Image: Colm Keating | ©
Milky Way above White Horse Hill Campground .
White Horse Hill Campground

Located in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in the Canterbury region

Camp beneath magnificent alpine scenery including Mt Sefton. Enjoy a variety of walks from the valley floor to mountain tops.

White Horse Hill campground is a standard campground with limited facilities and services at the end of the Hooker Road, at the far end of White Horse Hill carpark.

The busiest period is between Christmas and mid-February. Visiting mid-February through to Easter is a good option as there are generally fewer people.

There are no marked sites in this campground, so arrive early in the day to secure your spot.

Drones and dogs are not allowed. There is a permanent fire ban in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

Facilities and services

There is treated drinking water, a cooking shelter and basic toilet facilities. Camping is not allowed in the cooking shelter.

The campground does not have power or showers. Coin-operated $2 hot showers are located at the public shelter in Aoraki/Mount Cook Village (2.5 km from campsite).

Rubbish bins at the campground are limited - take your waste out of the national park. Rubbish can be disposed at the Resource Recovery Parks located at Fairlie, Lake Tekapo and Twizel. See Resource Recovery Parks for information and opening hours.

There are reduced facilities at the campground during winter (June to August):

  • flushing toilets are replaced by pit toilets
  • no running water (water is available at the shelter in Aoraki/Mount Cook Village).

Fees

  • Adult (18+ years): $20 per night
  • Child (5–17 years): $10 per night
  • Infant (0–4 years): free

Passes

The DOC Campsite Pass can be used at this campsite. 

Campsite Pass bookings must be booked online before occupying a site. If you do not book, bookings may be made by campground staff (if present) and will incur a $10 service charge. Sites may not be available if you do not book. 

Bookings

Bookings are open for stays up to 30 June 2026.

All bookings are first-come first-served. We do not have waiting lists for bookings for future seasons or facilities that are already booked-out.

Book White Horse Hill Campground online.

Bookings are required all year.

Your booking will be for a site, which you can chose upon arrival.

2.5 km from Aoraki/Mt Cook Village at the end of Hooker Valley Rd off SH 80.

Location

NZTM2000 coordinates: E1365711, N5155153

Latitude: -43.71964561, Longitude: 170.09146595
  • There is no power or showers at the campground, and rubbish bins are limited.
  • The nearest supermarket is in Twizel township (70 km, one hour by car).
  • The nearest public dump station is also in Twizel see public dump station.
  • Aoraki/Mount Cook Village (2.5 km from campsite) has a petrol station and limited café, restaurant and bar options.

Check-out

Check-out time: 10 am

After check-out day parking is available at the front of White Horse Hill campground or in the village.

No drones, dogs or fires

Dogs or other animals are not allowed in the national park.

Recreational drone use is not allowed anywhere in the national park. You must have a permit to fly a drone for commercial purposes on public conservation land. Commercial drone use information.

There is a permanent fire ban in the national park.