White Horse Hill Campsite, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
Photo: “White Horse Hill Campsite, Aoraki - Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand” by Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Campsite at a glance
- Type
- DOC campsite
- Run by
- Department of Conservation
- Address
- End of Hooker Valley Road, 2.5 km from Aoraki/Mt Cook Village
- Sites
- 72 non-powered/tent sites
- Price
- Adult $20, child $10, infant free per night
- Bookings
- Required; no spaces are kept for walk-ins
- Check-in / out
- Check-in 2pm–8pm, check-out 12 noon
- Dogs
- No dogs (national park)
Overview
White Horse Hill is a Standard DOC campsite at the end of Hooker Valley Road, 2.5 km from Aoraki/Mt Cook Village. It sits beneath Mt Sefton, at the start of the Hooker Valley Track.
It's often full all year round. DOC keeps no spaces for campers who turn up without a booking.
When to go
The busiest time is Christmas to mid-February. DOC suggests mid-February to Easter, when there are generally fewer people.
From 1 June to 31 August, facilities are reduced. Flush toilets are swapped for pit toilets, and there's no running water at the campsite. Get water from the shelter in the village.
Booking
- Book online. Bookings are open for stays up to 30 June 2027.
- If nothing shows online for your dates, the campsite is full.
- Same-day bookings are available online until 8pm, if sites are left.
- Phone and visitor-centre bookings cost an extra $10.
- The Campsite Pass is accepted, but you must still book first.
Arriving and parking
- Check-in is 2pm–8pm, and check-out is 12 noon.
- Drive through the White Horse Hill car park to reach the campsite. Park in the campsite area to avoid parking charges.
- If the campsite area is full, you can park in the car park. To avoid a fine, give DOC staff your number plate.
Facilities
There's treated drinking water, a cooking shelter and toilets, but no power and no showers. Coin and card-operated hot showers are at the public shelter in the village, 2.5 km away.
Rules
- No dogs, drones or fires. There's a permanent fire ban in the national park, including fireworks.
- Quiet hours run from 10pm to 7am. Generators, chainsaws and compressors are banned.
- Take your rubbish out of the national park. The nearest recovery parks are at Twizel, Lake Tekapo and Fairlie.
- Don't empty chemical toilets into the campsite toilets. The nearest public dump station is in Twizel.
Supplies
The village has a petrol station and a few cafés and bars. The nearest supermarket is in Twizel, 70 km or about an hour's drive away.
More: our DOC campsites guide.
Facilities
- Treated drinking water
- Cooking shelter
- Toilets (pit toilets and no running water June–August)
- No power or showers: paid hot showers in the village, 2.5 km away
Rules and good to know
- Permanent fire ban, including fireworks
- No drones
- Quiet hours 10pm–7am; no generators or chainsaws
- Take all rubbish out of the national park
- Nearest dump station and supermarket are in Twizel
Where is White Horse Hill Campsite?
The pin marks: Campsite (-43.7180, 170.0925). Follow the operator's directions for the final approach, since sat-nav routes can differ. Plan a route on OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab).
Location data: Department of Conservation, DOC Campsites (CC BY 4.0); OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0).
Featured in: DOC campsites
Sources: doc.govt.nz
Check before you go
Prices, pet rules, closures and road access change. Confirm current details for White Horse Hill Campsite on the official page before you book or travel.
Official campsite page