Nelson Lakes National Park has three DOC campsites that most people choose between, and they suit different kinds of campers. Kerr Bay has the showers and the bookings. West Bay has the quiet and the views. The backcountry options have neither, and that is their selling point. Here is what each one is actually like, what they cost, and when to go.
Kerr Bay: The One With Showers
What You Actually Get for Your Money
Kerr Bay is the flagship DOC campsite at Nelson Lakes, and by DOC standards it is well kitted out. You get flush toilets, hot showers that actually produce hot water (coin operated, bring plenty of coins), a large kitchen shelter with bench space, sinks, and a barbecue area. There are both powered and unpowered sites spread across a mix of open grass and sites tucked under beech trees.
The campsite sits right on the shore of Lake Rotoiti, maybe fifty metres from the water at the closest points. A boat ramp at the southern end gets steady use from trout fishers in summer. The whole place is well maintained — DOC keeps the grass mown and the facilities clean, which is not always a given at their campsites around the country.
One thing worth knowing: the layout is more holiday park than wilderness camp. Sites are clearly marked, vehicles park next to tents, and in peak season your neighbours are close. If you want solitude, this is not the spot. But if you want a lakeside campsite with actual plumbing and mountain views from your camp chair, Kerr Bay delivers.
Booking and Fees
Kerr Bay runs on the DOC online booking system, and during summer you will need a reservation. Bookings open months in advance and the popular dates — Christmas through to late January — fill fast. Powered sites cost more than unpowered, and there is a per-person charge on top. Expect to pay somewhere around fifteen to twenty dollars per adult per night for an unpowered site, with powered sites running higher.
The booking platform works well enough, though navigating it to find specific site numbers takes some patience. You can book specific sites, which matters if you want lakefront rather than back row. Outside of the December-February peak, walk-ups are usually fine, but do not chance it over New Year unless you enjoy sleeping in your car at a layby on the highway.
One quirk: the campsite technically has a year-round season but winter services are reduced. The showers may be turned off, and the kitchen shelter gets less attention. Fees drop accordingly. If you are self-contained and do not mind the cold, winter camping here is cheap and very quiet.
The Lakefront Sites Everyone Fights Over
The front row at Kerr Bay faces directly onto Lake Rotoiti with the St Arnaud Range rising behind the water. On a still morning the reflections are absurd — the kind of thing that makes you put your coffee down and just stare. These lakefront sites are the ones that book out first, and for good reason.
The lower-numbered sites along the eastern shore tend to get morning sun earlier, which matters when you are camping in autumn and the nights drop below zero. The sites closer to the boat ramp end are more open and exposed, good for larger groups but less sheltered from the southerly that can whip across the lake in the afternoon.
In summer, securing a lakefront site means booking well ahead — we are talking September or October for a Christmas booking. In March and April, your odds improve dramatically. The campsite is half empty, the beech trees are turning gold, and you can usually grab a front-row spot by just showing up on a weekday. That shoulder season window between mid-March and late April is the sweet spot: warm enough during the day, no crowds, and the lake to yourself most mornings.
West Bay: No Frills, Better Views
Facilities and the Cold Shower Question
West Bay is the no-frills alternative to Kerr Bay, and that is exactly its appeal. You get long-drop toilets and a basic shelter. No showers. No powered sites. No kitchen. The camping fee is lower, which reflects the stripped-back offering.
The toilet blocks are kept reasonably clean, and there is a tap with treated water, so you will not need to cart your own in. But if a hot shower after a day on the trails is non-negotiable, you are either driving back to Kerr Bay or heating water on your camp stove and calling it character building.
People who prefer West Bay tend to be the same people who think Kerr Bay is a bit too civilised. The atmosphere is quieter, the sites are more spread out, and the lack of powered sites means fewer large campervans and motorhomes. You get more tents, more trampers using it as a first or last night stop, and a general sense that everyone is there for the lake and the mountains rather than the facilities.
Getting There and Picking a Spot
West Bay is about three kilometres from St Arnaud village, a short drive down a sealed then gravel road that branches off before you reach Kerr Bay. The road is fine for any vehicle — no need for four-wheel drive unless there has been heavy snow, which is rare at lake level.
The campsite stretches along the western shore of Lake Rotoiti, with sites dotted between the beech trees right down to the water. The best spots are the ones closest to the lake, naturally, where you can pitch your tent on flat ground and watch the sun come up over the Robert Ridge from your sleeping bag.
Morning light at West Bay is something else. The sun clears the eastern ranges and hits the beech canopy first, then the lake turns from grey to blue in the space of about ten minutes. Sites on the southern end of the campsite tend to be more sheltered and slightly warmer, tucked into a bend where the prevailing wind loses its bite. The northern end is more open, with broader views up the lake towards the head of the valley.
West Bay as a Base for Day Walks
West Bay puts you within walking distance of some of the best day tracks in Nelson Lakes. The Loop Track around the lake shore connects West Bay to Kerr Bay and St Arnaud — it is flat, well graded, and takes about an hour and a half. Good for an afternoon stretch or a morning wander before the day heats up.
The St Arnaud Range Track starts from near the West Bay road junction and climbs steeply to the bushline, then up to Parachute Rocks with views across both Rotoiti and Rotoroa. It is a solid day walk — expect five to six hours return and a fair bit of uphill. The top section is exposed, so pick a settled day and bring a windproof layer regardless of what the valley temperature suggests.
From the lake head, which you can reach by following the Lakehead Track from West Bay, you can continue into the Travers Valley or cut across to the Coldwater track. These are longer options that push into overnight territory, but the first few hours of the Lakehead Track from West Bay make a perfectly good half-day walk through beech forest along the lake shore.
Beyond the Road: Backcountry Campsites
Lakehead Hut and Campsite
Lakehead is where the lake ends and the Travers Valley begins, about a two to three hour walk from either Kerr Bay or West Bay depending on your pace and how many times you stop to look at the water. The DOC campsite here has basic facilities — a long-drop toilet and flat tent sites near the river flats.
The hut is a separate booking and sleeps around twenty in bunks. It fills up in summer with trampers heading into or coming out of the Travers-Sabine circuit. The campsite is less pressured — you can usually find a spot even in January, though it pays to carry a backup plan.
Lakehead is a good option if you want something between car camping and a full backcountry trip. You walk in, pitch a tent, and spend a night or two with the Travers River and the valley walls for company. There is no vehicle access, no cellphone coverage, and nothing to do except swim, read, or walk further up the valley. For some people, that is the whole point.
Coldwater Hut and Camping
Coldwater sits further up the Travers Valley, roughly five to six hours on foot from the road end. It is a proper backcountry campsite with a long-drop and not much else — you carry everything in and carry everything out. The hut here is a standard DOC backcountry hut with bunks, a woodburner, and a rainwater tank.
The camping area is in the river flats near the hut, and the name is accurate. The Travers River at this point is fresh snowmelt from the peaks above, and swimming is an exercise in determination. The valley is spectacular though — steep beech-covered walls on both sides, with the occasional avalanche chute breaking through to scree and tussock.
If you do not fancy the walk in, there is a shortcut. The water taxi from Kerr Bay can drop you at the head of the lake, which cuts out about two hours of flat lakeside walking and leaves you with the valley section only. It costs a bit, but if your legs are not keen on the extra distance or you want to save time for exploring further up-valley, it is worth considering.
When to Go and What to Know
The Case for Autumn Camping
If you can only go to Nelson Lakes once a year, make it autumn. Late March through April is when this place is at its best, and it is not even close. The beech forest turns — red beech goes a deep crimson, the silver beech fades to bronze, and the whole valley looks like it has been lit from inside. On a calm morning, the lake reflects it all back and the colours double.
The days are still warm enough for swimming if you are not too precious about water temperature. Nights get properly cold, sometimes dropping below zero, which means clear skies, hard frosts, and mornings where the grass crunches underfoot. Bring a decent sleeping bag rated to minus five at least, and you will be comfortable.
The real advantage is practical: the summer crowds have gone home. Kerr Bay drops from fully booked to half empty. West Bay might have three or four tents in the whole campsite. The tracks are quiet. The sandflies ease off as the temperature drops. And the fishing improves — brown trout in Rotoiti feed more aggressively in the cooler water, and you can actually find a spot on the shore without competing for space.
Summer Crowds and Winter Realities
Summer at Nelson Lakes is popular for a reason, but it comes with trade-offs. From mid-December through January, both Kerr Bay and West Bay fill up, and the atmosphere shifts from quiet lakeside retreat to something closer to a busy holiday park. The tracks get foot traffic, the boat ramp has a queue, and the sandflies arrive in force — especially on still, overcast days near the water.
None of this makes summer a bad time to visit, but go in with realistic expectations. Book early, bring insect repellent that actually works, and accept that your campsite neighbours might run a generator.
Winter is the other extreme. The campsites are open but services are reduced. Snow can fall to lake level, the road from the Kawatiri Junction is sometimes icy in the mornings, and the days are short. That said, Nelson Lakes in winter has a particular beauty — frost on the beech trunks, steam rising off the lake at dawn, absolute silence. It is not comfortable camping by any measure, but if you are set up for it and have a four-season tent, there is nothing quite like it.
Supplies, Fuel, and the St Arnaud Situation
St Arnaud is a village, not a town, and you should plan accordingly. There is a small general store that stocks basics — bread, milk, tinned goods, some fresh produce, and a reasonable selection of beer and wine. Prices reflect the remoteness. It is enough to cover what you forgot, but it is not a place to do a full camp shop.
Fuel is available in St Arnaud, but treat it as emergency supply rather than a planned fill-up. The nearest proper fuel stops are Murchison, about an hour west on State Highway 6, or Nelson, roughly ninety minutes north. Fill up before you head in.
The Alpine Lodge in St Arnaud does meals if you want a break from camp cooking, and there is a small cafe attached to the general store area. But the nearest supermarket is either the Four Square in Murchison or the larger options in Nelson. If you are camping for more than a couple of nights, bring everything you need from Nelson or wherever you are driving in from. There is no dairy, no takeaway shop, and no backup plan if you run out of something essential at nine on a Saturday night.
The DOC campsites at Nelson Lakes cover a range from proper facilities at Kerr Bay through to bare-bones backcountry camping at Coldwater. Pick based on what you value — hot water, solitude, or trailhead access — and plan your visit for autumn if you can swing it. The beech forests alone are worth rearranging your calendar for.