Lake Camp
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Lake Camp
Lake Camp is situated in a wide tussock covered mountain valley surrounded by high, generally snow covered, mountain peaks at the headwaters of the Ashburton River close to opposite to the Lake Clearwater township.
The road to Lake Clearwater is well signposted from Mount Somers on State Highway 72. This road take you directly to the small settlement of Lake Clearwater, You can find lake Camp across the highway.
This is a freedom camping spot for self-contained vehicles.
Details
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Organisation |
Ashburton District CouncilCouncil organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Canterbury ▷ Methven |
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Categories |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Freedom Camping
Google Maps
Nearby
Reviews
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Stunning views -
Quiet and peaceful
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Clean toilet facilities
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Plenty of parking spaces
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Gravel road can be rough -
Low clearance vehicles need caution
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Toilets can be smelly
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Loved camping here!
Kelly Linn -
Good campsite, nice view and beautifull area.
Quentin -
An amazing walk around the Lake Camp.
Sarah -
Our first time freedom camping in NZ.
Ara Rahim -
Oh wow!!!
Claire
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Oh wow!!!
What a campsite! I think we might have started with the best! The views were out of this world! Toilet facilities basic but 100%! Loved this site and if I have a spare night on our travels near the area I will be coming back to spend the night here.
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Nice, quiet place.
There are plenty of parking spaces. You can park either at lake number 1 or lake number 2. There is a 15km gravel road to the lake, but it is in good condition. It was very windy here. The toilets are clean.
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Beautiful stars, clean toilets, and isolation: we were alone at the site and had a magical night in the mountains.
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Great spot for spending the night especially if you want to go to Mount Sunday early the next day.
The site itself has a scenic view during sunrise. It also has public toilets which has a pretty standard condition like other toilets of overnight campervan parks.
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Amazing site but low clearance vehicles should stick close to the main road.
Some roads are deeply rutted and could damage your vehicle or get you stuck.
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Freecamp on the grass on the side on the lake.
The view is gorgeous in the morning.
Trash/recycling bins! Toilets clean but stinky.
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My new favourite camp site!
I stayed here 5 nights, self contained, until the weather drove me out. I was sad to leave. The area is just breathtakingly beautiful. This is a great base to explore the region
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Freedom camping at its best!
Stunning views! Even has a new block of three long drop toilets with tiled floors, sensor lighting, ventilation, and hand sanitiser. The lake has a large amount of ice currently (July 2024), but the temperature is warm as long as you're in the sun - cools down quickly in the shade. Take levellers as there is slight slope in two directions and a few ruts at this time of year (although the ground is still solid). Can also camp at other end of the lake down on the lake edge. Toilets at that end are on the road in but still not too far to walk (slightly uphill)
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Le plus beau Free Camp depuis que je suis en New Zélande.
Vraiment esprit van life avec une vue de ouf sur le lac et les environs
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Good campsite, nice view and beautifull area.
This campsite is open to everyone (SC and not SC, sign on the entrance). Its free and located directly on the left when you enter the small village. There is an other campsite next to Lake Clearwater for 10$.
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Beautiful large space by the lake, easy for a swim and trees for shelter from any wind and sun.
Toilets were really good, looked like they’d barely been used. The site is huge and had maybe 8 vehicles on it, everyone at least 15m from each other. Be careful if it’s very wet, I can see some spots getting boggy. It’s a good 20+ min drive on a poorly maintained gravel road but a beautiful spot! Almost the middle of nowhere
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Nice spot!
The view is beautiful near the Mount Sunday or Edoras (The Lord of the Rings). Non flush toilets are in the site and are clean. I recommend it!
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Beautiful spot.
There are new toilets here now so tent camping is allowed. Boats and skirts on this lake, very nice spots amongst the trees on lake edge
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Nice drive in on gravel roads.
We were there between Christmas and New Years.
Bit of a challenge to find a flat quiet place. This place is popular! We found a small patch of grass close to the boat ramp right on the lake. Quiet enough at night. Would stay here again.
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We arrived on a hot Sunday, not knowing that this place is a waterski area.
So many boats were on the lake and it was quite noisy. Due to the hot and dry weather conditions it was also extremely dusty whenever a car passed by. However, when the crowd had left it became perfectly nice and with a great view. The last 9 km on the road are very bumpy - not a nice drive on this gravel road.
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Oh wow!!!
What a campsite! I think we might have started with the best! The views were out of this world! Toilet facilities basic but 100%! Loved this site and if I have a spare night on our travels near the area I will be coming back to spend the night here.
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Nice, quiet place.
There are plenty of parking spaces. You can park either at lake number 1 or lake number 2. There is a 15km gravel road to the lake, but it is in good condition. It was very windy here. The toilets are clean.
-
Beautiful stars, clean toilets, and isolation: we were alone at the site and had a magical night in the mountains.
-
Great spot for spending the night especially if you want to go to Mount Sunday early the next day.
The site itself has a scenic view during sunrise. It also has public toilets which has a pretty standard condition like other toilets of overnight campervan parks.
-
-
Amazing site but low clearance vehicles should stick close to the main road.
Some roads are deeply rutted and could damage your vehicle or get you stuck.
-
Freecamp on the grass on the side on the lake.
The view is gorgeous in the morning.
Trash/recycling bins! Toilets clean but stinky.
-
My new favourite camp site!
I stayed here 5 nights, self contained, until the weather drove me out. I was sad to leave. The area is just breathtakingly beautiful. This is a great base to explore the region
-
Freedom camping at its best!
Stunning views! Even has a new block of three long drop toilets with tiled floors, sensor lighting, ventilation, and hand sanitiser. The lake has a large amount of ice currently (July 2024), but the temperature is warm as long as you're in the sun - cools down quickly in the shade. Take levellers as there is slight slope in two directions and a few ruts at this time of year (although the ground is still solid). Can also camp at other end of the lake down on the lake edge. Toilets at that end are on the road in but still not too far to walk (slightly uphill)
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Le plus beau Free Camp depuis que je suis en New Zélande.
Vraiment esprit van life avec une vue de ouf sur le lac et les environs
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Good campsite, nice view and beautifull area.
This campsite is open to everyone (SC and not SC, sign on the entrance). Its free and located directly on the left when you enter the small village. There is an other campsite next to Lake Clearwater for 10$.
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Beautiful large space by the lake, easy for a swim and trees for shelter from any wind and sun.
Toilets were really good, looked like they’d barely been used. The site is huge and had maybe 8 vehicles on it, everyone at least 15m from each other. Be careful if it’s very wet, I can see some spots getting boggy. It’s a good 20+ min drive on a poorly maintained gravel road but a beautiful spot! Almost the middle of nowhere
-
-
Nice spot!
The view is beautiful near the Mount Sunday or Edoras (The Lord of the Rings). Non flush toilets are in the site and are clean. I recommend it!
-
Beautiful spot.
There are new toilets here now so tent camping is allowed. Boats and skirts on this lake, very nice spots amongst the trees on lake edge
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Nice drive in on gravel roads.
We were there between Christmas and New Years.
Bit of a challenge to find a flat quiet place. This place is popular! We found a small patch of grass close to the boat ramp right on the lake. Quiet enough at night. Would stay here again.
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Stayed one night here, smooth dirt road on way in.
Long drop toilet very clean and modern with toilet paper and sanitizer.
Great views as you are parked right next to the lake.
First time using our van since getting a self containment certificate. Can't fault this place for a free site.
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Lovely peaceful spot, very good long drop loos clean and well lit.
Careful of soft muddy ground but plenty of space. What an amazing lake for photos on a still day and check lake clearwater nearby even more stunning.
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Awsome place to relax,or even get out and about within the hills with many walks,the lake is so amazing and the weather is the next level calm for most part I extremely recommend to cheek this place out
...but do remember to keep it the way you find it "clean"