |
2/10 | 1 |
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3% |
1/10 | 1 |
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3% |
4.5/5
By the road but very quiet .
Room for 10 pitches . Extremely clean toilet . Take the little road on the left (direction north heading to Hamner Springs) just after you cross the bridge and before the yellow sign GET LOST . Don’t be confused by the other campervan site on the opposite side of the bridge . This is for NZMCA ( New Zealand Motor CaravanAssociation)members . The site is by hammer river with one picnic table and an amazing view of the snow capped mountain range .
Reviewed about 1 month ago
4.5/5
After making the decision to avoid Arthur's Pass due to a dump of snow, we stopped here overnight before crossing to the West via Lewis Pass.
What a great little spot! The advice from a previous reviewer to look out for the "Get Lost" sign made it easier to find. It filled up just on dark and everyone hunkered down for the night.
Reviewed 3 months ago
5.0/5
Really nice campsites.
Suprised to arrive and toilets be there and ready to use. Really clean. View stunning!!!
Reviewed 6 months ago
4.5/5
A little gem with a beautiful swimming hole.
Has limited capacity for overnight - need to get there early. Polite but firm Ranger checks each night. Campers very respectful. Toilet block gets daily clean. The dusty road problematic especially when windy. No shade for designated camp sites but beside river beautiful. A lovely relaxing calm atmosphere.
Reviewed 12 months ago
4.0/5
If going north on 7a turn left at the yellow sign that says GET LOST.
It will take you back the way you came and to the river. Was hard to find but a nice quiet site for 10 but others parked on the grass. Toilets were good.
Reviewed about 1 year ago
4.0/5
A bit muddy, but fine for a night.
Tricky to see the tuning after dark when driving from Hanmer Slrings as the driveway in steep and dark.
Reviewed over 1 year ago
2.5/5
Lovely view, river, and fall colors.
Enjoy it from inside the vehicle because holy shit the sandflies are swarming here.
I arrived around 16:30 on a Tuesday and was the 9th one here.
May 2023.
Reviewed over 1 year ago
3.5/5
Beautiful spot, with a nice view.
It was very windy though, not sure if it's always like that. Toilets are very clean.
Reviewed almost 2 years ago
5.0/5
Near the village, near the main road, next to little river.
Bit muddy. Only 10 spots! Clean toilets (flush) and water bin. Beautiful views (when not cloudy ;))
Reviewed almost 2 years ago
5.0/5
Nice wee spot next to a creek.
Cristal clear water to dip in. Spacious clean flushing toilets. Nice views on the mountaintops. Few bugs, morgen you can’f handle with your spray. Only 10 spaces so don’t come late!
Reviewed almost 2 years ago
4.5/5
By the road but very quiet .
Room for 10 pitches . Extremely clean toilet . Take the little road on the left (direction north heading to Hamner Springs) just after you cross the bridge and before the yellow sign GET LOST . Don’t be confused by the other campervan site on the opposite side of the bridge . This is for NZMCA ( New Zealand Motor CaravanAssociation)members . The site is by hammer river with one picnic table and an amazing view of the snow capped mountain range .
Reviewed about 1 month ago
4.5/5
After making the decision to avoid Arthur's Pass due to a dump of snow, we stopped here overnight before crossing to the West via Lewis Pass.
What a great little spot! The advice from a previous reviewer to look out for the "Get Lost" sign made it easier to find. It filled up just on dark and everyone hunkered down for the night.
Reviewed 3 months ago
5.0/5
Really nice campsites.
Suprised to arrive and toilets be there and ready to use. Really clean. View stunning!!!
Reviewed 6 months ago
4.5/5
A little gem with a beautiful swimming hole.
Has limited capacity for overnight - need to get there early. Polite but firm Ranger checks each night. Campers very respectful. Toilet block gets daily clean. The dusty road problematic especially when windy. No shade for designated camp sites but beside river beautiful. A lovely relaxing calm atmosphere.
Reviewed 12 months ago
4.0/5
If going north on 7a turn left at the yellow sign that says GET LOST.
It will take you back the way you came and to the river. Was hard to find but a nice quiet site for 10 but others parked on the grass. Toilets were good.
Reviewed about 1 year ago
4.0/5
A bit muddy, but fine for a night.
Tricky to see the tuning after dark when driving from Hanmer Slrings as the driveway in steep and dark.
Reviewed over 1 year ago
2.5/5
Lovely view, river, and fall colors.
Enjoy it from inside the vehicle because holy shit the sandflies are swarming here.
I arrived around 16:30 on a Tuesday and was the 9th one here.
May 2023.
Reviewed over 1 year ago
3.5/5
Beautiful spot, with a nice view.
It was very windy though, not sure if it's always like that. Toilets are very clean.
Reviewed almost 2 years ago
1.0/5
Full at 1620 with 14 big caravans on a Monday night.
Left rather than risk it. Looked nice though.
Reviewed almost 2 years ago
5.0/5
Near the village, near the main road, next to little river.
Bit muddy. Only 10 spots! Clean toilets (flush) and water bin. Beautiful views (when not cloudy ;))
Reviewed almost 2 years ago
5.0/5
Nice wee spot next to a creek.
Cristal clear water to dip in. Spacious clean flushing toilets. Nice views on the mountaintops. Few bugs, morgen you can’f handle with your spray. Only 10 spaces so don’t come late!
Reviewed almost 2 years ago
4.0/5
Not a bad spot.
Slots are a bit narrow and on dirt ground, but there’s a pretty stream nearby, and toilets with running water.
Off the main road so pretty quiet. You’ll have sheep for neighbors.
10 spots, it was full by 8pm.
Reviewed almost 2 years ago
0.5/5
This is a very unsatisfactory hard to understand reserve as there are 10 advertised CERTIFIED SELF CONTAINED sites which every where else means you have to be in a vehicle that has a CSC but here you
can put up a tent in front of the area specifically notified as a CSC site.
Reviewed almost 2 years ago
5.0/5
Super clean toilets, right next to little baby lambs!
Beautiful spot and not noisy. Get there early ish as only 10 spots ☀️
Reviewed about 2 years ago
5.0/5
Beautiful self contained only camp with amazing views.
Access road is a couple of hundred metres north of the bridge. New toilets.
Reviewed over 2 years ago
5.0/5
Fantastic spot right next to a lovely river with a gorgeous view of the mountains.
10 spaces. Clean flushing toilet
Reviewed almost 3 years ago
4.5/5
Nice spot to stay and have a paddle in the river.
Only allowed 10 spots for vehicles to camp and we got the last spot at 4pm. Well organized with plenty of day parking and shade for a day visit. Clean toilets and a few sandflies around.
Reviewed almost 3 years ago
5.0/5
Very quiet peaceful park.
10 allocated camping spots. Area visited by security so only park in these parks, you will be moved on if parked in any other area.
Reviewed almost 3 years ago
4.5/5
It's a beautiful spot beside a small river with rural views.
New toilets have been built but still limited to 10 self contained vehicles only so Ranker's info isn't correct.
Reviewed about 3 years ago
5.0/5
Great spot with flat parks.
Toilets are pretty new and very clean. Large campers fit as well as small and we found it very peaceful.
Reviewed about 3 years ago
5.0/5
Beautiful views, quiet, family friendly, and right next to the river!
Reviewed about 3 years ago
5.0/5
Plenty of parking along the fence line, clean public toilets, about 5min drive to Hanmer Springs.
Felt close to everything yet isolated at the same time. Beautiful views of the snowy mountains and a river alongside where we parked. Highly recommend.
Was very windy when we went and limited shelter from the wind, made it slightly challenging to cook outside our camper, but didn't hinder our experience at all
Reviewed about 3 years ago
5.0/5
This app was amazing.
It showed us approved areas to freedom camp in a Self-contained van, but also various options available to stay with payment. The descriptions were bang on as were the reviews. We relied on this app alongside a facebook freedom camping group to path our way on our family holiday.
Reviewed over 3 years ago
5.0/5
This was a fantastic spot by a river just outside hanmer springs.
Clean toilets. Peaceful spot, enough wind to keep sand flies at bay in order to f he ace dinner by the river.
Reviewed almost 4 years ago
5.0/5
Lovely site just outside of town with new toilets and the river right next to you.
Reviewed almost 4 years ago
5.0/5
A new spot apparently.
Campervan parking spots allocated on the edge of a grassed area against the fence. New toilets. Pretty location by the river visited locals by day but gone by the evening. Nice easy 5 km bike into Hamner Springs. Or a nice walk by the river. We did both and then picked blackberries in the sunshine. Highly recommended .
Reviewed almost 4 years ago
4.5/5
Good quiet spot with a small easy access clean shallow river running beside it.
Very clean new toilets. Self contained only camping. 10 marked spaces only from 8pm and must leave by 8am.
Seen one person try park outside marked area given a fine in the middle of the night and told to leave so don't try it.
No showers.
5 mins from hammer springs, animal farm, restaurant and a few other free camping sites so location is good.
Reviewed almost 4 years ago
4.5/5
Good quiet spot.
Has the new toilet on site. Was good to let dogs out with river right next to the reserve. The only downside is the amount of people who choose to ignore the signs and not park in the marked camping spaces.
Reviewed about 4 years ago