Responsible Camping Map

Where you can freedom camp responsibly in the Queenstown Lakes District.

Quick links

Map

arrow_forward

Site Availability Dashboard

arrow_forward

Freedom camping restricted sites

arrow_forward

Responsible Camping Map

QLDC's Freedom Camping Bylaw comes into effect as of 1 December 2025. Below is an interactive map showing designated freedom camping sites, areas that are prohibited for camping and public facilities. It also shows serviced holiday parks and Department of Conservation campsites across the district.

View Responsible Camping Map

Responsible camping sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Spaces cannot be prebooked. After securing a space, campers must check in using the QR code provided at the location. This helps keep others informed when the site reaches capacity. For real-time availability, you can also view the QLDC Responsible Camping Site Availability Dashboard - see below.

The Queenstown Lakes District is an extremely popular destination for freedom camping, and free sites can fill up quickly - please have a backup plan in case sites are full. If designated freedom camping sites are full, check out other camping options which range from fully serviced holiday parks to Department of Conservation (DOC) campsites.

Freedom camping on other reserves managed by Department of Conservation may be restricted or prohibited. Freedom camping is not permitted anywhere on Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) land in the Queenstown Lakes region.

Responsible Camping Site Availability

A dashboard that shows freedom camping site availability to allow campers to plan ahead.

The capacity of the designated sites can be viewed in real time and will be displayed from the time the site opens for Freedom Camping at each location. Please note these start at 6.00pm at most sites but do vary depending on location. Make sure you check the arrival time specific to each designated carpark site (see interactive Responsible Camping map) and don’t Freedom Camp before this time. 

Responsible camping sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis only and Freedom Campers MUST scan the QR code to check-in on arrival. We recommend you check how many spaces are available before travelling to the site. If sites are full, go to the interactive Responsible Camping map to find serviced holiday parks and Department of Conservation campsites in the district.

View Site Availability Dashboard

Freedom camping restricted sites

The 15 restricted areas where freedom camping is permitted, subject to a set of conditions specified for each area are:

  • Boundary Street Carpark, Queenstown (15 designated spaces from 6.00pm-8.00am)
  • Gorge Road Carpark, Queenstown (2 designated spaces from 6.00pm-8.00am)
  • Industrial Place Carpark, Queenstown (6 designated spaces from 6.00pm-8.00am)
  • Lakeview Carpark, Queenstown (10 designated spaces from 6.00pm-8.00am)
  • Gray Street Carpark, Frankton (4 designated spaces from 6.00pm-8.00am)
  • Queenstown Events Centre Carpark, Frankton (9 designated spaces from 8.00pm-7.00am)
  • Howards Drive Carpark, Lake Hayes (3 designated spaces from 6.00pm-8.00am)
  • Hansen Place Carpark, Arrowtown (3 designated spacesfrom 6.00pm-8.00am)
  • Gibbston Highway/SH6 Carpark, Gibbston (2 designated spaces from 6.00pm-8.00am)
  • Glenorchy Domain Carpark, Glenorchy (3 designated spaces from 6.00pm-8.00am)
  • Kingston Road/SH6 Carpark (50 designated spaces from 5.00pm-10.00am)
  • Wānaka Recreation Centre Carpark, Wānaka (18 designated spaces from 8.00pm-7.00am)
  • Beacon Point Road Carpark, Wānaka (3 designated spaces from 6.00pm-8.00am)
  • Allenby Place Carpark, Wānaka (3 designated spaces from 6.00pm-8.00am)
  • Camp Hill Road Carpark, Hāwea (10 designated spaces from 5.00pm-10.00am)

Please see the interactive Responsible Camping map for site locations.

Related Content

Frequently Asked Questions

We have compiled a list of answers for frequently asked questions related to Responsible Camping.