Kaniwhaniwha Campsite
Pirongia Forest Park
Photos
Information
Kaniwhaniwha Campsite
Camp in an open grassy area alongside the Kaniwhaniwha Stream. Access is by walking or mountain biking.
Kaniwhaniwha Campsite is a basic, free camping area located in an open grassy space next to the Kaniwhaniwha Stream within Pirongia Forest Park, Waikato. It offers 24 non-powered sites suitable for tents and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. The campsite is accessible only by walking or mountain biking, with no vehicle access. Visitors can enjoy swimming and exploring nearby tracks, though some tracks are currently closed due to weather damage.
Notices
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Pirongia track closures
These tracks are closed due to track damage from a severe weather event in February 2026:
- Bell Track
- Kaniwhaniwha: Kahikatea tree
- Mahaukura Track
- Wharauroa Track.
This is a long-term alert.
First published on 14 February 2026. Last reviewed on 21 July 2026.
DOC Campsite Pricing
Kaniwhaniwha 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 |
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| 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 |
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Organisation |
DOC WaikatoCentral government organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Waikato ▷ Hamilton |
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Categories |
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Operating Season And Hours |
Open year-round, 24 hours a day, on a first-come, first-served basis. |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Basic Camping
Reviews
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Nice spot!
Yes, you've got to walk about 2.5 kms, which takes about 40 minutes tops, but then, you have access to a large grassy area, plenty of space to pitch your tent. Long drop toilets, very buggy at dusk but that's to be expected.
You can get water from the stream, and have a swim if you fancy
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No pudimos encontrar el lugar, al parecer se puede dormir en el parking, no dice que no se puede pero tampoco que se puede, preferimos no hacerlo, habían algunas personas locales bebiendo en el parking
poco insistentes en beber con ellos
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A beautiful scenic area with lots of space to pitch up camp, river to swim in and permaloos.
Enjoyed our couple nights stay however no facility to fill up my water container
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To find this camp ground, do not follow the directions to where this app gives.
Instead get directions for Kaniwhaniwha Reserve (NOT campsite). Once you get to the reserve car park it is a 30-45 minute walk to the campsite. You'll have to walk and take your supplies with you. (about 3km)
Once you get there it's a nice camp site. It's all grass and we were the only group camping there. There's a nice small river that runs on the side of the camp site and there are some nice walks and caves from the campsite.
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This camping didn't exist on the marked location, about 400 m before the location the road turned private property with no access.
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Great little spot, stopped here for 2 nights during our travels.
3km gravel path easy to get to on foot, we had bicycles which was a little harder to navigate through the opening but after, fine. Well maintained, nice fresh water from the river and toilets for use and bins which were handy. Nice quiet spot with a few walking trails around.
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The campsite is just a grass field with two buildings for toilets.
The "water" is a river that runs next to the campsite and can be heard at all times. Though very clear, I'm hesitant to drink it without boiling it first. There's four different hiking trails accessible from the campsite with clearly marked signs at every intersection. Most are short, with one 8hr trail leading to a hut. There's two picnic benches and though there's a sign saying fires are prohibited, there's also a large fire pit.
