Stratford Plateau Carparks
Egmont National Park - Overnight Campervan Parking
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Stratford Plateau Carparks
Large carpark area with Alpine views
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
DOC TaranakiCentral government organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Taranaki ▷ Mt Taranaki |
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Categories |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Freedom Camping
Nearby
Reviews
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5.0/5
Best view we woke up to in all Northern Island.
We were atop of the clouds and could see Mt. Taranaki in the sunrise, as well as Mt. Ruapehu in the distance. Would highly recommend - and it is huge!
Also great for Stargazing and Milky Way shots ;-)
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5.0/5
Amazing spot (and therefore the high rating) but probably my worst night in NZ!
As a female solo traveller parked alone here I have been absolutely terrified and kept awake all night by people doing donuts and coming extremely close to my car, honking and pointing lights at me.
The place is absolutely beautiful, amazing view of Mt Taranaki when the clouds opened up in the morning, the rest of the time was super foggy, cold and windy, but it’s also winter.
Two flushing toilets, a sink with no drinking water and many tracks to walk during the day.
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5.0/5
We got lucky and had UNOBSTRUCTED views of My Taranaki from 4 pm through sunset.
WOW. Bathroom available (though we were self contained). Perfect spot to get views of the mountain. Definitely cold at night though!
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5.0/5
What a fantastic place to park up for the night.
We were lucky with the weather and had fabulous views. It’s a huge car park but only really 3 level places to park up; Top right corner, Bottom of the car park and outside the toilets.
My advice is to check the weather forecast as you are high up and things can change rapidly. We had perfectly clear skys for sunset, but then total cloud cover so no stars.
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5.0/5
Toilettes proches mais qui étaient assez sales le soir.
Localisation parfaite au pied du Mt Taranaki
Une personne est passée les nettoyer le matin !
On recommande de passer une nuit ici !! Impression de bout du monde assurée
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5.0/5
One of my favourites so far!
It was cloudy and raining the day I got there so I didn't see Mt Taranaki at all on the drive, but when the clouds lifted in the evening I was completely blown away. Absolutely stunning views of the mountain itself and countryside below. The drive up there was gorgeous too, and so were the nearby tracks through the jungly mountainside.
Night sky was amazing. I was only a few days into my NZ trip at this point but got my first faint glimpse of the Milky Way. And then the next morning I saw the most beautiful sunrise with clouds spread out below us across the countryside and a clear view of Tongariro National Park in the distance.
The carpark itself is pretty massive, it felt really empty with at least half a dozen other campervans there. Toilets were okay, not great but I've seen worse. Overall I'd highly recommend this place if you're going to this (seemingly underrated) part of North Island.
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5.0/5
A beautiful view when the clouds lift.
The walk to the pools is steep in places and some of the steps are very high. There seemed to be a lot of files about. It was very peaceful and we had an amazing sunrise on both mornings. The men's loo were clean but the ladies were disgusting. We had neighbours both nights and slept very well.
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3.5/5
10/10 for the views, it’s very quiet and peaceful up there with incredible views of mountain.
The score is only reduced because of the toilets, probably some of the worst we’ve experienced in New Zealand. The whole car park is on gravel which was quite loose in some places so watch out.
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5.0/5
Probably the best stop we had with our fully self contained campervan.
It was cold but not too much. The stars were amazing above this perfect mountain. Be aware that this is a carpark with toilets but no wifi or Otter amenities.
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4.5/5
Who loves the windy and cold night?
It is a place.for you then. Amazing experience for a brave hiking with 16 months & 3 year old we had here. We didn't end up staying the night though due to cold weather. But if it is not during the winter we would have loved staying here for a night. Reasonably pleasant toilet and it seems to be very popular and well managed spot.
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4.5/5
Great place to freedom camp right under mount taranki and stars fantastic views of coastline and Mt taranki some snow in carpark can do hiking to summit from carpark or down to Dawson falls toilets block
in carpark which is a huge area so never near anyone else can be windy as under mountain just take extra bedding but the views are worth the drive up there from Stratford 18 Kms drive from there
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4.5/5
Pros: amazing views all around!
We had the whole place to ourselves for most of the evening/night. Loved it.
Cons: was so so so windy around 2am that we thought our rooftop tent was gonna turn into a sail and send us overboard! Would be absolutely fine in a van though.
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5.0/5
Best view we woke up to in all Northern Island.
We were atop of the clouds and could see Mt. Taranaki in the sunrise, as well as Mt. Ruapehu in the distance. Would highly recommend - and it is huge!
Also great for Stargazing and Milky Way shots ;-)
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5.0/5
Amazing spot (and therefore the high rating) but probably my worst night in NZ!
As a female solo traveller parked alone here I have been absolutely terrified and kept awake all night by people doing donuts and coming extremely close to my car, honking and pointing lights at me.
The place is absolutely beautiful, amazing view of Mt Taranaki when the clouds opened up in the morning, the rest of the time was super foggy, cold and windy, but it’s also winter.
Two flushing toilets, a sink with no drinking water and many tracks to walk during the day.
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5.0/5
We got lucky and had UNOBSTRUCTED views of My Taranaki from 4 pm through sunset.
WOW. Bathroom available (though we were self contained). Perfect spot to get views of the mountain. Definitely cold at night though!
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5.0/5
What a fantastic place to park up for the night.
We were lucky with the weather and had fabulous views. It’s a huge car park but only really 3 level places to park up; Top right corner, Bottom of the car park and outside the toilets.
My advice is to check the weather forecast as you are high up and things can change rapidly. We had perfectly clear skys for sunset, but then total cloud cover so no stars.
-
5.0/5
Toilettes proches mais qui étaient assez sales le soir.
Localisation parfaite au pied du Mt Taranaki
Une personne est passée les nettoyer le matin !
On recommande de passer une nuit ici !! Impression de bout du monde assurée
-
5.0/5
One of my favourites so far!
It was cloudy and raining the day I got there so I didn't see Mt Taranaki at all on the drive, but when the clouds lifted in the evening I was completely blown away. Absolutely stunning views of the mountain itself and countryside below. The drive up there was gorgeous too, and so were the nearby tracks through the jungly mountainside.
Night sky was amazing. I was only a few days into my NZ trip at this point but got my first faint glimpse of the Milky Way. And then the next morning I saw the most beautiful sunrise with clouds spread out below us across the countryside and a clear view of Tongariro National Park in the distance.
The carpark itself is pretty massive, it felt really empty with at least half a dozen other campervans there. Toilets were okay, not great but I've seen worse. Overall I'd highly recommend this place if you're going to this (seemingly underrated) part of North Island.
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5.0/5
A beautiful view when the clouds lift.
The walk to the pools is steep in places and some of the steps are very high. There seemed to be a lot of files about. It was very peaceful and we had an amazing sunrise on both mornings. The men's loo were clean but the ladies were disgusting. We had neighbours both nights and slept very well.
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3.5/5
10/10 for the views, it’s very quiet and peaceful up there with incredible views of mountain.
The score is only reduced because of the toilets, probably some of the worst we’ve experienced in New Zealand. The whole car park is on gravel which was quite loose in some places so watch out.
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5.0/5
Probably the best stop we had with our fully self contained campervan.
It was cold but not too much. The stars were amazing above this perfect mountain. Be aware that this is a carpark with toilets but no wifi or Otter amenities.
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4.5/5
Who loves the windy and cold night?
It is a place.for you then. Amazing experience for a brave hiking with 16 months & 3 year old we had here. We didn't end up staying the night though due to cold weather. But if it is not during the winter we would have loved staying here for a night. Reasonably pleasant toilet and it seems to be very popular and well managed spot.
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4.5/5
Great place to freedom camp right under mount taranki and stars fantastic views of coastline and Mt taranki some snow in carpark can do hiking to summit from carpark or down to Dawson falls toilets block
in carpark which is a huge area so never near anyone else can be windy as under mountain just take extra bedding but the views are worth the drive up there from Stratford 18 Kms drive from there
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4.5/5
Pros: amazing views all around!
We had the whole place to ourselves for most of the evening/night. Loved it.
Cons: was so so so windy around 2am that we thought our rooftop tent was gonna turn into a sail and send us overboard! Would be absolutely fine in a van though.
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5.0/5
Tried to camp at a spot listed on the app in town, but was chased off by a cop and told to park up here.
Actually grateful he did, this was a true favorite. Located at the end of the road, i couldn’t appreciate the view because it was pitch black when I arrived but woke up to a great sight of the mountain covered in snow in the summer. The wind was blowing incredibly hard, I parked one way but the gusts were so bad I thought I’d tip the van over so I moved 90 degrees to face it head on and solved the issue. Great bathrooms, no potable water but the sink water was warm for some reason (I won’t argue, it felt great after a chilly night). It was quiet my night, no hooligans like the other reviews indicate, but it’s remote so I could see the local kids terrorizing this lot.
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3.0/5
Nice site with loads of space.
Perfect view on the mountain. Toilets were locked sadly but didn’t bother us. However, we didn’t feel very safe most of the time because some locals used the car park as a race track in the evening. They kept shouting and pushing their horns and kept leaving and entering the campsite. They seem to come here more frequently, since other reviews had similar experiences.
You shouldn’t stay overnight alone.
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5.0/5
Amazing views, just under the mountain so be prepared for an impressive view in the morning if you arrive after nightfall like we did.
Okay public toilets. It’s a very very big gravel car park so you’ll always find a spot to park. There’s a cool walk up to the bottom of the ski field which is well worth the effort. Road up is steep but is smooth and sealed so should be accessible for all vehicles.
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3.5/5
I thought this was a fantastic spot parked at the edge of the snow right next to the toilets with a fantastic walking track.
But, the down side. My wife didn't feel safe as although it was only a Monday night the hoons were there at 2am using the car park as a race track. It was so bad I rang the police but was told there was no 24 hr police and they would have to call someone out. Police never arrived and various car loads of hoons came during the night. It was a shame as it was a fantastic location.
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5.0/5
A wonderful place to spend the night.
Had a fantastic stroll up to the ski station and enjoyed the sun setting multiple times over the mountain as we walked down. Woke up to a perfect sunny morning, walked up the mountain and had breakfast before another soul joined us on the mountain. Fantastic.
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4.5/5
Gravel parking lot with washrooms at the end of the road.
Amaaaazing views back to Mt. Ruapehu and of the stars at night. Due to altitude gets chilly and windy at night so be prepared!
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4.5/5
Well this place is truly an alpine vista.
It's a large area to find a private place and take it all in. I feel like an eagle on my nest....
