1 active Abel Tasman alert
- ClosureRoad resealing closures near Kaiteriteri, 29–30 OctoberExpect rolling closures on roads near Kaiteriteri from 6am to 8pm on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October while crews reseal the roads.Official details
Overview
About Bark Bay Hut
Why stop
- The bay’s beach and estuary add a memorable break to the Coast Track.
Heads up
- Close-set shared bunks can mean limited personal space.
Map
Where it is
Loading the Abel Tasman map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Abel Tasman Tour Guide
Your drive to Bark Bay Hut, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Abel Tasman National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
- 23 audio storiesacross Abel Tasman’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, New Zealand Fur Seal, Little Penguin, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 43 trails, 65 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Bark Bay Hut
A shared Coast Track hutThis 34-bunk Department of Conservation Great Walk hut sits in a forest clearing near Bark…
This 34-bunk Department of Conservation Great Walk hut sits in a forest clearing near Bark Bay’s beach and estuary. It’s a simple overnight stop on the Abel Tasman Coast Track, with a shared sleeping area rather than private rooms. Several visitors report that mattresses are close together, so expect limited personal space when the hut is busy.
Choose your route around the tideFrom Anchorage, the all-tide high route is 11.5 km (about 4 hours).
From Anchorage, the all-tide high route is 11.5 km (about 4 hours). The lower Torrent Bay estuary crossing cuts that to 8.4 km (about 3 hours), but it’s passable only within two hours either side of low tide. The next hut, Awaroa, is 13.5 km (about 4½ hours) away. The Coast Track is signposted, though some stretches are steep, rough or muddy; water taxis also reach the hut.
Pack for a self-contained nightBook ahead year-round; Backcountry Hut Passes and tickets aren’t accepted here.
Book ahead year-round; Backcountry Hut Passes and tickets aren’t accepted here. There’s no gas cooking or lighting, so bring a portable stove and fuel, your own light, and food. The hut’s water is untreated, so treat it before drinking. A flush toilet is mapped at the hut, and dogs aren’t allowed on the Coast Track.
Make time for Bark BayThe hut is set back in the trees, with the bay’s golden sand and estuary nearby.
The hut is set back in the trees, with the bay’s golden sand and estuary nearby. Leave time to walk down to the shore; visitors particularly value the beach, including for a swim.
The earlier hutThe current hut replaced a 10-bunk building about 125 metres away in 1986.
The current hut replaced a 10-bunk building about 125 metres away in 1986. That earlier hut was built in 1967 on the site of the original Huffam farm homestead and measured about 8.2 metres square.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Abel Tasman
10 sightingsKeaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
54 sightingsNew Zealand Fur SealMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
20 sightingsLittle PenguinMost seen around 9 PMSighting map
21 sightingsSouth Island KākāMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
527 sightingsWekaMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
16 sightingsTūīMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Abel Tasman. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
