Pokaka Mill Campsite
Taurewa, Tongariro Forest Conservation Area
6 Rankers Reviews
Accommodation
Maps
Camping NZ NEW
Welcome to New Zealand's most comprehensive database of freely available camping information. This is the only travel map of its kind in NZ.
Photos
Information
Pokaka Mill Campsite
A basic campsite in the Ruapehu area.
Rough gravel access road - 4WD recommended. Very remote and a pretty cool experience. Make sure you camp on a bit of higher ground if it starts to rain as there can be a bit of surface flooding.
Notices
-
Predator control for Tongariro Forest Conservation Area
A predator control operation using toxic bait containing 1080 was completed on 22 August 2025.
There may be toxic carcasses and bait (green coloured pellets) in the area. It's not safe to hunt for food or have your dog in this area for up to 8 months. Warning signs and this web alert will be removed when the area is safe again.
1080 is deadly to dogs. How to keep dogs safe around 1080.
This operation is part of DOC's National Predator Control Programme to protect native species.
First published on 28 July 2025. Last reviewed on 24 November 2025.
DOC Campsite Pricing
Pokaka Mill Campsite is categorised as a DOC Basic Campsite. The following pricing indicates usual pricing.
DOC Basic Campsite
Basic campsites have very limited facilities so you need to be fully self-sufficient. There are basic toilets and water may be from a water tank that is untreated, stream or lake. Untreated water should be boiled before use to ensure it's safe. Access may be by road or boat.
| Feature | Value | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Unpowered Site | Adult | $0.00 per night |
| Unpowered Site | Child | $0.00 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 Central North IslandCentral government organisation |
|
|
Location |
North Island ▷ Ruapehu ▷ Tongariro / National Park Village |
|
|
Categories |
|
|
|
Directions To Coordinates |
||
|
Coordinates |
Basic Camping
Google Maps
Reviews
-
-
This place was from a horror movie.
Sam -
DON'T go there.
Lucy -
Very secluded.
HollyB4 -
Takes a good while to get to.
Sam
-
DON'T go there.
Seriously. The dirt road is in incredibly bad condition, lots of wide & deep potholes, deep ditches and long stretches of washed out areas. High risk of getting stuck when muddy from rain.
It takes ages to get to the campsite and extremely careful and attentive driving.
When we finally made it, the site was not accessible due to huge & deep waterholes in the road. Campsite had a very eerie sort of atmosphere, we did not feel comfortable there. We turned around and left.
Go to KiwiCamp in National Park Village instead. It's free as long as you don't need power & has great facilities.
The Okupata caves on the way to the campsite are not worth it, either, btw. Very difficult to find. Don't trust the location shown on Google. Keep going further along the road until you see the sign saying the cave is 5 min away. The cave sits directly in the river bed with water streaming down the entrance. At least we think that was the entrance, there was no sign.
-
Very secluded.
Got an average spot at the entrance of the camp by the first toilet. Didn’t want to go in further as looks to be someone living down there permanently in a makeshift tent/Gazebos. Looks intimidating.
They have alot of visitors come and go through the night. Resulting in no access to water.
Quite a lot of toilet paper around the place and people not disposing of their rubbish correctly. No mosquitoes but large amount of bees. Wont be using this one again.
Didn’t get a chance to explore the caves.
-
This place was from a horror movie.
It took almost an hour to drive there from the main road because it’s gravel. If you have 4 wheel drive it’s probably fine but I was worried for my tires. Then when we got there it’s just an empty wasteland with a toilet but. Very creepy vibes. If you have a group of people or don’t mind being completely isolated it fine but not for us.
-
It's really far outside, over 10 km of one lane rough gravel road.
Campsite itself had nothing special to offer, a lot of space obviously, because nobody takes this long way. You won't find more than a simple toilet. Would recommend another campsite with easier access, even if in distance.
-
Takes a good while to get to.
Possible to get to the campsite with non 4WD vehicles, but as the description states, 4WD would be recommended. Definitely secluded. Can get to the main site next to the toilets, but any further progress by car will require a large clearance between the bottom of the car and the ground, as there are some deep tire ruts in the road. There are some hiking trails in the area, but wouldn’t recommend as a ‘base of operation’ over a long period of time due to the length of time it takes to get back there. There is a sign at the entrance of the road that states no camping allowed, but this refers to the forest preserve that the road passes through before the National forest you’ll enter before you get to the campsite.
-
