Camping in Canterbury

DOC lists 25 campsites in Canterbury. 7 are free and 22 can be reached by car. Cheapest first.

Free campsites (7)

Campsite	Type and fee	Good to know
Ahuriri Bridge Campsite Omarama area	Basic Free	drive-in, first come, first served
Andrews Shelter Campsite Arthur's Pass National Park	Basic Free	drive-in, first come, first served
Lake Poaka Campsite Twizel area	Basic Free	drive-in, first come, first served
Round Bush Campsite Ruataniwha Conservation Park	Basic Free	drive-in, first come, first served
Temple Campsite Ruataniwha Conservation Park	Basic Free	drive-in, dogs on a leash, first come, first served
Loch Katrine Campsite Lake Sumner Forest Park	Basic Free	dogs on a leash, first come, first served
Quailburn Campsite Ahuriri Conservation Park	Basic Free	first come, first served

Standard campsites (17)

Campsite	Type and fee	Good to know
Avalanche Creek Shelter Campsite Arthur's Pass National Park	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
Boyle Campsite Lake Sumner Forest Park	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs on a leash, bookable
Deer Valley Campsite Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, first come, first served
Godley Head Campsite Awaroa/Godley Head	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs on a leash, bookable
Hawdon Shelter Campsite Arthur's Pass National Park	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
Klondyke Corner Campsite Arthur's Pass National Park	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
Lake Middleton Campsite Twizel area	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs on a leash, first come, first served
Lake Pearson (Moana Rua) Campsite Craigieburn Forest Park	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
Lake Taylor Campsite Lake Sumner Forest Park	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs on a leash, bookable
Mistletoe Flats Campsite Craigieburn Forest Park	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs on a leash, bookable
Mt Nimrod Campsite Hunters Hills area	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
Otaio Gorge Campsite Hunters Hills area	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
Pioneer Park Campsite Pioneer Park Conservation Area	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs allowed, bookable
Waihi Gorge Campsite Geraldine area	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
White Horse Hill Campsite Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
Wooded Gully Campsite Mount Thomas Forest Conservation Area	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs on a leash, bookable
Orari Campsite Geraldine area	Standard $10–20 per adult	bookable

Serviced campsites (1)

Campsite	Type and fee	Good to know
Peel Forest Campground Peel Forest Park Scenic Reserve	Serviced $25 per adult (tent site)	drive-in, hot showers, bookable

Campsite list: Department of Conservation open data (CC BY 4.0), refreshed weekly. Fees are DOC’s published category fees; some campsites differ and prices can change. Always check the DOC page for alerts and closures before you go.

Plan the rest of the trip

Find a campsite by region → Packing checklist Cheap car hire

Questions

Are there free campsites in Canterbury?

Yes, 7 DOC basic campsites in Canterbury are free.

How many DOC campsites are in Canterbury?

25, from DOC's campsite data (updated weekly).

Do I need to book?

Many standard and serviced DOC campsites need booking, especially in summer. Basic campsites are usually first come, first served.

More camping guides: all camping guides