The Pines
Lake Pukaki Overnight Campervan Parking - Hayman Road
152 Rankers Reviews
15 Face-to-Face
16 Freedom Camping
1 Twizel
Accommodation
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Standard
The Pines
Free Campsite
Amazing views over Lake Pukaki for self-contained campervans. Basic facilities for no cost.
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Information
No facilities. Great views! Self Contained Vehicles only are allowed along the whole of Lake Pukaki.
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Mount Cook - MacKenzie ▷ Twizel |
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Reviews
Showing 13 reviews of 152.
Get the best out of it. Here's how…
Luke McCallum
Ranking: 10/10
The best place to park up in the South Island. Quiet, peaceful and amazing scenery. What more could you ask for
Kiwi_van_man
Ranking: 10/10
Beautiful out of the way place to camp.
I got here as the sun was just setting over the lake and there was only 2 other campers parks 50+ meters away from where I parked and it was peaceful and got a very short walk to the waters edge and great view of Mt Cook. Definitely stopping back in on my way back up.
The Gillies
Ranking: 10/10
This is a superb spot, one of our favourites in our month long tour of the South Island. We stayed here on the east to and from mt cook. It’s quiet, the views are spectacular in any weather, the lake is warm enough to dip in and there were no sand flies. No toilets. Dump station in Twizel.
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Alydia
Ranking: 10/10
This spot gets a 10/10 because of the pure natural beauty of the lake + small alpine forest!! 😍 definitely the BEST most beautiful free camping spot you can find. No facilities so must be self contained - it’s you and beautiful nature! Enjoy & remember to leave it even better than you found it!
Liv
Ranking: 10/10
The best freedom campsite we have stayed at in the South Island. Drive all the way along Lake Pukaki and pick a quiet spot sheltered by the trees... it was so magical to watch the moon over the still lake at night. There are toilets at some locations but if you can bare to be away from them for the night you will have a much nicer spot.
Christopher
Ranking: 10/10
A truly amazing spot, definitely the best on our South Island adventure. Amazing views, plenty of space and a magnificent view of the stars. Seriously, this is what freedom camping is all about. A far cry from the dusty building site charging $50 a night in Lake Tekapo, well worth the 30 minute drive.
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me
Ranking: 9/10
Wow a fantastically beautiful place, take everything with you as there are no facilities at all just nature.
Very peaceful and quite with a stunning dark sky at night and beautiful views of the ranges and mount cook
Lauren
Ranking: 8/10
HEAPS of spots for SC campers along the banks of the lake. There are some spots closer to drop toilets if you prefer. Can be quite windy but there are some spots with a bit more shelter from the pines, if need be.
There are several spots to turn off the gravel road and would suggest using google maps satellite mode to find the best entry point.
Samantha Williamson
Ranking: 9/10
This is by far the most beautiful lake and freedom camping area in the south island. Haymen Road is quite a long road so The Pines camping ground is spread out along this road. There are multiple areas of beauty to freedom camp in your campervan, no Tents though so be aware.Lots of eating benches/tables to have your snacks on etc. I think there was a cycling track that passed along Hayman Rd so just be courteous and polite. As the name suggests there are loads of pine trees here to give you a bit of shelter on hot sunny days. Easy to find on the map. Not too busy when we went in March 2020. The view of the lake is great. Take your rubbish with you please as no rubbish bins.No toilets or facilities just pure nature. The beach area of the lake had a lot of pebbles and large rocks scattered about along with some driftwood but made the place seem more beautiful. Its really breathtaking here with great far views towards Mount Cook and beyond. I could have stayed there on a fulltime basis!!!!
Congratulations The Pines - Lake Pukaki Overnight Campervan Parking - Hayman Road
Maria
Ranking: 10/10
BEST CAMP EVER! We complained the day before that no freedom camp is like in the tourist magazines but then we found this magical site, some parts along the road has views over mt cook. Not many vehicles and you feel all by yourself. No facilities so you will use your porta potty but since no one around - who cares?
Dont forget to watch the stars at night! Magical!
Thangs
Ranking: 10/10
Facing Lake Pukaki, this was a great stay for the night. No facilities available. You may also walk along the Lake, which is lovely! The site is easy to get to from the main road. This is part of the dark sky reserve so on a clear night, you will be able to stargaze at night.
Liz Wade
Ranking: 9/10
As others have suggested, it’s worth travelling along the road as far as the power station to see what’s available but we didn’t find it very busy at all. On a large area just down from the power station there were just 4 vans. It’s a shame that some people don’t respect the rules of these sites and insist in leaving mounds of toilet paper amongst the trees. But, if you stay out of the trees, it’s a lovely place where you can swim in the lake and appreciate the beautiful location.
Meyana Barnhart
Ranking: 10/10
Absolutely gorgeous location and totally free. You turn off the intersection and go down the road about 5km until you get to a power station. There are about 3 main pull-offs, but it seems you’re able to stay anywhere along that 5km stretch. As a result, no worries about it being full. We were there in early February and barely saw another camper van near our camp. No facilities except an outdoor toilet at the very beginning of the road. But the views are astounding.
