McLaren Falls Camping Area
Reviews
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Maurice
Ranking: 1/10
Closed until further notice!
Liamdelaney@outlook.com
Ranking: 10/10
Highly recommended, even in winter. Cheap and close to Tauranga, and ranger on-site morning and arvo to check in on people which is nice and makes feel secure if travelling alone. Fishing for trout is a must and glow worm track and smaller water fall on the glow worm track is beautiful. Bring a head torch as can explore park at night. Clean and tidy amenities and really good hot showers. A must for all travellers and plenty to do for three nights you will want to stay longer.
ML
Ranking: 10/10
Best campground in the area, by far. Book online for 10,50 per adult. Decided to stay another night and try out the awesome disc golf course (discs can be rented for 20NZD -15nzd deposit- or purchased at park cafe). Good for an easy stroll and hot shower. Nice walk to a waterfall and at night definitely go for the glowworm track!
Sue Atkinson
Ranking: 10/10
Camped here one night. Best campsite we found. Hot showers, clean washrooms, just beautiful well kept park. Did the walk to the waterfall then the glow worm walk. Amazing. Don’t pay at the other spots just camp here and walk along the river. Friendly ranger gave awesome directions. Wish we’d had time to stay another night and do more of the walks
Delphine
Ranking: 10/10
You have hot showers, toilets, bbk, water and tables.
21$ (2 persons 1 night).
Verry nice place.
Moritz
Ranking: 10/10
10$ pP unpowered tent side. Was quite busy but there is much space. You are inside the national park, gate locks at 19:30 in the summer (you cannot get in and out after that time!). Showers were really great and clean, you MUST go to the glowworm track after sunset! Get your flashlights ready for the way back but enjoy the walk without light in the night. Best experience!! You will not regret it.
Rachael
Ranking: 9/10
Awesome clean facilities, hot showers, sinks for washing up with hot water, bbq, and all for $10pp (pay in the info centre on the way into the park). Amazing :) (only downside was a vast amount of bird poo on the grass but nothing can be done about that as its their home too!)
Donkcfull
Ranking: 10/10
Great! Thats it ^^
Arno Nym
Ranking: 3/10
3 of the 4 camping grounds in the park were closed, just the pin oak camping ground was open. we have been at the camping ground 3 years ago and it was amazing, however today it was really crowded, many loud children playing and absolutely not the quiet and peaceful place we had last time. we are really disappointed however in summer season when the other camping grounds are open I would recommend it. before you pay don't make the same mistake like we did and inform you at the reception if the other camping grounds in the park are open, I don't recommend pin oak.
Axel
Ranking: 10/10
Awesome spot! $10/night with hot showers! Can t do any better!
Don t miss the glow worms track.
Ranger over friendly and helpful. Don t get there after 5.30 as the doors to get in the park close.
Dave
Ranking: 5/10
We have stayed here multiple times and have loved it! Normally i would rate this campground a 10 however this time at the end of winter there were sheep everywhere and only 1 of the campground locations was open. There was still plenty of campers for all sites to be open but it seems they want to keep everyone contained in the 1 area - they should really lower the price during winter as sheep are loud during the night even if you are in a van/motorhome - Save this place for summer. Not worth the price for 1 small campsite open for multiple campers and hundreds of sheep. Otherwise the place is beautiful as always! And the sheep are very cute - just not when you are trying to sleep.
Candice Lebertois
Ranking: 10/10
Amazing spot. 10dollars per person in February but toilets and shower are clean. The rangers is very friendly.
Many short walkway available and during the night beautiful walk with plenty of glowworms.
Magenta McHalick
Ranking: 10/10
Previous reviews are spot on. This place is lovely, lots of space and good facilities. $10 per person. Loved looking at the huge variety of trees conserved on the land. Enjoy your time here.
Chris & Peg
Ranking: 10/10
Excellent campside, big and lots of Space! Very clean facilities, free hot showers and best of all- cheap!
Kevin Sims
Ranking: 9/10
Lovely location, wooded park beside dammed lake which is part of a power scheme. Great place to camp, caters to all vehicles and tents. Facilities include clean showers and flush toilets at main camping area, two more campsites have toilets nearby. There are electric barbecues at nearby areas in the park also. Sheep inhabit certain areas so it might be wise to watch ones step, especially at night!
Greg Wilson
Ranking: 9/10
Excellent campsite with clean toilets and good hot showers. Only 3 campers in late September. Very friendly ranger collects camp fees ($10/person). The glow worm walk at night was worth the camp fee by itself!
Michael Smith
Ranking: 9/10
When we first rocked up there was no one in the office, but there's a self check in and self pay machine for camping. Labelling didn't work (which is why I gave it a 9), which meant we had to seek out a ranger to clarify. The rangers do come round to make sure you've paid so don't try anything! The showers were nice once we figured out you needed a token for them (or use the disabled showers if no tokens). Was just a car park space as grass was closed off due to rain. Great staff and wonderful location. Glowworms are an added extra!
Dalton Howden
Ranking: 8/10
Showers and toilets available, $10 per adult. Track to a waterfall is close by. Very spacious and away from the main road. Can pay at information centre or wait for a ranger to come by.
Haley Everitt
Ranking: 10/10
Absolutely stunning park! Sheep everywhere, a gorgeous waterfall, and a quick 10 minute night walk to see glow worms (included in the price of camping rather than spending $50 in Waitomo!) Would recommend!
Heike Buchmann
Ranking: 10/10
Very, very nice park, great architecture of landscape - lake, rivers, trees and bridges.
Dominique
Ranking: 10/10
The falls look nice but the park is the real highlight. And everything for free.
Maartje Mulders
Ranking: 9/10
Great location with tons of little walks. There's a short hike with glowworms on the campgrounds, as well as some beautiful waterfalls to look at. We deducted half a point since it was quite busy, and another half point for cleanliness (showers and toilets were suffering from some moulding and weren't the cleanest); would however totally recommend this place as it felt very safe, and location makes up for the cleanliness of the shower&restrooms.
Elena Rusalen
Ranking: 7/10
I went with a tent, there are a few areas to camp, the ones closest to the waterfall walk/entrance/glowworm were very busy mid march but the one further away at the top was quiet. Lovely view over the lake, lots of birds. Access to toilets and water points at all camp areas and you could do the short walk or drive back to free hot showers or the glowworm walk in the evening. There's a cafe on site and lots of activities if you are here in the daytime. Gates shut at 7.30 in the summer so you need to be in before, though you can leave whenever you want in the morning. Park ranger drives around picking up fees.
Sophie Lambert Russell
Ranking: 10/10
Amazing place!! You must stay here! Absolutely beautiful setting, great hot showers (press the black button on the grey box) and a lovely park keeper. Glow worm walk at night and nice cafe too. Highly recommend.
Eva Neumann
Ranking: 9/10
It was stunning to see what is possible for the nature. The water is clear and cold while the rocks were warm - it was perfect.
Gail Hunter
Ranking: 10/10
Great, quiet campsite. Lots of places to camp spread out over lakeside and up the hillsides. (Flat areas) Each area quietly secluded. Great free shower.
Just a note - in summer they lock the gate at 7:30 and winter it's earlier so check if you're going to turn up later. Highlight is the glow worm walk after dark- even in the rain!
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Lisa Erikssen
Ranking: 10/10
Best camping we stayed at on our trip. 10 NZD per person. Nice area. Glow worms. Frisbeegolf. Hot showers.
Melanie
Ranking: 9/10
Great spot, $10 per adult per night. Includes free hot showers and toilets. No reserved spots, it is first come, first served. We had a self contained motor home and stayed in the campsite near the showers (here are multiple camp sites) and there were a mix of campers and tents, but it wasn't crowded or loud. Our campsite was only a short walk from the waterfall track (a 10 minute loop) that is a free glow worm walk at night. Lovely spot with sheep and ducks and horses (being ridden) wandering the site too.
Youri de Wit
Ranking: 9/10
Stayed in the spring with good weather. Scenic spot with 'free' showers and toilets (camp overnight = $10 per person per night). Sheep can walk in between the campsites, which is funny but they start bleating at sunrise and leave their poo absolutely everywhere. If you don't mind looking where you walk this is a pretty good place to stay. Glowworm walk was awesome.
10/10 if they ventilated the showers more and they could make the sheep stop pooping (which seems unlikely)
Alejandro Cavallo
Ranking: 9/10
Great park. Very clean bathrooms. It is in direct contact with the flora and fauna, including ducks, geese, sheep, etc.
Jonathan Schmoor
Ranking: 10/10
Perfect campground. Great nature, nice short walks. Highlight are the glow worms at the waterfall track. Amazing!
Daniel Weber
Ranking: 8/10
Totally worth it to go there, the falls are so wonderful.
Sarah Dial
Ranking: 7/10
Short walk up to several tiered waterfalls. You can go further up to the very top using a hidden steep, narrow pathway (lots of climbing).
Mikkel Palleson
Ranking: 10/10
Place to stay overnight or visit during the day. After nightfall, there is an absolutely amazing free glowworm walk. It is a true wonderland and quiet with no people.
Valerie Bernardini
Ranking: 10/10
Glowworms for free in a short walk just one hour from Tauranga. Must go in before 7pm or 5pm (in winter) because the gate closes.
Damian
Ranking: 10/10
There is a short walk around a waterfall with an incredible glowworm colony.
Kathanina Jasik
Ranking: 10/10
Nice place to swim and you can jump from a bridge.
Florian Mueller
Ranking: 9/10
We went and saw the McLaren Falls, there are rocks you can jump off and a beautiful campsite nearby.
Pablo Garcia
Ranking: 10/10
Nice view with ducks, lake and trees.
Nico Wedel
Ranking: 8/10
There is also a fascinating track for night walkers and a nice spot to do a lot of other tracks (all short and nice). Stay for two or three nights.
Julie Miehling
Ranking: 10/10
Nice spot with pretty walks with really nice views. Good shower and toilet conditions.
Florence
Ranking: 7/10
It is a very nice park just a few minutes out of Tauranga. I did the waterfall tack after the sunset and I could see glowworms, it was fantastic!!
Patrick Baritz
Ranking: 9/10
Nice campground with warm showers, there are sheep and ducks at the place so a few droppings but it is worth it! There is a glowworm track at a little waterfall and the lake is beautiful as well.
Raden Roekmi
Ranking: 10/10
This is our favorite campsite. The only campsite with hot showers that we stayed at. The costs is $10 per adult and $5 per child. You can see glowworms at night and walk to the Falls in the daytime. We went in early May when the Cherry Bay was full with reddish and yellowish colours. Wonderful.
Kate
Ranking: 10/10
One of our favourite camping spots. Absolutely stunning parkland, lake views, short rainforest walks... Wish we could have stayed longer. The park rangers are super helpful, patiently explaining the river ecology to our three year old. The facilities were much better than we were expecting too - lots of clean toilets and a number of free hot showers. Highly recommend.
Pamela Hoffman
Ranking: 8/10
Crazy drive-in for something so close to a town. We were the only campers at our little camp area. Some noise from the highway. Long drop was very clean but no toilet paper.
Bryant Faaola
Ranking: 9/10
Awesome place! Has a few campsites, all lovely places. We stayed at Pine Oak Flats which have free hot showers, proper toilets. Tonnes of things to do, bush walks, glow worms, fishing and many more. It's a steal at only $10 per night adults and $5 for the kids.
Hannah Green
Ranking: 10/10
Couldn't be better. You might need earplugs for the birds being noisy all night but the friendly Pukekos, swans, ducks and geese make for an entertaining stay! Cafe, waterfall and glow worms nearby all very good!
Emmy Poole
Ranking: 10/10
This place is the BEST for travelers who are using camper vans or camping. FREE HOT SHOWERS!! I REPEAT, FREE HOT SHOWERS!!! For only $10 a night! Also the location is beautiful, and the falls are unreal. Highly suggested for frugal travelers. Oh, and is only about a 15min drive from Hobbiton!
Chester Martin
Ranking: 10/10
For a basic camp site the shower block is amazing, really hot powerful showers. The toilets were clean and they provide sinks for washing up too. Not sure if there was a dump station or water tap for filling up but for 11nzd each or whatever it was we were more than happy. The glow worm track was pretty awesome, walk it when it's pitch black for best effect (torches required) and the falls/dam you would of seen on the way in was worth a look at, we walked up the dry river bed, it's pretty eerie when you get to the dam wall, the history of the dam/power station can be found in the information centre.
Sanna
Ranking: 10/10
$10 per person (adults) and you get more than you pay for compared to our other experiences of 10-dollar camps. Several camping spots, green areas, lake, water fall, walking tracks, free hot showers, flush toilets at one of the camp grounds etc. And friendly staff. Couldn't recommend it more.
Fleur Oskamp
Ranking: 9/10
Fantastic place! Were here in shoulder season and it was beautiful and quiet. Nice short walks, very suitable for stroller and small children. Lots of birds and super relaxed surroundings. Because of the set-up and different camp ground areas, plenty of space for all who want to stay here. The facilities available in the park were clean and neat. Added bonus, an animal farm next to the park!
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Yannick
Ranking: 10/10
This camping ground is really amazing for only 10$ pp. In the middle of the forest. A glowworm track is right next to the camping ground which is pretty amazing. In addition, very clean, hot shower , clear water to drink and a little boysenberry bush next to the camping ground (there are 3 different camping ground in the area, just go to the address listed and see which fits you the most).
Roland Oldengarm
Ranking: 9/10
Beautiful park with a lot of spots to camp. We parked our van near a lake, awesome views. The toilets were very, very clean. 10 Nzd pp.
Riaan and Rene
Ranking: 5/10
We had the most awesome camping site at McLaren Falls the Auckland Anniversary Weekend. I agree with all the wonderful comments people posted about the facilities etc BUT unfortunately you can't choose your neighbours!. Two of the four nights people were partying and carrying on until 2 -3 am. We were advised to phone the police as there are no staff staying on site. The gates are suppose to be locked at night but the campers let their drunken and noisy friends in. I felt so sorry for parents with children and ashamed for what visiting tourists must think of our beautiful BOP.
Ines
Ranking: 7/10
The best about this site is without a doubt its location! The park is beautiful and there is so many animals around! We had ducks and sheep as neighbours and at time you could just gaze at the stars.. Lots of walks to be done!
Toilet and shower facilities good on the Pine area. Just 10$ p.p. unpowered, you pay the ranger.
Elles Janssen
Ranking: 10/10
10 dollars for a night and free hot showers at Pin Oak Flat. You can camp anywhere in this beautiful park. The facilities were clean and modern and the location is great!
Oliver Powles
Ranking: 10/10
6m bus 2 nights unpowered site. Highly recommend going here. Good fishing in lake, very cheap, loads of walks with glow worms. An animal park which we loved. Free hot showers. Brilliant!! Definitely will return.
Becky
Ranking: 10/10
Hidden gem. Beautiful lake and park for only $5 per person! Toilets and hot showers. Huge space to camp so can have private little spot with the ducks and swans.
Alex
Ranking: 10/10
Best place so far. Beautiful lakeside private spaces and excellent facilities. Well worth $5 per person, oh and free glowworm walk better than Waitomo!!!
Paolo Cases
Ranking: 10/10
Really special place. Glowworms, FREE hot showers, certainly my favourite campground.
Carla Oyarzun
Ranking: 10/10
Beautiful! Clean, hot showers, glowing worms. My favourite place!
Immo Kern
Ranking: 10/10
$5 per night, by reserve, glowworms, sheep and a lot of interesting birds, good showers and free gas BBQ.
Victor Herranz
Ranking: 10/10
Excellent place, hot showers, very clean toilets. Very beautiful, perfect.
tim winders
Ranking: 10/10
Our favorite site during our 12 day campervan trip. Price is great. Bathrooms were very clean. And the setting and trails in the area were perfect.
There were only 3 campervans in the park the night that we stayed. With only 1 shower it could be a challenge if the camp is more crowded, but we never had a challenge.
The ranger did say that they are adding another block with additional toilets and showers.
Lukas Lehmeyer
Ranking: 9/10
Big parks, cheap, walks in the park, river, BBQ, new hot showers.
Konrad Ullmann
Ranking: 9/10
BBQ stations, showers and toilets. Nice place to stay a few nights. There is a glow worm track at night.
Alineet Gautier
Ranking: 10/10
Wonderful, very quiet, some animals are there, the view is beautiful
arnaud paquet
Ranking: 10/10
Such a nice spot! We stayed there for two nights and it was so good. Just 5$ each, and you have clean toilets, showers, a lake, barbecues and many places to go in the park. And just next to the waterfalls, which are awesome!
No sandflies, which is definitely a pro!
M & J Castle
Ranking: 10/10
Wow, what a NZ jewel! Park-like setting with lake, bird life, amazing diversity of tree species. Obviously a source of pride with Tauranga Council and all the dedicated volunteers. Stayed 2 nights it was so peaceful and enjoyable. Oh yea, and free hot showers.
Johannes J
Ranking: 10/10
Very nice spot!
Some longdrops but on one spot (Pine Flat or something like that) a clean and modern facility block with two outside sinks for the dishes, one toilet and 3 showers. Water at the sinks is hot/cold, the showers are cold (but with a 1 dollar token you get 3 minutes of hot water). Lights in the toilets/showers and over the sinks with a sensor. Very good value for money.
Price: 5 $ pp
Erik Muchembled
Ranking: 9/10
Lots of animals, walks and very clean.
Team Kim&James
Ranking: 10/10
AMAZING!
Beautiful setting - the falls, the lake, lots of birdlife..bliss! The park is huge and we had the place pretty much to ourselves (we did stay at the site in July)Modern, clean toilet block. At just $5 per person, the campsite is great value.
N smith
Ranking: 10/10
What a wicked spot, so peaceful, nice walks and scenery and so close to Tauranga
Andre and Marina
Ranking: 10/10
Nice campsite with a lake and waterfalls, picnic area, clean and new facilities. Just for $5 per person and $1 for hot showers.
Jan and Pedi
Ranking: 10/10
Cheap, nice, clean and friendly owners, nice glowworms, simply great!!!
Cymen Crick
Ranking: 10/10
I'm going out on a limb here and calling Mclaren Falls one of the best value camping spots in NZ. Just $5 (kids under 16 free) has you staying in a fantastic place with lots to do. Good walks that include waterfalls and glowworms at night. Some toilet and shower blocks have just been done up and they rival many more expensive camping spots. Worth going out of way for.
JadesWorld
Ranking: 10/10
McLaren Falls Park is a really lovely place for camping. We found it by accident and stayed for 2 nights, because it's just such a peaceful site at the river.
They have a few camping sides. Some at the river and others in the forest.Pro:
- quiet
- camping on grass (at the river)
- walking tracks
- wonderful forest
- clean and well maintained
- BBQ
- cheap
- showers / toiletsCon:
-/-If we ever would comeback to North-New Zealand for camping, we would for sure stay here again.
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Info
If you stay over night, it will cost per adult $5, children under 16 are free. Just drive to the camping side you want to stay. In the morning a Park Ranger will make his round and collect for the night. (max. 3 nights)Things to see and do:
- Waterfall Track where you can see glow worms after dusk
- Botanical tree collection (from around the world)
- Trout fishing (fishing licence)
- Walking tracks
- Camping (BBQ area)
- Kayaking
- watch/feed ducks, geese and black swans