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DOC campsite fees by category
The Department of Conservation runs hundreds of campsites and prices them by category, per person, per night. Here are the published fees.
| Category | Adult fee per night | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Serviced | Serviced campsites: adults $25 a night on unpowered or tent sites, $20-28 on powered sites1 | Flush toilets, tap water, kitchen bench, hot showers, rubbish collection, road access for all vehicles. |
| Standard | Standard campsites: adults $10 to $20 a night1 | Toilets and water (possibly untreated), vehicle or boat access. |
| Basic | Basic campsites: free, but you need to be fully self-sufficient1 | Basic toilets, untreated water. |
Children: children 5 to 17 pay $12.50 a night on serviced unpowered sites; infants free1. Fees apply to most campsites in each category, but individual campsite pages can differ1.
Things to know
- Fees are per person. Two adults at a Standard site pay double the adult fee. The calculator has a per-person field that multiplies by the people sharing.
- Campsite Pass. A Campsite Pass covers DOC conservation campsites around New Zealand, bookable and non-bookable1. Compare it with your nightly fees if you plan many DOC nights.
- Don’t hold a site you won’t use. Book or occupy a site you don’t use and a fee for two adults applies1.
- Not self-contained? DOC campsites with toilets are an easy fit; see self-contained campervans for the freedom camping rules.
Work out your own trip: open the campervan hire calculator. It starts with sourced defaults and leaves the rest for your quote.
Sources
- Department of Conservation, Campsite categories: facilities and fees. Checked 31 October 2026.