Campground · Nelson Lakes National Park
A simple tent camp for lake days and forest walks.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Nelson Lakes Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Nelson Lakes 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.
Recorded for this place
Lake Rotoroa Foreshore“You're nearing Lake Rotoroa's northern foreshore, at the end of Gowan Valley Road. Stop here for a walk onto the jetty and a look down the lake between forested mountain slopes.”
Plays as you drive up to Lake Rotoroa Campsite in the Parkwolf Nelson Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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
Lake Rotoroa Campsite is a small, 10-site campground in native bush at Lake Rotoroa's western end, with grassy, non-powered tent pitches. It's a good fit for a basic night near the water, not a serviced stay. The tent patch sits back from the public foreshore, where the broader lake view, boat ramp and jetty are a short walk away. Sites are first come, first served; bookings aren't needed.
The tap water is untreated and should be boiled before drinking. Toilets are basic; expect a short walk to the public facilities near the foreshore. Bring food for a self-catering stay; there is no regular food service at the campground. Sandflies can make sitting or eating outside miserable, so take repellent. Fires and dogs aren't allowed.
From SH 6 east of Murchison, follow Gowan Valley Road to its end. The nearby public foreshore has a boat ramp and jetty for boating or kayaking, and forest walks start from the lakeshore.
Wildlife
20 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
39 sightingsWekaMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
11 sightingsKererūMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
55 sightingsBlack SwanMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
23 sightingsParadise ShelduckMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
17 sightingsTūīMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Nelson Lakes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyLake Rotoroa Nature Walk1.3 km · 30 min · 0.2 km awayA fern-rich forest loop with quick glimpses of Lake Rotoroa
EasyFlower Brothers Walk0.5 km · 15 min · 0.2 km awayA short lakeshore walk through kahikatea forest to the Gowan outlet.
ModerateBraeburn Walk3.9 km · 2 hr · 0.8 km awayMossy falls at the end of an old forest road.Parkwolf’s Nelson Lakes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
