The best campsites in the South Island for campervans and tents

The South Island is built for camping: lakes you can park beside, beaches at the end of gravel roads and mountain valleys with a long-drop and a view worth a five-star hotel. The catch is that the best sites are small, popular and increasingly need booking.

This list picks fourteen campsites by region, mostly run by the Department of Conservation (DOC), with fees, booking rules and vehicle notes from each campsite’s own page. Prices are per adult per night as at November 2026; children aged 5 to 17 pay half and under 5s are free unless noted.

The shortlist

“Peak” for Gillespies Beach, Tōtaranui and Pelorus Bridge means 26 December to 8 February.

Canterbury

Klondyke Corner, Arthur’s Pass. A large, open standard campsite near where the Bealey and Waimakariri rivers meet, 8 km south of Arthur’s Pass village on SH73. It has 40 sites spread both sides of the road, costs $15 and is popular in summer. It is the obvious base for Avalanche Peak or a day in the village.

Lake Pearson (Moana Rua). A high-country lake beside SH73, 35 km south of Arthur’s Pass village, with 20 sites at $15. DOC rates it as a good base for birdwatching. Both Canterbury sites ban fires and dogs.

Mackenzie

White Horse Hill, Aoraki/Mount Cook. At the start of the Hooker Valley Track, with 72 non-powered sites, treated water, a cooking shelter and basic toilets for $20. DOC says it is often full all year, busiest from Christmas to mid-February, and suggests mid-February to Easter for fewer people. No spaces are kept for walk-ins.

Glentanner Park. If you want showers and power, this private holiday park on a sheep station by Lake Pūkaki, 18 km from the national park, has 60 powered campervan sites from $43 per adult and non-powered sites from $37, with a kitchen, showers and laundry.

Otago

Moke Lake, Queenstown. A peaceful lake 7 km up a gravel road off the Glenorchy road, with 75 sites at $18 and a 2 hour walk to Lake Dispute. Bookings are required, and DOC limits them because of the facilities, not the space. There is no tap water from May to September, and the road can be 4WD only in winter.

Twelve Mile Delta, Queenstown. The backup when Moke Lake is full: 100 sites on a river delta by Lake Wakatipu, 12 km from Queenstown, first come, first served at $15. The DOC Campsite Pass cannot be used here. Dogs are allowed on a leash.

Kidds Bush Reserve, Lake Hāwea. Shady beech trees on a grassy lakeshore, 32 km (about 40 minutes) north of Wānaka. 40 sites at $15, and DOC says it is often booked out from Boxing Day to early February. The access road is narrow, steep in places and not suitable for large campervans, and toilets are portable until a new block is built.

Purakaunui Bay, Catlins. A coastal standard site with 40 tent sites at $15, near Jacks Blowhole. DOC says the camping area is very wet and unsuitable for campervans and heavy vehicles, so this one is for tents.

Fiordland

Cascade Creek, Milford Road. A big standard campsite at the lower end of Lake Gunn, 71 km north of Te Anau, with 140 sites at $18 and DOC’s note that it is good for larger vehicles. It is a handy place to stay before an early drive to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. The Lake Gunn Nature Walk starts here, and fires are allowed in the designated fireplaces when there is no fire ban.

Insider tip: Cascade Creek is 71 km up the Milford Road from Te Anau, so a night here puts a big chunk of the drive behind you before your cruise. Book it for the night before, and you can be on the road early while the light is still on the mountains.

West Coast

Lake Paringa. A small lakeside campsite beside SH6, 40 km north of Haast, with only 10 sites at $18. Bookings are required all year, sites 7 to 10 are for large vehicles, and there is mobile coverage. Swim or kayak in the lake, or walk part of the Haast to Paringa Cattle Track.

Gillespies Beach, near Fox Glacier. A wild beach campsite 21 km from Fox Glacier township, near an old gold-mining settlement, with walks to a seal colony at Galway Beach and views of the Southern Alps. Only 8 sites at $18 ($20 from 26 December to 8 February). Over half the road is narrow gravel and DOC says it is not suitable for campervans or caravans.

Nelson Tasman and Marlborough

Kerr Bay, Nelson Lakes. A serviced campsite on the shore of Lake Rotoiti at St Arnaud, open year round, with a kitchen shelter, token hot showers and powered sites. From 19 October to 30 April, non-powered sites are $27 and powered $30; the rest of the year they are $25 and $27. The Campsite Pass cannot be used in the October to April season.

Tōtaranui, Abel Tasman. A huge beachfront campground with 269 sites and room for up to 850 people, at the northern end of Abel Tasman National Park. $18, or $20 from 26 December to 8 February, when a minimum fee of $40 per night and a 14-night maximum apply. It is about 2.5 hours from Nelson over Tākaka Hill, and the last 12 km is narrow, winding and unsealed. There are no rubbish facilities, so take everything out.

Pelorus Bridge, Marlborough. A serviced campground among kahikatea, beech and rimu on the Te Hoiere/Pelorus River, on SH6, 54 km from Nelson and 60 km from Blenheim. $25, or $27 from 26 December to 8 February. Hot showers cost $1 for 4 minutes and there is a laundry. There is no dump station; DOC points you to the service station in Havelock.

How to book and what to check

1. Book on DOC’s site. Each campsite’s page has a booking link. The 2026/27 South Island campsite bookings opened on 15 May 2026, and Tōtaranui on 22 May.
2. Check the vehicle notes. Several of these sites sit at the end of narrow gravel roads, and rental agreements may restrict unsealed roads.
3. Check fees by date. Peak pricing from 26 December to 8 February applies at Gillespies Beach, Tōtaranui and Pelorus Bridge.
4. Have a backup. DOC’s own advice for full sites is to plan an alternative, such as Twelve Mile Delta for Moke Lake.
5. Fires and dogs. Most of these sites ban both. Read the rules on each page.

If you are in a certified self-contained van you can also freedom camp where councils allow it, but it is self-contained only and the rules vary by district; our freedom camping guide explains them. For hire, insurance and campsite budgets, see our campervan costs guide, and for a route that strings several of these sites together, our 14-day South Island road trip.