Hawdon Shelter Campsite
Arthur's Pass National Park • Canterbury
Alerts
Check the DOC website for current alerts and conditions before you go. This site gets current alert info from DOC, but is not an official source of information.
- About
- Camp in the lower reaches of the Hawdon Valley on the grassy flats.
- Facilities
- Non-powered/tent sites
- Shelter for cooking
- Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
- Toilets - non-flush
- Toilets
- Water supply
- Activities
- Walking and tramping
- Dogs
- No dogs.
- Access
- Campervan, Car, Caravan
- Unpowered sites
- 30
Fees and bookings
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 2027.
- If no availability shows online for your dates, the campsite is fully booked.
- No spaces are kept for campers arriving without a booking.
- Phone and in‑person bookings made at a visitor centre incur a $10 service fee.
- Same‑day bookings are available online until 8 pm if spaces remain.
Your booking will be for a site, which will be allocated or selected on arrival.
Getting there
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
Know before you go
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 and streams
If you plan to cross unbridged rivers or side streams, know how to cross safely and be prepared for if you cannot cross.
Do not cross if the river or stream 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.
NIWA river flow forecasts: View a video of national followed by regional river flows
Activities
Walking and tramping
There are walks from here along the Hawdon River.
Nearby
Weather
Forecast at the campsite