Area & getting there
Cascade Creek Campsite
DOC's published campsite reference point, not a surveyed entrance or individual pitch.
Official location information: Department of Conservation (new tab)Location source & precision
- Reference coordinates
- -44.89421, 168.07529 (latitude, longitude)
- Precision
- Published DOC reference coordinates; not a claim of survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
- Source
- Cascade Creek Campsite: published Location coordinates (new tab)
Department of Conservation - Location source checked
Read the full guideArrival, planning and local advice
- Bookings are required; the number of sites is not a guarantee of availability.
- Confirm October 2026 onward dates in DOC's live booking service.
- Stream water and non-flush toilets are listed; bring drinking water.
- Dogs are prohibited; fires require a designated fireplace and no fire ban.
- Location
- Milford Road, lower end of Lake Gunn, 71 km north of Te Anau
- Camping
- 140 non-powered sites; tents, campervans and caravans
- Adult fee
- NZ$18 per person (18+) per night; confirm with DOC
- Access
- Gravel approach; DOC describes suitability for larger vehicles
- Facilities
- Cooking shelter, non-flush toilets and stream water
- Booking notice
- Checked page has an outdated future-release statement; use the live reservation service
- Restrictions
- No dogs; fires only in designated places when no ban applies
Cascade Creek is the drive-in campground near Lake Gunn on Milford Road, not the backcountry camping area with the same name on the Rees-Dart route. Match the location before using it to plan a Fiordland overnight.
Compare space with services
DOC lists 140 non-powered sites and describes the campground as suitable for larger vehicles. Facilities include a cooking shelter, non-flush toilets and stream water.
A larger campsite does not necessarily offer the amenities of a holiday park. Check how your group will cook, wash and charge essential equipment without assuming electrical hookups or an equipped kitchen. Bring drinking water or arrange suitable treatment, including enough readily usable water for the first evening.
Verify dates in the booking service
Reservations are required and the checked adult nightly rate is NZ$18. On 26 September 2026, the information page still described October 2026-June 2027 bookings as opening in August 2026. That wording is stale, not proof that any particular date is available.
Open the live reservation service from the official page and confirm the exact nights before organising fixed activities around them. Keep the confirmation offline. If the date range is unclear, resolve it with DOC rather than reading an empty search as a promise of walk-in space.
Allow time for the Milford Road approach
The campground is reached by gravel access, 71 km north of Te Anau near the lower end of Lake Gunn. Check the road independently of the campsite booking.
Keep arrival expectations modest: park, inspect the designated area and organise sleeping arrangements before adding anything else. For a group with several vehicles, agree on what happens if one arrives later rather than making the whole evening depend on a single convoy.
Make walking and fire decisions separately
Lake Gunn Nature Walk starts here. Choose any walk according to current track conditions and the group's remaining time, not because camping nearby makes it compulsory.
Dogs are prohibited. Fires are restricted to designated fireplaces and only when no fire ban applies; do not infer permission from an old photo or an existing fire ring. Review the official Cascade Creek page and compare basic services in our DOC campsite guide.
Source: Department of Conservation; factual information paraphrased under DOC's reuse terms.
Common questions
Are October 2026 dates definitely available?
Availability has not been verified. The checked information page still says those bookings will open in August 2026; use DOC's live booking service or ask DOC to confirm your dates.
Is this the Cascade Creek campsite on the Rees-Dart route?
No. This listing is the drive-in campground on Milford Road near Lake Gunn. Match the road and official page before planning travel.
