Camping with your dog in New Zealand
Every place we have mapped where you and the dog can spend the night: the Department of Conservation campsites that allow dogs, the holiday parks and community campgrounds that welcome them, and the glamping stays for a night with a real bed. Lead rules, fees, facilities and the permit story for every one.
The DOC dog permit, explained
28 of the 78 dog-friendly DOC campsites sit inside conservation areas where dogs need a DOC dog permit, arranged before you arrive, never at the gate. The permit is per-dog and exists to protect kiwi and other ground-dwelling wildlife, so DOC may ask for proof of avian aversion training in sensitive areas.
How it works, in three steps:
- Apply before you travel. A permit can take up to five days. Every permit campsite’s page on this site has a button that drafts the application email to the DOC office that manages that area, with a line for each detail they need.
- Add your dog’s details. Microchip number, council registration and your trip dates. One email covers one dog.
- Wait for DOC to confirm. They reply with the permit or tell you what else they need. Carry it (paper or on your phone) at the campsite.
Not sure who to ask? Call DOC on 0800 275 362 and name the campsite. Sites below marked DOC permit needed for dogs are the 28 this applies to; at every other site on this page a lead is all your dog needs.
All 78 dog-friendly DOC campsites
Grouped by what your dog needs there: a permit sorted ahead of time, a lead, or a check of the site’s own rules. Every card opens the full site sheet with fees, facilities and the hikes you can walk from the tent.
DOC permit needed for dogs
These sites sit inside areas where dogs need a Department of Conservation permit, sorted before you arrive, not at the gate. Apply through DOC ahead of time. Every site below has a button that drafts your permit email to the right DOC office. 28 sites.
Moawhitu Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsMid Okahu Road Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsSanctuary Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsVerns Camp
DOC permit needed for dogsNydia Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsPiropiro Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsPokaka Mill Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsAussie Bay Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsButchers Flat Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsFerndale Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsKenepuru Head Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsMill Flat Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsMoetapu Bay Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsNikau Cove Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsPicnic Bay Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsRobin Hood Bay Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsArmy Road Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsArohena Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsClements Clearing Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsClements Road End Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsKaimanawa Road Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsKakaho Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsKakapo Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsTe Iringa Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsUrchin Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsWaikoko Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsHans Bay – Lake Kaniere Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsLake Māhinapua Campsite
DOC permit needed for dogsDogs on a lead
Dogs are welcome at these campsites on a lead. Keep them close through nesting season and around other campers and wildlife. 45 sites.
Awaroa/Godley Head Campsite
Dogs on a leadGillespies Beach Campsite
Dogs on a leadGlencoe Campsite
Dogs on a leadLake Middleton Campsite
Dogs on a leadLake Taylor Campsite
Dogs on a leadLoch Katrine Campsite
Dogs on a leadMistletoe Flats Campsite
Dogs on a leadTemple Campsite
Dogs on a leadWooded Gully Campsite
Dogs on a leadAnaura Bay Campsite
Dogs on a leadEveretts Campsite
Dogs on a leadGlenfalls Campsite
Dogs on a leadWaikari River Mouth Campsite
Dogs on a leadOhinepane Campsite
Dogs on a leadPohangina Base Campsite
Dogs on a leadRarangi Campsite
Dogs on a leadKōhaihai Campsite
Dogs on a leadBoundary Creek Campsite
Dogs on a leadDanseys Pass Campsite
Dogs on a leadHomestead Campsite
Dogs on a leadKinloch Campsite
Dogs on a leadMacetown Campsite
Dogs on a leadPapatowai Campsite
Dogs on a leadPurakaunui Bay Campsite
Dogs on a leadSkippers Campsite
Dogs on a leadTawanui Campsite
Dogs on a leadTrotters Gorge Campsite
Dogs on a leadTwelve Mile Delta Campsite
Dogs on a leadMavora Lakes Campsite
Dogs on a leadPiano Flat Campsite
Dogs on a leadBooms Flat Campsite
Dogs on a leadBoyle Campsite
Dogs on a leadDickey Flat Campsite
Dogs on a leadHotoritori Campsite
Dogs on a leadBoielles Campsite
Dogs on a leadBucks Road Campsite
Dogs on a leadCatchpool Valley Campsite
Dogs on a leadCorner Creek Campsite
Dogs on a leadHoldsworth Campsite
Dogs on a leadKiriwhakapapa Campsite
Dogs on a leadPutangirua Pinnacles Campsite
Dogs on a leadWaiohine Gorge Campsite
Dogs on a leadŌtaki Forks Campsite
Dogs on a leadGoldsborough Campsite
Dogs on a leadLyell Campsite
Dogs on a leadCheck the rules first
A handful of sites carry their own conditions, a park boundary, a special rule, or simply no dog policy published. Read the DOC page before you pack the lead. 5 sites.