Camping near Timaru

There are 22 DOC campsites within 150 km of Timaru, and 9 of them are free. 19 can be reached by car. The closest is Otaio Gorge Campsite, about 29 km away in a straight line.

Drive-in campsites (19)

Campsite	Distance*	Type and fee	Good to know
Otaio Gorge Campsite Hunters Hills area	29 km	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
Mt Nimrod Campsite Hunters Hills area	31 km	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
Pioneer Park Campsite Pioneer Park Conservation Area	37 km	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs allowed, bookable
Waihi Gorge Campsite Geraldine area	45 km	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
Peel Forest Campground Peel Forest Park Scenic Reserve	56 km	Serviced $25 per adult (tent site)	drive-in, hot showers, bookable
Lake Poaka Campsite Twizel area	94 km	Basic Free	drive-in, first come, first served
Danseys Pass Campsite Naseby area	100 km	Basic Free	drive-in, dogs on a leash, first come, first served
Glencoe Campsite Moeraki area	100 km	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs on a leash, bookable
Ahuriri Bridge Campsite Omarama area	101 km	Basic Free	drive-in, first come, first served
Lake Middleton Campsite Twizel area	113 km	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs on a leash, first come, first served
Round Bush Campsite Ruataniwha Conservation Park	116 km	Basic Free	drive-in, first come, first served
Homestead Campsite Oteake Conservation Park	116 km	Basic Free	drive-in, dogs on a leash, first come, first served
Trotters Gorge Campsite Moeraki area	118 km	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs on a leash, bookable
Temple Campsite Ruataniwha Conservation Park	119 km	Basic Free	drive-in, dogs on a leash, first come, first served
White Horse Hill Campsite Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park	120 km	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable
St Bathans Campsite St Bathans area	127 km	Basic Free	drive-in, dogs allowed, first come, first served
Mistletoe Flats Campsite Craigieburn Forest Park	144 km	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, dogs on a leash, bookable
Lindis Pass Historic Hotel Campsite Lindis Valley area	144 km	Basic Free	drive-in, first come, first served
Otto/macdonalds Campsite Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere	147 km	Standard $10–20 per adult	drive-in, bookable

Walk-in and boat-access campsites (3)

Campsite	Distance*	Type and fee	Good to know
Orari Campsite Geraldine area	46 km	Standard $10–20 per adult	bookable
Quailburn Campsite Ahuriri Conservation Park	115 km	Basic Free	first come, first served
Welcome Flat Campsite Westland Tai Poutini National Park	135 km	Backcountry Varies, see DOC page	walk-in, bookable

*Straight-line distance from the city centre; the drive is longer.

Want a roof instead? Compare holiday parks on Holiday Parks NZ or stays near Timaru on our Stays page.

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

What is the closest campsite to Timaru?

From DOC's list, Otaio Gorge Campsite is the closest, about 29 km away in a straight line.

Are there free campsites near Timaru?

Yes, 9 of the DOC campsites within 150 km are free basic campsites.

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