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 is a New Zealand Alpine Club hut.

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

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

Fees

  • New Zealand Alpine Club members Adult: $20
  • New Zealand Alpine Club members Youth: $10
  • Adult non-members (18+ years): $40
  • Youth non-members (5–17 years): $15
  • Child/Infant (0–4 years): free

Fees from 1 July 2025

  • 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 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026

Bookings open at 9.30 am on Tuesday 13 May 2025.

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.

Bookings for stays up to 30 June 2025

Bookings are currently open.

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

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 earthquake events or very heavy rainfall. A temporary closure procedure for Aspiring Hut will be activated when heavy rainfall is forecast.

Hut ranger

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

Large group notification required

As well as making an online booking, groups of more than ten people need to fill in a large group notification form. Contact the Tititea/Mt Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre at least two weeks before your departure date to receive this. The form is not a booking.