Catchpool Valley Campsite
Rimutaka Forest Park
4.3 21 reviews
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Catchpool Valley Campsite
This is a standard campsite in the Wellington region. Camp beside Catchpool Stream close to walks in the Ōrongorongo Valley.
This is a standard campsite in the Wellington region. Camp beside Catchpool Stream close to walks in the Ōrongorongo Valley.
Getting there
South of Wainuiomata follow the Coast Rd for 10 km to the main Remutaka Forest Park entrance.
Drive 2.5 km towards the top carpark. In heavy rain you may need to drive across a concreted stream ford.
The gate to the campsite is on the right before the end of the road. The driveway into the campsite is gravel.
This is a 45 minute drive from Wellington city.
Notices
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Catchpool ford blocked
Catchpool ford is currently blocked with debris. Park at the Catchpool Centre and walk to the carpark. It may be impossible to drive to Catchpool Valley Campsite. This alert will be removed once the ford is cleared.
First published on 23 April 2026. -
Remutaka Forest Park track closures
There will be temporary closures between 4 May and 15 May (weekends excluded) on the following tracks:
- Whakanui
- McKerrow
- 5 Mile
- Middle Ridge
- Clay Ridge
- Cattle Ridge
- Butchers
This is for a helicopter operation on these tracks. The Ōrongorongo track will be open with volunteers on site to close the track for short times when required. All huts will be accessible through the Ōrongorongo track. Follow the instructions of all staff and volunteers on site.
For more information contact Pip at pcox@doc.govt.nz.
First published on 22 April 2026.
Accommodation
DOC Campsite Pricing
Catchpool Valley Campsite is categorised as a DOC Standard Campsite. The following pricing indicates usual pricing. Prices vary for some campsites and may include seasonal pricing. Visit the DOC website for exact pricing.
DOC Standard Campsite
Standard campsites have a more limited range of facilities and services than Serviced campsites. These campsites have toilets, a water supply that could be treated or untreated tap water, or from a stream or lake, and vehicle or boat access. Bring your own soap for washing hands. Untreated water should be boiled before use to ensure it's safe. Wood BBQs and fireplaces, cold showers, picnic tables, a cooking shelter and rubbish bins may be provided; this will vary from site to site.
| Feature | Value | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Unpowered Site | Adult | $15.00 to $20.00 per night |
| Unpowered Site | Child | $7.50 to $10.00 per night |
| Unpowered Site | Infant | $0.00 per night |
Adults are 18+ years, children are 5-17 years, infants are 0-4 years.
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
|---|---|---|
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Organisation |
DOC Wellington/KapitiCentral government organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Wellington Region ▷ Hutt Valley |
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Categories |
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Operating Season And Hours |
The gate to Catchpool Valley is open daily: 6 am – 8 pm from 28 September until 7 April, and 6 am – 6 pm from 8 April until 27 September. |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
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Basic Camping
Google Maps
Reviews
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Great place, nice hikes nearby.
Julius Schlumberger -
Large DOC site with lots of concealed pitches.
Paul Smith -
$10 per night.
Tobias Kruger -
Great campsite.
Lu -
Beautiful valley with nice campground.
tim winders
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Great campsite.
Kitchen and bathroom facilities and cold showers. Beautiful walks all round. Careful of that gusting wind.
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Great place, nice hikes nearby.
For those with tents: quite some sheltered places.
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It was a beautiful spots and I was excited about the reviews.
Sadly, upon pulling up there was one other vehicle that looked like someone was living there out of. That isn’t so bad, except they parked right in front of the cooking facility. I decided to read some reviews on other sites and saw several people mention a man that lives there and makes woman uncomfortable by standing outside their campers at night, following them, etc. there is also a gate that locks at 630, so if something did happen, I wouldn’t have been able to leave. If it had been busier I would’ve stayed, but as a woman traveling alone I did not feel safe here and decided to spend the night elsewhere.
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Beautiful location.
Shared the Totara Zone with Manawatu Collegegroup, 20+ tents. Unexpected but ok. Only one pit toilet stall open so lots of waiting or a bit of a hike to the next one.
Hot showers were not working.
LPG hoses, but no tank.
Disappointing for a winter outing. Opted to not brave the cold water.
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Lovely, lovely DOC Camp, if you don’t need to use the facilities, (toilets were minging!) We recently had a couple of nights here, just one other staying too, loads of space, quite easy for larger vehicles
too! Beautiful surrounds and really easy access to some epic bush walks! We recommend the Five Mile Loop. Full phone signal with Vodafone too! @saltyskin 8-)
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The Rimutaka Forest Park is an amazing place to explore and this camp ground a great base for exploring.
If you are tenting - try the Graces Stream Camp site which is about a 20min hike away for a more secluded site. Or hike the Orongaronga track (1 1/2 hrs) and try one of the wild campsites beside the river.
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Drove out of Wellington city for an overnight trip, and were happy to find heaps of space available on a Saturday afternoon.
Great amenities. The wind was hectic overnight, and there were loud vehicles speeding along the road nearby, which made sleeping in the tent difficult.
Good spot for dogs, lots of space for them. We were cautious about the river and avoided letting out dog in water near anything algae-esque.
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Took our caravan, three kids and the dog- all enjoyed the stay.
Really quite spot. It's a small camp ground with lots of nooks to set up site in. Beautiful bush surrounding. The river had a lot of algae so needed to find safe area for the dog. Kids enjoyed the river - shallow spots for wading. Lots of Great walks near by.
Facilities are adequate. Didnt try the shower. Toilets fine. Open kitchen block with herb garden - nice touch.
We really enjoyed it. Would return.
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There was little to no water pressure in the showers and I'd barely even call it warm.
Also, it was SO windy that we got barely any sleep because we thought our car was going to blow away!
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Large DOC site with lots of concealed pitches.
Hot showers and flush toilets. Lovely bushwalking from the site. Close to Wellington but peaceful and quiet.
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Perfect campground - plenty of space with nooks so you can claim your own wee patch, nice vibe, pet friendly, a wee river right there and swimming hole a few minutes walk away.
Hot shower (free, unmetered), plenty of toilets and a kitchen block with free BBQ's (no hot water), recycling and rubbish. Would be a hard job to beat it!
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Beautiful valley with nice campground.
Facilities are dated but ok. Nice hikes in the area.
Really dark in the area so the stars on a clear night are fantastic.
One challenge for us was that the campground is a bit out of the way. It is not going to/from anything else. But the price is great.
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gates close at dusk -- this ensures there's no cars driving around in evening or early morning, makes it safer for small kids.
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Nice spot with a lot of walks in the forest - hot shower - not too expensive - not so easily accessible.
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Great campsite.
Kitchen and bathroom facilities and cold showers. Beautiful walks all round. Careful of that gusting wind.
-
Great place, nice hikes nearby.
For those with tents: quite some sheltered places.
-
It was a beautiful spots and I was excited about the reviews.
Sadly, upon pulling up there was one other vehicle that looked like someone was living there out of. That isn’t so bad, except they parked right in front of the cooking facility. I decided to read some reviews on other sites and saw several people mention a man that lives there and makes woman uncomfortable by standing outside their campers at night, following them, etc. there is also a gate that locks at 630, so if something did happen, I wouldn’t have been able to leave. If it had been busier I would’ve stayed, but as a woman traveling alone I did not feel safe here and decided to spend the night elsewhere.
-
Beautiful location.
Shared the Totara Zone with Manawatu Collegegroup, 20+ tents. Unexpected but ok. Only one pit toilet stall open so lots of waiting or a bit of a hike to the next one.
Hot showers were not working.
LPG hoses, but no tank.
Disappointing for a winter outing. Opted to not brave the cold water.
-
Lovely, lovely DOC Camp, if you don’t need to use the facilities, (toilets were minging!) We recently had a couple of nights here, just one other staying too, loads of space, quite easy for larger vehicles
too! Beautiful surrounds and really easy access to some epic bush walks! We recommend the Five Mile Loop. Full phone signal with Vodafone too! @saltyskin 8-)
-
The Rimutaka Forest Park is an amazing place to explore and this camp ground a great base for exploring.
If you are tenting - try the Graces Stream Camp site which is about a 20min hike away for a more secluded site. Or hike the Orongaronga track (1 1/2 hrs) and try one of the wild campsites beside the river.
-
Drove out of Wellington city for an overnight trip, and were happy to find heaps of space available on a Saturday afternoon.
Great amenities. The wind was hectic overnight, and there were loud vehicles speeding along the road nearby, which made sleeping in the tent difficult.
Good spot for dogs, lots of space for them. We were cautious about the river and avoided letting out dog in water near anything algae-esque.
-
Took our caravan, three kids and the dog- all enjoyed the stay.
Really quite spot. It's a small camp ground with lots of nooks to set up site in. Beautiful bush surrounding. The river had a lot of algae so needed to find safe area for the dog. Kids enjoyed the river - shallow spots for wading. Lots of Great walks near by.
Facilities are adequate. Didnt try the shower. Toilets fine. Open kitchen block with herb garden - nice touch.
We really enjoyed it. Would return.
-
-
There was little to no water pressure in the showers and I'd barely even call it warm.
Also, it was SO windy that we got barely any sleep because we thought our car was going to blow away!
-
Large DOC site with lots of concealed pitches.
Hot showers and flush toilets. Lovely bushwalking from the site. Close to Wellington but peaceful and quiet.
-
Perfect campground - plenty of space with nooks so you can claim your own wee patch, nice vibe, pet friendly, a wee river right there and swimming hole a few minutes walk away.
Hot shower (free, unmetered), plenty of toilets and a kitchen block with free BBQ's (no hot water), recycling and rubbish. Would be a hard job to beat it!
-
Beautiful valley with nice campground.
Facilities are dated but ok. Nice hikes in the area.
Really dark in the area so the stars on a clear night are fantastic.
One challenge for us was that the campground is a bit out of the way. It is not going to/from anything else. But the price is great.
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gates close at dusk -- this ensures there's no cars driving around in evening or early morning, makes it safer for small kids.
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Nice spot with a lot of walks in the forest - hot shower - not too expensive - not so easily accessible.
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Beautiful huge campsite with hot shower and well prepared walks.
Perfect for a few days before picking the ferry from Wellington to Picton.
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Lots of space, great if you need to catch the ferry early the next morning.
The most friendly ranger we have ever met!!