14 Epic Camping Grounds near Te Anau & Milford Sound

Discover the best camping spots in and around Te Anau for both campervans and tents.

As the “Gateway to Milford Sound” and a destination in its own right, Te Anau makes a great adventure base for outdoor lovers.

The lakeside town of Te Anau is located right near the thick beech forests, snow-capped mountains, glacier-carved fiords, and world-class hiking trails of Fiordland National Park. 

And there’s no better way to explore these stunning surroundings than by pitching a tent or parking your campervan right in the midst of it all.

As a keen camper and hiker, Te Anau is one of my favourite weekend haunts from my home base in Queenstown.

In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about camping in Te Anau and Milford Sound, including the best camping spots to park your campervan or pitch your tent.

While freedom camping isn’t allowed in either Te Anau or Milford Sound, there are plenty of commercial campgrounds and DOC campsites to choose from.

In the town of Te Anau, there are several great holiday parks on offer. And if you’d prefer something more back-to-basics, there are numerous DOC campsites and a couple of other excellent options along the road from Te Anau to Milford Sound.

So without further ado, here’s your guide to camping in (and around) Te Anau!

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Map of Te Anau camping grounds

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Quick overview: my thoughts on camping in Te Anau

• My favourite campgrounds in Te Anau are the Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park & Tasman Holiday Park Te Anau. These are busy, bustling commercial holiday parks, but they’re both close to the lake and town and have great facilities. 

• If you’re looking for a more “back to basics” camping experience, camp along the road to Milford Sound instead of in Te Anau. There are multiple DOC campsites dotted along Milford Road, and all of them are in beautiful wilderness settings (and you can usually have campfires at most of them!).
  
  Cascade Creek is the largest of the DOC camping grounds along Milford Road, and I think it’s the best choice out of them all.
  
  However, I often find the sandflies unbearable at the Milford Road campsites, so I tend to camp in Te Anau unless I’m feeling brave. The sandflies aren’t nearly as bad in Te Anau (in fact, I’ve never had an issue with them there).

Campsites in Te Anau

You won’t find any DOC campsites in the town of Te Anau, but there are some lovely holiday parks to choose from—and all are equipped with top-notch facilities. Here are the best ones!

1. Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park

The spacious Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park has room for all types of campers, whether you’re camping in a tent, campervan, motorhome, or prefer a camping cabin.

When I want to tent camp in Te Anau, this is where I go—the campsites towards the back of the campground are grassy, quiet and perfect for tents (or for vans, too!). 

The facilities at this holiday park are excellent, with two main kitchen and bathroom blocks to choose from. The kitchens are clean, tidy and well-equipped with hot water zips, toasters, and communal fridges. There are also free BBQs located just outside of each kitchen block, all ready to go for your sausage sizzle.

After all of the hiking you’ll likely be doing around Te Anau, a hot shower will certainly be welcome—and the showers at this campground are great, with good water pressure and gloriously hot (and free) water to clean off all of that trail dirt.

Located a 15-minute walk (or 3-minute drive) from town, this holiday park is in a peaceful spot just steps away from beautiful Lake Te Anau. At sunset, walk down to the Marakura Wharf for a photo-op. 

You’ll also be camping right next to the Ivon Wilson Reserve, which is home to a fantastic, free disc golf course. If you don’t have your own discs, you can purchase them from Outside Sports in town.

Now, you might be tempted to choose a campsite towards the front of the campground to get the best lake views. But I recommend picking a site towards the middle or back of the campground to avoid hearing road noise at night.

This campground gets bonus points for its awesome communal lounge area, which has free WiFi and good seating.

✨ Check prices & availability for the Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park ➡️

2. Tasman Holiday Park Te Anau

Campervanners will be in heaven at the Tasman Holiday Park Te Anau, which is close to both the lake and town and is high-quality in every way.

This campground has a boutique feel to it, and it’s lovely.

You’ll have access to a spacious camp kitchen, free BBQs, and a comfy lounge area. 

But my favourite part about this campsite is that there is a (free!) barrel sauna onsite, along with freshwater hot tubs you can hire. Book either of these at the front desk when you arrive.

You can also hire bikes from the front desk to cycle on the Lake2Lake trail along Lake Te Anau.

In addition to campervan sites, there are tent sites here, too, but I tend to tent camp at the Lakeview Holiday Park as the pitches are bigger there.

Oh, I also need to mention that every time I’ve stayed here, the camp staff have been SO nice and helpful. There is truly some excellent customer service at this place, so you’ll be looked after well.

✨ Check prices & availability for Tasman Holiday Park Te Anau ➡️

3. Te Anau Top 10 Holiday Park

The Te Anau Top 10 Holiday Park is located just off the main highway, right across the road from the shops, restaurants, and cafes in Te Anau.

They have a huge assortment of camping cabins and units, plus, of course, campsites for tents and vans.

If you’re camping with kids, they’ll love the jumping pillow and playground here. 

Top 10 members get discounts on all of the Top 10 properties around New Zealand, so if that’s you, this is a great choice for camping while you’re in Te Anau.

Campsites between Te Anau & Milford Sound

Between Te Anau and Milford Sound, you’ll find 7 DOC campsites with basic facilities (non-flush toilets, mainly) and two private campgrounds—the Eglinton Valley Camp & Milford Lodge Rainforest Campervan Park.

Now, I do need to warn you that sandflies can be really really awful at all of these campsites, so come prepared with insect repellent. I should also mention that cell service can be scarce, so download any maps or entertainment you’d like before you head out.

You should also stock up on petrol and food in Te Anau—and if you’re staying at one of the DOC campsites, bring your own drinking water unless you’re prepared to collect and boil or treat water from the rivers and streams.

Dogs and other pets are not allowed in Fiordland National Park, so none of the campsites between Te Anau and Milford Sound allow dogs/pets.

I’ve listed the below campsites in order of their location between Te Anau and Milford Sound.

4. Henry Creek DOC Campsite

The Henry Creek Campsite is the closest DOC camping ground to Te Anau.

If you want a low-cost campsite close to Te Anau, this is a great choice.

This campground is peaceful and lovely, set amongst beech forest and perched on the shores of Lake Te Anau. I particularly like the sites closest to the lake, especially if you can get a private site tucked in the forest with a lake view.

However, I do think this campground is best suited to campervans (or car-based campers) rather than tent campers. You can tent camp here, but finding the right pitch is a bit tricky as the ground is quite pebbly/rocky and uneven, so tent pegs can be a challenge (if you have a rooftop tent, though, you’ll be sweet!).

Sandflies can sometimes be bad here, and sometimes not—it seems like there’s no rhyme or reason to it. But either way, come prepared with insect repellent!

5. Walker Creek DOC Campsite

The Walker Creek DOC Campsite is a small, basic camping ground next to the Eglinton River.

This camping spot is best suited for small campervans, as there’s a tight turning bay at the far end of the campground. I also think the sites here are overall better for vans rather than tents, although there are a couple of flat spots you could pitch a tent at.

Forest flanks this site, and while the views aren’t quite as spectacular as some of the other Milford Road campsites, it gives you a preview of the scenery that awaits you further down the road.

While it’s not guaranteed, you’ll likely be able to get cell service at this campsite.

6. Totara DOC Campsite

Sheltered from the road by beech forest, the Totara Campsite is a peaceful spot for camping between Te Anau and Milford Sound.

This campsite is suitable for all types of campers, including tents and larger campervans/motorhomes.

You’ll be close to the river here and will likely wake up to plentiful birdsong.

You should be able to get cell service at this campsite, too.

7. Deer Flat DOC Campsite

The Deer Flat DOC Campsite is located along a bend in the Eglinton River, with peaceful, scenic campsites tucked amidst the beech forest and a grassy open meadow. 

When you first pull into this campsite, it might appear small—but keep driving towards the back of the campground and you’ll find a wide grassy area with lots of places to park up or pitch a tent.

In late spring/early summer, you’ll often find large patches of pink and purple lupins along the riverbank. They’re invasive but quite pretty, I must admit.

You can fly fish along the river (with the proper fishing licence), although my other half Ty (who fly-fishes) hasn’t had much luck catching anything here! The river also has some good swimming holes for a refreshing dip after a day of hiking around Fiordland.

This and Cascade Creek are my two favourite DOC campsites along the Milford Road, with Deer Flat being the quieter of the two.

8. Eglinton Valley Camp

The Eglinton Valley Camp is the only private (non-DOC) campground between Te Anau and Milford Sound, besides the Milford Rainforest Campervan Park (which I’ll get to later on in this guide).

And what a lovely spot this is!

If you want to camp along Milford Road but would like flush toilets, hot showers, and a camp kitchen, then you should camp here. It has the natural beauty of a DOC campsite with a few more perks added!

There are only non-powered sites at this camping ground, and you won’t find WiFi or any fancy amenities. But this is a clean, comfortable, and well-run campground in an absolutely beautiful setting. 

If you want to get back to basics but not completely rough it, then you’ll love this spot. This is a great place to relax and unwind after exploring around Te Anau and Milford Sound.

They also have a couple of cosy cabins here, which are a real treat to stay in and might just be the best-kept secret for accommodation near Milford Sound.

9. Kiosk Creek DOC Campsite

Kiosk Creek is another small but scenic campsite along Milford Road.

From this campsite, you’ll get awesome mountain views. You’ll also be across the road from the Eglinton River (there are some fly fishing spots close by).

Campsites are dotted along a flat, golden meadow that gets good afternoon sun. Tent camping and campervan camping are both good options here.

As long-drop toilets can sometimes be a bit… icky, you’ll be pleased to know that you’re just a 1-minute drive from the public flush toilets at Knob’s Flat.

Make sure to bring your own drinking water, as there’s none here.

10. Upper Eglinton DOC Campsite

Upper Eglinton is a small campsite with wide-open valley and mountain views and fly-fishing opportunities.

Accessing this campsite requires a tight, sharp turn off Milford Road, so it’s not recommended for larger vehicles.

This campsite is close to the Earl Mountain walking tracks, including the 30-minute walk to one of Milford Road’s hidden gems: the walkwire (pictured above!).

11. Cascade Creek DOC Campsite

As the largest DOC campsite along Milford Road—and the closest DOC campsite to Milford Sound—Cascade Creek is a popular camping ground. 

There are 140 camping sites in this large campground, but even then, it sometimes fills up to capacity on busy summer days!

Located in a beautiful valley near the Eglinton and Cascade rivers, and surrounded by mountains and beech forest, this is a stunning place to camp.

From the campground, you can walk through beech forest along the Lake Gunn Nature Walk to see peaceful Lake Gunn. You’ll also be fairly close to drive to some of the South Island’s best hiking trails, including the Key Summit Track, Lake Marian Track, and Gertrude Valley.

There are lots of level sites for campervans here, and I also find it great for tent camping (aside from the sandflies, that is). If you’re tent camping, the sites dotted along the forest’s edge are really lovely—you’ll likely wake up to birdsong galore.

12. Milford Lodge Campervan Park

The Milford Lodge Campervan Park is the only camping spot at Milford Sound, and it’s only for campervans (there are no tent sites here, not even for rooftop tents).

It’s located at Milford Sound Lodge, one of the best places to stay near Milford Sound.

This campground’s prime location comes with a high price tag, but this is one sweet spot to park up your campervan! With only 20 sites available, this campground fills up quickly, so booking ahead is a must.

This is the perfect place to camp if you have an early cruise booked on Milford Sound the next morning, or if you just want to enjoy the serenity around Milford Sound after the masses of tourists have departed by the end of the day.

The free WiFi, comfy lounge area and camp kitchen are welcome amenities after a day of hiking and exploring Fiordland, especially if it’s raining out (a common occurrence in these parts!).

More camping near Te Anau

13. Mavora Lakes Conservation Park (DOC Camping)

Now, the Mavora Lakes Conservation Park isn’t exactly in Te Anau—it’s a 1.5-hour drive away from Te Anau, and a good portion of that drive (at least 30km) is along a gravel road.

But this is one of the best wilderness camping grounds on the South Island, so I can’t not include it in this guide!

Head to Mavora Lakes if you want to camp amongst nature and you have a couple of days to just relax and enjoy camping in a stunning setting.

This isn’t a good base for exploring Te Anau and Milford Sound (it’s too far to get to); instead, it’s a place to escape to and get away from it all. 

You have two camping areas at Mavora Lakes, and both are a treat.

First, there’s South Mavora Lake, which has a handful of peaceful campsites dotted along its shores. Only non-motorised boats are allowed at South Mavora Lake, so this is the quieter of the two camping areas.

Then there’s North Mavora Lake, which is surrounded by numerous campsites—many of which have epic views of the lake and mountains. Motorised boats are allowed on North Mavora Lake, and it’s also close to a popular 4WD track, so this is the busier camping area in the park. North Mavora Lake was also a filming site for the Lord of the Rings movies.

You can fly fish here (with a fishing licence), walk in the beech forest, swim or paddle on the lakes, go mountain biking, or just relax with a book. And definitely bring some firewood to have a campfire under the stars at night! 

Sandflies can be prolific here, though, so do come prepared for that (sometimes they’re fine, and sometimes not).  I also avoid this campground in the peak summer season, as it can be quite a scene with dirt bikes, ATVs, etc and I prefer camping in a quiet setting (but that’s just me).

14. Mossburn Country Park

Mossburn Country Park is peaceful, family-run holiday park is located in the countryside near Mossburn, about a 45-minute drive from Te Anau.

If you’re looking for a place to camp roughly halfway along the drive from Queenstown to Te Anau (or vice versa), this is the perfect spot!

In addition to grassy campsites, they also have some cosy cabins here that are surprisingly affordable. 

The grounds and facilities here are immaculate, and one of the perks of staying here is getting to visit the friendly farm animals. Animal feed is available at reception.

One thing to note is that this campground closes over the winter months and is typically open from October through April. 

Things to know before camping in Te Anau & Milford Sound

• My number one tip is to make sure you book in advance. Campsites around both Te Anau and Milford Sound are extremely popular, particularly during peak summer season.
  
  Worth noting is that while most of the DOC campsites in this area used to be first-come, first-served, they now require advance bookings.
  
  
• In addition to booking your campsite in advance, I also recommend booking a Milford Sound cruise ahead of time if you plan to do one.
  

• It can rain a lot in Fiordland. Come prepared with a raincoat and if you’re tent camping, make sure you have a good rainfly!
  

• I’ve mentioned this above, but sandflies can be horrendous along Milford Road and at Milford Sound. They do mostly go away at night, though, at least in my experience.
  

• Dogs aren’t allowed in Fiordland National Park, including any of the camping spots along the Milford Road.
  
  
• Some of the DOC campsites in this area allow campfires in designated fire rings, as long as there isn’t a fire ban in place. It’s worth checking before you head out so you can bring along some firewood if you’re keen. And if you do have a campfire, please ensure you fully put it out when you’re done!

Want more South Island camping adventures?

Camping is my all-time favourite topic to write about (and “research”—and by that, I mean that I get to go camping 😂) so I’ve written quite a few guides on camping in New Zealand.

Check these out if you’re planning some South Island camping trips!

• South Island camping guide
  
  
• Queenstown camping guide
  
  
• Glenorchy camping guide
  
  
• Catlins camping guide
  
  
• Aoraki Mount Cook camping guide
  
  
• South Island freedom camping guide
  

And if you’re travelling in a campervan, check out this 2-week New Zealand campervan itinerary or this 3-week South Island itinerary, which include many of my top-rated camping spots in New Zealand 😊

Thanks for reading my Te Anau camping guide!

I truly hope it’s helped you plan your camping trip.

As always, please leave a comment if you have any questions or feedback for me. I really love hearing from you!