Image: ©
Aspiring Hut in the beautiful Matukituki Valley with snowy mountains in the background.
Aspiring Hut

Located in Matukituki Valley area and Mount Aspiring National Park in the Otago region

Aspiring Hut, with its historic stone walls, is a great overnight tramp in the spectacular Matukituki Valley for families with children or those new to tramping.

This hut is owned and maintained by the New Zealand Alpine Club. It is available for the public to use.

Facilities and services

Huts have basic facilities. You'll need to take:
  • Sleeping bag
  • Pots/pans and utensils
  • Toilet paper
  • Rubbish bag
  • Newspaper/firelighters and matches/lighter for the wood burner
  • Torch

Labour weekend (late October) – King's Birthday weekend (early June):

  • Resident hut warden
  • Gas cookers
  • Flush toilets

End of King's Birthday weekend (early June) – Labour weekend (late October):

  • No hut warden
  • No cookers - you will need to take your own cooker
  • Non-flush toilets only

Information about Aspiring Hut on NZ Alpine Club website. 

Fees

  • New Zealand Alpine Club members Adult: $25
  • New Zealand Alpine Club members Youth: $10
  • Adult non-members (18+ years): $50
  • Youth non-members (5–17 years): $25
  • Child/Infant (0–4 years): free

Backcountry Hut Passes and Backcountry Hut Tickets cannot be used at this hut.

You can camp outside the hut on a 'first come, first served' basis. Campers have access to toilets and an open-sided shelter but cannot use the hut facilities. See Aspiring Campsite for fees. 

Bookings

Bookings are required all year. Book Aspiring Hut online

Bookings for the 2026/27 season open at 12 noon on Tuesday 12 May 2026.  

  • If no availability shows online for your dates, the hut is fully booked.
  • No spaces are kept for visitors arriving without a booking.
  • Phone and in‑person bookings made at a visitor centre incur a $10 service fee.
  • Same‑day bookings are available online until 8 pm if spaces remain.

A $10 service fee applies to all phone, email and in-person bookings. New Zealand Alpine Club (NZAC) members applying for their discount will not be charged this fee.

Your hut booking is for any bunk bed, not for a specific bunk bed – select your bunk bed on arrival.
Time from nearest road end and huts

Tracks to this hut

Location

NZTopo50 map sheet: CA11
Grid/NZTM2000 coordinates: E1254866, N5065962

Large group bookings

A single group can only book up to 50% of the hut – 16 beds.

If you are a group of 10 people or more, you need to fill in a large group notification form as well as making your online booking. Contact wanakavc@doc.govt.nz at least two weeks before your departure date to ask for the form. The form is not a booking.

Landslide hazard

Aspiring Hut sits in a known landslide debris path which poses a potential hazard to people at the hut and campsite. The risk may increase following an earthquake or very heavy rainfall. A temporary closure procedure for Aspiring Hut will be activated when very heavy rainfall is forecast (>250mm in a 24h period).

Hut ranger

A hut ranger will usually be present from October to the end of April.