Lodging · Westland Tai Poutini National Park
An eight-bunk base for a demanding Copland backcountry trip.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Westland Tai Poutini Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Westland Tai Poutini 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.
See the Westland Tai Poutini audio tour“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
Douglas Rock Hut is a standard eight-bunk backcountry hut in the upper Copland Valley. It suits experienced trampers heading into the high valley for an overnight, not visitors looking for a day walk. The Upper Copland Valley Track takes three days or more and is rated Advanced/Expert, so this is a substantial expedition.
The Copland Track to Welcome Flat Hut is a separate, seven-hour, one-way intermediate tramp. Its time and rating do not describe the route to Douglas Rock Hut. DOC strongly advises against crossing Copland Pass from the west: climbers have died attempting it, and erosion has made the eastern approach difficult. Don't treat the pass as a shortcut.
The hut was completed in 1931 and upgraded in 1977.
The hut has eight bunks and is first come, first served, with no booking required. Water and toilet details aren't consistent in the available information, so verify them before relying on either.
Wildlife
89 sightingsKeaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
10 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
80 sightingsKererūMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
38 sightingsTūīMost seen around 5 AMSighting map
10 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
28 sightingsYellow-crowned ParakeetMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Westland Tai Poutini. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
Campground · 6.3 km awayWelcome Flat CampsiteBackcountry tents near hot pools, after a long valley walk.
Lodging · 6.3 km awayWelcome Flat HutA 31-bunk hut after seven hours on the Copland Track.
Sight · 6.4 km awayWelcome Flat Hot PoolsWarm pools and Sierra Range views, after a long backcountry tramp.Parkwolf’s Westland Tai Poutini ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
