Lyell Campsite

Lyell Campsite

Buller Gorge

41 Rankers Reviews

16 Face-to-Face

13 Murchison

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Lyell Camping Ground
Cooking shelter at Lyell Camping Ground

Information

Lyell Campsite

The site of the historic gold-rush town of Lyell, this large, grassed campsite is easily accessible. Explore the gold workings at settlements of Gibbstown (2 hr return), Zalatown and 8 Mile, plus the Alpine Battery site.

This is a very easily accessible campsite just off the main highway. It is set in a large grassy area in the historic gold-rush town of Lyell.

There are BBQ areas, picnic tables, a shelter to cook in, please note there are NO rubbish bins here. Take the dog for a walk and explore the battery (rock crusher).

Take ALL rubbish with you - there are no rubbish bins at this site. What you take in, you must take out. PLEASE RESPECT THIS!

DOC Campsite Pricing

Lyell Campsite is categorised as a DOC Standard Campsite. The following pricing indicates usual pricing. Prices vary for some campsites and may include seasonal pricing. Visit the DOC website for exact pricing.

DOC Standard Campsite

Standard campsites have a more limited range of facilities and services than Serviced campsites. These campsites have toilets, a water supply that could be treated or untreated tap water, or from a stream or lake, and vehicle or boat access. Bring your own soap for washing hands. Untreated water should be boiled before use to ensure it's safe. Wood BBQs and fireplaces, cold showers, picnic tables, a cooking shelter and rubbish bins may be provided; this will vary from site to site.

Feature Value Value
Unpowered Site Adult $10.00 to $15.00 per night
Unpowered Site Child $5.00 to $7.50 per night
Unpowered Site Infant $0.00 per night

Adults are 18+ years, children are 5-17 years, infants are 0-4 years.

Details

Feature Value Info

Organisation

DOC West Coast

Central government organisation

Location

South IslandNelson RegionMurchison

Categories

  • Activity__basic_facility_campingBasic Camping

Directions

To Coordinates

Coordinates

-41.79576141

172.0488465

Latitude
-41.79576141
Longitude
172.0488465

Websites

Reviews

    ✓ Calm and peaceful

    ✓ Clean toilets

    ✓ Nice river spot

    ✓ Fire pits available

    ✓ Good walking tracks

    𐄂 Lots of sandflies

    𐄂 Old toilets

    • Nice and quiet campsite.
    • Standard DOC campsite.
    • An overnight stay in a great location.
    • A lovely, scenic area to camp.
    • Start of the Old Ghost Road bike trail.
    Rating Count Percentage
    10/10 2
    5%
    9/10 5
    12%
    8/10 8
    20%
    7/10 18
    44%
    6/10 4
    10%
    5/10 3
    7%
    4/10 0
    0%
    3/10 1
    2%
    2/10 0
    0%
    1/10 0
    0%
  • 4.0/5

    Sympathique camping avec toilettes anciennes mais propres Très calme et reposant, au milieu de la forêt

    Reviewed about 1 year ago

  • 4.0/5

    Sandflies are insane here, if you can get past that it's a good little campground.

    Long drop toilets in clean condition and a netted shed for cooking and eating some food keeps the Sandflies away. Nice river section to explore and fire pits laid around the camp. Would go there again if I was passing through.

    Reviewed almost 2 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    Lots of weka and sandflies.

    Nice walking tracks.

    Reviewed about 2 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    We didn’t stay the night here but definitely worth a stop if you are going by.

    Do the short walk to the creek. Cool suspended cable foot bridge. We didn’t have time for the longer walk. Would be a great free camp otherwise.

    Reviewed about 5 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    8$ pp is ok for one Night.

    nice place but lot of sandflies. nice historic cemetery close by.

    Reviewed over 5 years ago

    JT's avatar

    JT

  • 5.0/5

    Great site, very clean, easy to find a spot, and a very beautiful spot to wake up too.

    Plenty of walks nearby to keep All interested

    Reviewed over 6 years ago

  • 1.5/5

    We stopped there on a rainy day and waked up surrounded by the sandflies.

    There were thousands.

    Toilets are not clean.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    Nice and quiet campsite.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago

  • 3.0/5

    The grass was so soft that we got stuck in the mud when trying to looking for a spot.

    Luckily the locals helped us to push our campervan. It was really sweet of them for helping us out. In the end we parked on a rocky spot.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    Basic campground and close to the Main Street.

    There are plenty of spots for your campervan and also lots of sandflies.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    A lovely, scenic area to camp.

    A bit noisy and busy, which is to be expected since it's the entry to the Old Ghost Road track and a stop over for people traveling through the Buller area. But cheap, with friendly wekas who like to thief your food.

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    Very basic camping, a lot of bugs and yucky toilet.

    There is a beautiful road in the mountain to get there!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016

  • 4.0/5

    Sympathique camping avec toilettes anciennes mais propres Très calme et reposant, au milieu de la forêt

    Reviewed about 1 year ago

  • 4.0/5

    Sandflies are insane here, if you can get past that it's a good little campground.

    Long drop toilets in clean condition and a netted shed for cooking and eating some food keeps the Sandflies away. Nice river section to explore and fire pits laid around the camp. Would go there again if I was passing through.

    Reviewed almost 2 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    Lots of weka and sandflies.

    Nice walking tracks.

    Reviewed about 2 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    We didn’t stay the night here but definitely worth a stop if you are going by.

    Do the short walk to the creek. Cool suspended cable foot bridge. We didn’t have time for the longer walk. Would be a great free camp otherwise.

    Reviewed about 5 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    8$ pp is ok for one Night.

    nice place but lot of sandflies. nice historic cemetery close by.

    Reviewed over 5 years ago

    JT's avatar

    JT

  • 5.0/5

    Great site, very clean, easy to find a spot, and a very beautiful spot to wake up too.

    Plenty of walks nearby to keep All interested

    Reviewed over 6 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    Nice and quiet campsite.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago

  • 1.5/5

    We stopped there on a rainy day and waked up surrounded by the sandflies.

    There were thousands.

    Toilets are not clean.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago

  • 3.0/5

    The grass was so soft that we got stuck in the mud when trying to looking for a spot.

    Luckily the locals helped us to push our campervan. It was really sweet of them for helping us out. In the end we parked on a rocky spot.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    Basic campground and close to the Main Street.

    There are plenty of spots for your campervan and also lots of sandflies.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago

  • 2.5/5

    Beautiful campgroud but the long drop toilets were dirty and a lot of sandflies.

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    A lovely, scenic area to camp.

    A bit noisy and busy, which is to be expected since it's the entry to the Old Ghost Road track and a stop over for people traveling through the Buller area. But cheap, with friendly wekas who like to thief your food.

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    Very basic camping, a lot of bugs and yucky toilet.

    There is a beautiful road in the mountain to get there!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016

  • 3.5/5

    Beautiful spot, easy to find, but the night we stayed there it poured with rain and was very muddy so we stayed on the gravel road, it was sheltered and quiet.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Nice place to stay for a night or two but nothing special for a camp ground.

    Good access to other places but prepare for mega sand flies.

    Reviewed almost 9 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    Start of the Old Ghost Road bike trail.

    Loads of sandflies (worse than on the West Coast). Long drop toilets, large flat grassy campsites.

    Reviewed almost 9 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    During the New Year Holiday period there were over two dozen different family groups camping here and there was still room for more.

    The setting of the camp is lovely with excellent bush walks starting & finishing from the grounds. The recently completed Ghost Road cycle and tramping route terminates in the grounds next to a beautifully constructed sandfly-proof shelter. For an area with this level of popularity the two old-style "long-drop" toilets are inadequate. If DOC update the facilities I'd rate my experience 10/10

    Reviewed almost 9 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    It was raining cats and dogs that night.

    Beautiful spot, a wind shelter and a lot of sandflies. Drop toilets and water from tap but has to be filtered. BBQ opportunities.

    Reviewed over 9 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    An overnight stay in a great location.

    Some traffic noise but not too bad. Magnificent views and a nice level grass site. Somewhat spoiled by very smelly toilets and the trash had not been emptied in several days. Otherwise all good.

    Reviewed over 9 years ago and experienced in March 2015

  • 4.0/5

    Standard DOC campsite.

    $6 pp, long drop toilets, no sink. Next to the road but not noisy, a lot more space than the brochure says. Loads of sandflies.

    Reviewed over 9 years ago

  • 3.0/5

    Too close to the road to allow a good sleep.

    Tap was outdoors. Very basic.

    Reviewed almost 10 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Nice camp with fireplaces, our first camping, next to the road, but it is sheltered so it is quiet.

    Reviewed about 10 years ago and experienced in March 2014

  • 5.0/5

    Perfect, APART from all the sandflies!!

    Reviewed about 10 years ago and experienced in March 2014

  • 4.0/5

    Super campsite - a little way from Murchison (35kms).

    The basics at $6 an adult, cannot go wrong. Lots of sandflies!!

    Reviewed about 10 years ago and experienced in March 2014

  • 3.5/5

    Facilities expected of basic DOC site, scenic situation.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2014

  • 2.5/5

    Good facilities and a lot of space.

    Not really quiet because the SH6 is really close. Besides a lot of sandflies!!!

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2014

  • 3.5/5

    20Apr14, 1 night, $12 per night, 2 of us (50's).

    Ignoring the long drop loos and the flies...it was a good site.

    The walkway is good. Check out the inscriptions on the headstones in the cemetery, they had a hard life.

    A bit of road noise too, some of the lorries going by were a bit noisy.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in April 2014

  • 3.5/5

    Nice location, lots of space, basic facilities, tap water and cooking shelter.

    But heaps of sandflies and long grass. Just one night, no longer.

    6$ each.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in January 2014

  • 3.0/5

    Plenty sandflies!

    Basic DOC campsite. You are allowed to start a fire in the designated areas.

    Very interesting trails: swing bridge, old graveyard and battering ram in the middle of the woods.

    Near the highway so relatively noisy.

    Reviewed almost 11 years ago

  • 3.5/5

    Nice DOC campsite.

    Made only a stop there for lunch. Be aware of the sandflys.

    Reviewed about 11 years ago and experienced in April 2013