Number of tent sites - 10.
Adult |
$10/night |
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Child |
$5/night |
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This standard camping site is just off the main road in the Arthur’s Pass village, almost directly opposite the visitor centre.
A bit of a funny one....Its quite tight for camping spots here, but there is plenty of space for parking and staying in your car. There is a huge shelter here - this is for hanging out and cooking in only, not for staying the night.
Good facilities and right across the road from the visitors centre. It can be very cold and windy here. there are heaps of walks start from this area.
This is right next to the main train station, there are lots of signs that state no camping in the carpark, please adhere to these requests.
There are lots of Kea's hovering around waiting for food scraps. Please do NOT feed the birds!
Avalanche Creek Shelter Campsite is categorised as a DOC Standard Campsite. The following pricing indicates usual pricing. Prices vary for some campsites and may include seasonal pricing. Visit the DOC website for exact pricing.
Standard campsites have a more limited range of facilities and services than Serviced campsites. These campsites have toilets, a water supply that could be treated or untreated tap water, or from a stream or lake, and vehicle or boat access. Bring your own soap for washing hands. Untreated water should be boiled before use to ensure it's safe. Wood BBQs and fireplaces, cold showers, picnic tables, a cooking shelter and rubbish bins may be provided; this will vary from site to site.
Feature | Value | Value |
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Unpowered Site | Adult | $10.00 to $15.00 per night |
Unpowered Site | Child | $5.00 to $7.50 per night |
Unpowered Site | Infant | $0.00 per night |
Adults are 18+ years, children are 5-17 years, infants are 0-4 years.
Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
DOC CanterburyCentral government organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Arthur's Pass |
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Categories |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Directions Springfield Office |
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Coordinates |
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Websites |
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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? Low Cost Camping You can expect very basic facilities only and often a beautiful location. A nominal fee is charged. |
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? DOC Managed This campsite is managed by the Department of Conservation. DOC is a New Zealand government organisation. |
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. |
Dogs |
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DogsDoes this establishment allow dogs? No dogs allowed The location does not allow dogs under normal conditions. Their may be be exceptions granted under specific circumstances eg. guide dogs. |
DOC Campsite Category |
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DOC Campsite CategoryWhat category does this Department of Conservation (DOC) campsite fall into? DOC Standard Campsite Department of Conservation Standard Campsites have a more limited range of facilities and services. Toilets (usually composting or pit variety) water supply (tap, stream, or lake) and vehicle or boat access. Wood barbeques and fireplaces, showers (cold), picnic tables, a cooking shelter and rubbish bins may be provided. Standard Campsites generally can not be booked. |
✓ Cheap camping at $10
✓ Beautiful views and location
✓ Shelter with sinks and tables
✓ Near DOC visitor centre
✓ Close to cafe/shop/bar
𐄂 Showers unavailable
𐄂 More like a car park
Can't argue with the convenience of this site.
Good spot for a quick night stopover.
A free campground, nice toilets and nice nature.
Beautiful area with a handy shelter with sinks.
Stayed one night in early Jan 2018.
Rating | Count | Percentage | |
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10/10 | 0 |
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0% |
9/10 | 1 |
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4% |
8/10 | 9 |
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32% |
7/10 | 9 |
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32% |
6/10 | 3 |
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11% |
5/10 | 5 |
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18% |
4/10 | 0 |
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0% |
3/10 | 1 |
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4% |
2/10 | 0 |
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0% |
1/10 | 0 |
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0% |
2.5/5
June 2024 showers no longer available due to vandalism issues.
Didn’t stay for the night because of this reason. Camp looked ok but more of a car park than a campsite. Next to busy road as well
Reviewed 6 months ago
4.0/5
Nice spot - only $10.
Facilities include a shelter with sinks and tables and then there is a bathroom on the other end of the site near the visitor center. Beautiful views and cute town.
Reviewed over 1 year ago
4.0/5
What a great spot right behind the DOC visitor centre.
A little noisy at times with traffic noise and trains, but the central location makes up for it. ... close to cafe/shop/bar/walks and there's also a public shower at the Sanctuary $2 for 4 minutes. Not particularly hot and pressure wasn't great but it was wonderful after days of not having one. Train station toilets best to use rather than the one at the shelter which has an opaque window that you can see through and the room is teeny tiny. Shelter has waste bins and sinks with cold water.
Reviewed over 1 year ago
2.5/5
Very basic.
Amenities across the road no longer available but the toilets at the train station are and are very appreciated as the only toilet at the site has a glass window. Yes frosted but still see through. Indoor area is clean and tidy and site is walking distance to loca cafes and shop! Does the job for being on the pass 👍👍 lady at information desk very friendly
Reviewed about 4 years ago
4.5/5
There are toilets a short walk away, but no shower facilities.
There is a shelter too. Quite a small space, but for a night and if you were climbing Avalanche Peak for example, it works well. $8 per pax.
Reviewed almost 5 years ago
2.5/5
Cramped camp site as the other travellers have stated.
Sheltered cooking facilities. Near to railway tracks and quite brightly lit. Alternatively there are sites which are better located in nature but this one has signal which we needed at the time. Public toilets we very clean. Recycling/rubbishy drop off available
Reviewed almost 5 years ago
4.0/5
Great stop.
Very close to Avalanche Peak hike! The road and train were not too loud to disrupt sleep. Very close to walk in the village! Beautiful area!
Reviewed over 5 years ago
4.0/5
Stayed there before enjoying Arthur's Pass.
Trains can run by, so maybe a bit noisy. Not so much place so try to get in by time.
Toilets and Kitchen available.
Reviewed over 5 years ago
3.5/5
We stayed here after hiking the avalanche peak in the afternoon.
Campsite was fine. Very basic but toilet was working and the shelter was clean. We paid $16 for two persons.
Reviewed about 6 years ago
3.5/5
Beside the train station, lights were very bright and on all evening, blocking the view of the stars.
Basic kitchen and single toilet no sink to wash or showers. Very basic but served the purpose of close to the track. If I were to do it again, I'd stay at the free location down the road and save the $16. Which ended up being $20 so make sure you have exact change otherwise you'll have to overpay.
Reviewed over 7 years ago
4.0/5
Good but small campground with decent facilities, only a small patch for tents.
Centrally located and close to walks in the area. It gets really cold and windy during the night, be prepared for the conditions especially if camping in a tent!
Reviewed about 8 years ago
3.5/5
Accept it for what it is - an overnight stop and be prepared to listen to the trucks and trains trundle past during the night.
However this was the only place we heard kiwis at night. The ammenities were quite clean and it was close to a little cafe as well as the walking tracks. Arthur's pass itself is a beautiful drive and well worth visiting.
Reviewed over 8 years ago
2.5/5
June 2024 showers no longer available due to vandalism issues.
Didn’t stay for the night because of this reason. Camp looked ok but more of a car park than a campsite. Next to busy road as well
Reviewed 6 months ago
4.0/5
Nice spot - only $10.
Facilities include a shelter with sinks and tables and then there is a bathroom on the other end of the site near the visitor center. Beautiful views and cute town.
Reviewed over 1 year ago
4.0/5
What a great spot right behind the DOC visitor centre.
A little noisy at times with traffic noise and trains, but the central location makes up for it. ... close to cafe/shop/bar/walks and there's also a public shower at the Sanctuary $2 for 4 minutes. Not particularly hot and pressure wasn't great but it was wonderful after days of not having one. Train station toilets best to use rather than the one at the shelter which has an opaque window that you can see through and the room is teeny tiny. Shelter has waste bins and sinks with cold water.
Reviewed over 1 year ago
2.5/5
Very basic.
Amenities across the road no longer available but the toilets at the train station are and are very appreciated as the only toilet at the site has a glass window. Yes frosted but still see through. Indoor area is clean and tidy and site is walking distance to loca cafes and shop! Does the job for being on the pass 👍👍 lady at information desk very friendly
Reviewed about 4 years ago
4.5/5
There are toilets a short walk away, but no shower facilities.
There is a shelter too. Quite a small space, but for a night and if you were climbing Avalanche Peak for example, it works well. $8 per pax.
Reviewed almost 5 years ago
2.5/5
Cramped camp site as the other travellers have stated.
Sheltered cooking facilities. Near to railway tracks and quite brightly lit. Alternatively there are sites which are better located in nature but this one has signal which we needed at the time. Public toilets we very clean. Recycling/rubbishy drop off available
Reviewed almost 5 years ago
4.0/5
Great stop.
Very close to Avalanche Peak hike! The road and train were not too loud to disrupt sleep. Very close to walk in the village! Beautiful area!
Reviewed over 5 years ago
4.0/5
Stayed there before enjoying Arthur's Pass.
Trains can run by, so maybe a bit noisy. Not so much place so try to get in by time.
Toilets and Kitchen available.
Reviewed over 5 years ago
3.5/5
We stayed here after hiking the avalanche peak in the afternoon.
Campsite was fine. Very basic but toilet was working and the shelter was clean. We paid $16 for two persons.
Reviewed about 6 years ago
3.0/5
Accept this place for what it is : an overnight place, when you are tired after walking all day, or when you want to get up early and begin to walk early.
Or else go elsewhere, there are free campsites lower (sometimes noisy too!)
Very little place. Lots of campervans, so be prepared to hear the delicate sound of cars doors opening and closing for hours if you are unlucky. People can park here late, you will need ear plugs. And a mask because of the lights near the station.
I wonder how many people really paid, like in the others places managed by the DOC.
Trains are noisy, trucks are more noisy, but ppl are worse:). Some friendly keas around, you can hear them.
You can cook in the shelter if the others let you a place to cook. Too many people sleep in the shelter (forbidden), some of them looked drunk.
Reviewed almost 7 years ago
3.0/5
Stayed one night in early Jan 2018.
Location-wise, very good & close to entrance of many tracks and train station as well.
Shelter is good.Ample space and warmer inside with few benches and large tables(fixed not moveable). Garbage dump available few meters away from shelter.
However
(1) No showers. I used one and only public shower 100m away from here, which was good to have than nothing($2 /4min). Not god water pressure.
(2) If using tent, set up tent early. And worst part is most part ground looks having stable concrete under the ground. So difficult to pin down pegs for tent ropes. You may need to check several place for right set up place.If there are many camp cars then limited options for place.
(3) Only one toilet attached to shelter. If out of order you will be in a trouble
(4) Some signs board says not to keep valuable stuff in tent if you r absent for longer time.Possibly you may lost them.
(5) Never feed Kea birds or left food outside as Kea may attached for food.
Very nice service at DOC centreopposite side of road. Have better toilets, open until 17:30 in summer though (for some famous tracks have to move 14km towards Christchurch. For those who get their by train; trail bikers - carry your own bike hikers-hitchhiking will be the only option)
Reviewed almost 7 years ago
2.5/5
Beautiful area with a handy shelter with sinks.
The toilets were out of order during our stay (August 2017) so a bit pricey considering no ammenities. $16 for 2 adults per night. A few restaurants a short walk away. They shut early during winter however; 8pm.
Reviewed over 7 years ago
3.5/5
Beside the train station, lights were very bright and on all evening, blocking the view of the stars.
Basic kitchen and single toilet no sink to wash or showers. Very basic but served the purpose of close to the track. If I were to do it again, I'd stay at the free location down the road and save the $16. Which ended up being $20 so make sure you have exact change otherwise you'll have to overpay.
Reviewed over 7 years ago
4.0/5
Good but small campground with decent facilities, only a small patch for tents.
Centrally located and close to walks in the area. It gets really cold and windy during the night, be prepared for the conditions especially if camping in a tent!
Reviewed about 8 years ago
3.5/5
Accept it for what it is - an overnight stop and be prepared to listen to the trucks and trains trundle past during the night.
However this was the only place we heard kiwis at night. The ammenities were quite clean and it was close to a little cafe as well as the walking tracks. Arthur's pass itself is a beautiful drive and well worth visiting.
Reviewed over 8 years ago
4.0/5
Really good facilities in terms of sinks, toilet and meal prep area.
Great for an early start on the walks around the area.
Reviewed almost 9 years ago
3.5/5
Good spot for a quick night stopover.
$6.00 per person with shelter for hanging out and good toilets. Yes it's close to the road and train but they weren't a problem. There are free camp spots a bit further out of town but my phone worked here so I could send a few emails. If you are just looking for a park up for the night to start a walk in the morning it's perfect.
Reviewed about 9 years ago
3.5/5
Can't argue with the convenience of this site.
Plenty of places to park up. Be warned - the trains are frequent and noisy so if yur looking for an early night then think again. Also, while the picnic site next to the shelter looks good, its also under the fire service siren (i.e, the siren used to call the volunteers to the station). Could make for a very unexpected surprise if that went off over yur head while fast asleep.
On the plus side there are 2x flush toilets, the shelter inside is huge, and its barely 2 minutes to the general store the next morning to buy an espresso!
Reviewed over 9 years ago
3.5/5
Directly at the main street and a little but loud because of passing trains.
But beautiful surroundings and many hiking opportunities.
Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2014
3.5/5
Very limited ground to set up tent, the place is more ideal if you just park up and sleep in vehicle.
Just opposite to DOC visitor centre, a centered point in the Artur Pass village, walking distance to shops and some tracks. Good covered shelter for cooking and dining. Shelter and toilets with light. Just next to train station, might woke up by the noise of trains and also the Keas. $6 pp.
Reviewed over 10 years ago
4.0/5
A free campground, nice toilets and nice nature.
Reviewed over 11 years ago and experienced in February 2013
4.0/5
Not very good location but very clean and good toilets.
Reviewed over 11 years ago and experienced in February 2013
3.5/5
Beautiful village with a free clean (!) public toilet.
Reviewed over 11 years ago and experienced in February 2013
1.5/5
Campground between the street and a rail road track.
Reviewed over 11 years ago and experienced in February 2013
2.5/5
We were low on gas and were stuck here for the night until the gas station opened in the morning.
I didn't heed the warnings of the reviews, but despite having no wind at night the wind was rocking out camper van all night, the road noise was very loud, and it seemed to be a train transfer station. So trains would be pulled up the hill by one engine, switch engines outside the site then go on their merry way. My husband didn't sleep much and we were in a camper van, at least a half dozen people were in tents.
Reviewed over 11 years ago and experienced in February 2013
3.0/5
Nice setup, but really close to the road and the footpath.
Extremely loud during night (main road to the left, train to the right).
Good facility.
Good for a stopover break, but not good for a night in a tent.
Reviewed almost 13 years ago
4.0/5
Great to stay away from the busy towns but not keen on the friendly!!
sandflies.
Reviewed about 13 years ago and experienced in March 2011