Campground · Westland Tai Poutini National Park
Backcountry tents near hot pools, after a long valley walk.
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 tourRecorded for this place
Copland Track Access: the Walk to Welcome Flat“The access turnoff for Copland Track is coming up, the start of the walk to Welcome Flat's natural hot pools.”
Plays as you drive up to Welcome Flat Campsite in the Parkwolf Westland Tai Poutini Tour Guide.
“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
Welcome Flat Campsite is a backcountry campground outside Welcome Flat Hut in Westland Tai Poutini National Park. Its eight non-powered sites put you near the valley's natural hot pools, but this is a remote overnight destination: the Copland Track takes about seven hours to cover its 18 km from the car park. Book before setting out; no walk-in sites are held.
The Copland Track starts at a car park off SH 6, about 26 km south of Fox Glacier. The foot route alternates rocky riverbed boulder-hopping with forest track and grassy clearings. Heavy or sustained rain can flood streams and close the track at short notice, so check current DOC track conditions before setting out and do not cross unsafe floodwater.
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
Lodging · At the trailheadWelcome Flat HutA 31-bunk hut after seven hours on the Copland Track.
Sight · 0.2 km awayWelcome Flat Hot PoolsWarm pools and Sierra Range views, after a long backcountry tramp.
Lodging · 5.4 km awayArchitect Creek HutTwo bunks make a useful overnight break halfway to Welcome Flat.
Lodging · 6.3 km awayDouglas Rock HutAn eight-bunk base for a demanding Copland backcountry trip.
Lodging · 6.7 km awayHorace Walker HutA four-bunk overnight for expert trampers in remote river country.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.
