Image: DOC
Hawdon Shelter Campsite.
Hawdon Shelter Campsite

Located in Arthur's Pass National Park in the Canterbury region

Camp in the lower reaches of the Hawdon Valley on the grassy flats.

Fees

  • Adult (18+ years): $10 per night
  • Child (5–17 years): $5 per night
  • Infant (0 - 4 years): free

Pay online at the time of booking.

The DOC Campsite Pass can be used at this campsite. 

Campsite Pass bookings must be booked online before occupying a site. If you do not book, bookings may be made by campground staff (if present) and will incur a $10 service charge. Sites may not be available if you do not book. 

Bookings

Bookings are open for stays up to 30 June 2025.

All bookings are first-come first-served. We do not have waiting lists for bookings for future seasons or facilities that are already booked-out.

Bookings are required all year.

Book Hawdon Campsite online

A $10 service fee applies to phone and in-person booking. This is a limited service – book online first. An in-person booking is dependent on there being space available.

Your booking will be for a site, which will be allocated or selected on arrival.

Follow SH 73 to Mount White Road, 24 km south of Arthur’s Pass village.

Location

NZTM2000 coordinates: E1497922, N5239772
Latitude: -42.98786678, Longitude: 171.74789106

Wasp populations reach high numbers from January to March – wear light coloured clothing and carry antihistamine cream/tablets as a precaution.

No open fires permitted except in the fireplace in the DOC shelter.

Hawdon river has a stock exclusion fence near Hawdon shelter. This can act as a strainer to rafters or people in the river.

Stay safe when crossing rivers

If you plan to cross unbridged rivers, know how to cross safely and be prepared for if you cannot cross.

Do not cross if the river is flooded, you cannot find safe entry and exit points or are unsure it’s safe. Turn back or wait for the river to drop. If in doubt, stay out.

How to cross rivers safely

Walking and tramping

There are walks from here along the Hawdon River.