Image: Dean Richards | DOC
Small orange building with flax bush in front.
Smiths Stream Hut

Located in Ruahine Forest Park in the Hawke’s Bay region

This is a standard four-bunk hut in the Hawke's Bay region.

Altitude: 864 m above sea level.

Built in 1958, the hut is the best remaining example in Hawke’s Bay of the original Forest Service SF40 designed huts constructed in the 1960’s and 70’s throughout the country for deer cullers.

  • Water source – rainwater tank
  • Heating source – open fire

Fees

  • Adult (18+ years): $15 per night
  • Youth (5–17 years): $7.50 per night
  • Child/Infant (0–4 years): free

Before you go, buy a hut ticket online for each night's stay. You can print or display the digital ticket on your device, or write down the ticket and confirmation numbers to take with you. You can also buy a Backcountry Hut Pass that allows you to stay at non-bookable DOC huts for a 12 month period.

Backcountry hut ticket terms and conditions

Smiths Stream Hut can be accessed from North Block Road end. From State Highway 50, turn towards the ranges onto Wakarara Road. After 20 km, turn left into North Block Road and contine to the road end. The last 4 km of this road is through private farmland. Please don’t disturb stock and leave gates as you found them.

From the Sunrise carpark, follow the track for 1.5 km to the Waipawa River. Slightly upstream and on the southern side there is a signpost marking the start of the track, which follows the forest edge to the park boundary. It passes through open regenerating scrub and forest to Middle Stream, then crosses the river and climbs steeply to a 1104 m peak. The track then descends to Smiths Stream and follows this for approximately 1 km.

Tracks to this hut

Location

NZTopo50 map sheet: BL36
Grid/NZTM2000 coordinates: E1871199, N5584228

Rats

There are often rats in this hut - please take rat bait and help us get on top of the problem. Contact the Palmerston North Office (details below) to arrange.