Camping & Accommodation
A number of private accommodation providers offer hostel, cabin, motel and hotel lodgings, and tent sites. The private tracks that leave the main track to private accommodation are not constructed to the same standard as the Queen Charlotte Track and may be narrow, steep, and slippery when wet. Some private accommodation sites may not be signposted, so make sure you get clear directions when you book.
There are six Department of Conservation (DOC) managed, ‘self-registration’ campsites on the track, each with toilets and water supply. There are no cooking facilities at the campsites; you need to carry your own cooker. Avoid disposing of food scraps around the campsites as this causes visible pollution and attracts vermin. Remember there are no rubbish facilities: please take your rubbish back out with you.
Camping fees for DOC campsites are to be deposited in the self-registration box at each site or prepaid at the Picton i-SITE or at the DOC Office in Picton. These fees go toward the maintenance of the camp facilities.
DOC Campsites |
Water taxi stop | Time/distance from main track | Approx. number of tent sites | Cooking shelter | Approx. altitude above sea level |
| Schoolhouse Bay | Yes | 10 min/800 m | 6 | No | 5m |
| Camp Bay | Yes | On the Track | 20 | Yes | 5m |
| Bay of Many Coves | No | On the Track | 6 | Yes | 305m |
| Black Rock | No | On the Track | 4 | Yes | 260m |
| Cowshed Bay | No | 10 min/1 km | 30 | No | 5m |
| Mistletoe Bay (private)* | Yes | 15 min/1.2 km | 20 | Yes | 5m |
| Umungata (Davies Bay) | No | 2 min/100 m | 25 | Yes | 1m |
– * Private, on land administered by DOC.
– Toilets provided at all campsites.
– Water generally available at all campsites. It should be treated, boiled or filtered, and used sparingly. In dry weather water may run out.
– No fires at all times anywhere along the track.
