Camping Near Thames: Kauaeranga Valley Campsites, Holiday Park and Freedom Camping

The best camping near Thames is in the Kauaeranga Valley, where the Department of Conservation (DOC) runs nine campsites beside the river, 14 km from town. They cost $10 per adult a night and must be booked in advance. For powered sites, showers and a pool, Dickson Holiday Park is 3 km from the town centre. Freedom camping is only allowed in certified self-contained vehicles. Further up the peninsula, DOC also runs Coromandel campsites from Waikawau Bay to Fletcher Bay.

What are the campsites in the Kauaeranga Valley?

Follow Kauaeranga Valley Road from Thames for 14 km to the Kauaeranga Visitor Centre. The campsites line the gravel road beyond it, most of them on the river. All the tent sites are standard, non-powered DOC campsites. Distances are from the visitor centre.

Site numbers and dog rules are from each campsite's DOC page. If you want to walk to the Pinnacles, Trestle View and Totara Flat are closest to the track. For a swim close to facilities, Shag Stream is beside the visitor centre.

How do you book a Kauaeranga Valley campsite?

1. Book online with DOC. Search for the Kauaeranga Valley campsites on the DOC bookings site. Bookings are open for stays up to 30 June 2027, and you can book for up to three weeks.
2. Book before you travel. If no availability shows online, the valley is full. DOC keeps no spaces for walk-ins.
3. Pick your campsite on arrival. A booking is for a site in the valley, so you can choose which campground to stay at when you get there.
4. Last-minute? Same-day bookings are available online until 8 pm if spaces remain. Phone or in-person bookings at the visitor centre cost an extra $10 service fee.

If you arrive after hours, DOC says you can pay by cash in the envelopes provided at the visitor centre, to the right of the main doors, or through the online booking system. The DOC Campsite Pass is valid at these campsites, but pass holders still need to book online first.

How much does camping in the Kauaeranga Valley cost?

Where can you take a campervan or motorhome?

DOC's Kahikatea campsite, a five-minute walk from the visitor centre, has 18 powered sites for certified self-contained vehicles only. Motorhomes need a current electrical warrant of fitness, shown to visitor centre staff, and the keys for the power must be collected from the visitor centre before 4 pm. Facilities there are limited.

For campervans at the standard campsites, DOC's Kauaeranga brochure asks them not to empty toilet cassettes in DOC toilets, and points to the dump station at the BP service station in Thames.

Is there a holiday park in Thames?

Yes. Dickson Holiday Park is at 115 Victoria Street, 3 km from the centre of Thames, beside a stream in native bush on the site of the old Tararu gardens. It has been run by Elena Casares and Matthias John since July 2022.

• Places to stay: campsites, vintage caravans, cabins, a backpacker-style shared dorm and a self-contained flat.
• Facilities: a large swimming pool open from Labour Weekend to Easter, a creek with waterholes along the boundary, communal kitchens, coin-operated showers, a waste station and bike storage.
• Dogs: generally welcome on a lead at all times, though not inside some of the roofed accommodation.
• Contact: 07 868 7308, or book through the Dickson Holiday Park website.

If you would rather have a bed than a tent, compare motels and lodges in our guide to where to stay in Thames.

Other campgrounds and holiday parks near Thames

Dickson Holiday Park is in Thames itself. Two more sit on the coast road north of town, at Te Puru and Tapu, and a fourth is at Miranda, on the Hauraki Coast. All four have camping sites as well as cabins or units if the weather turns.

Te Puru Holiday Park

• Where: 473 Thames Coast Road, Te Puru.
• Places to stay: character trams, caravans, studio units, self-contained chalets, and campervan and tent sites.
• Sites: hard stand and grassed powered sites from $24 a night for one person, and grassed non-powered tent sites from $20 a night for one person, up to six people a site. Free hot showers; communal kitchen and coin laundry. Powered caravans and campervans need a current electrical WOF.
• Dogs: not allowed in units; allowed seasonally in motorhomes at the manager's discretion.
• Contact: 07 868 2879, or book through the Te Puru Holiday Park website.

The park says its prices are a guide and rise over Christmas and New Year, some weekends, public holidays and events.

Tapu Camp

• Where: 723 Thames Coast Road, Tapu, on the waterfront. Family-owned since Anne Reid and her daughters bought it in 2024.
• Places to stay: cabins, caravans and annexes, powered sites looking over the Firth of Thames, and non-powered sites in a riverbank field.
• Prices from 1 November 2026: powered sites $25 per adult and $12.50 per child a night; non-powered sites $17.50 per adult and $12.50 per child, up to six people a site.
• Facilities: communal kitchen, BBQ area, showers ($1 for five minutes of hot water), laundry, a dump station, a boat wash, fish filleting benches and boat parking for over 50 boats ($10 a stay).
• Dogs: by request only, registered and vaccinated, on powered and non-powered sites outside peak seasons. No dogs in caravans, annexes or cabins.
• Contact: 07 868 4837, or see the Tapu Camp website.

Tasman Holiday Parks Miranda

• Where: 595 Front Miranda Road, Pūkorokoro / Miranda. The park lists the Hauraki Rail Trail as a 36-minute drive.
• Places to stay: cabins, villas and camping sites.
• Facilities: a heated mineral pool kept at 36 to 38°C and open until 10 pm, private hot tubs, BBQs and kids' entertainment facilities. No open fires.
• Dogs: pet-friendly sites all year; dogs on a lead and kept out of communal areas and rooms.
• Contact: 07 867 3205, or see the Tasman Holiday Parks Miranda page.

Check-in at Tapu Camp and Miranda is from 2 pm, with check-out by 10 am. Prices and dog rules change with the season, so confirm with the park when you book.

Coromandel campsites beyond the Kauaeranga Valley

DOC runs more Coromandel campsites further up the peninsula. Coromandel town is 54 km from Thames, about an hour's drive, and the northern beach campsites are 42 to 64 km past it, reached on unsealed roads from Colville. Broken Hills sits on the east side, 4 km off State Highway 25 at Hikuai.

The standard fee is $18 per adult and $9 per child (5 to 17) a night, with under 5s free. Port Jackson charges $20 and $10 from 26 December to 8 February, and a powered site at Waikawau Bay is $21 per adult. All of them need a booking on the DOC booking site, no spaces are held for walk-ins, and bookings are open for stays up to 30 June 2027. The peak period runs from 1 December to 28 February.

None of these campsites allow dogs. The northern Coromandel sites are pack in, pack out, with no rubbish or recycling bins, so take everything home. The longest stay is 14 nights, or 21 from 20 December to 8 February; check in from 2 pm and leave by 11 am.

Port Jackson Road is narrow, winding gravel with one way stretches, and DOC advises a reliable, well maintained 4WD. A ford between Port Jackson and Fletcher Bay can be hard to cross, and Fletcher Bay is a no exit road: you cannot drive on to Stony Bay.

Can you freedom camp in Thames?

Only in a certified self-contained vehicle. Under the Thames-Coromandel District Council freedom camping bylaw, in force since 5 December 2022, freedom camping on council land is not allowed in tents. You can stay from 5 pm to 9 am for up to two consecutive nights, unless signs say otherwise.

The bylaw bans freedom camping in 84 areas, mostly reserves and roads, and limits it to signposted spots in 25 more. The council lists them, with maps, on its freedom camping page. Camping outside the marked campsites is not allowed in the Kauaeranga Valley either.

In and around Thames, the bylaw's restricted-area schedule allows self-contained vehicles in these signed spots:

• Brown Street: the signed area in the car park opposite the Walter Street intersection, up to 4 vehicles.
• Danby Field car park, 301 Queen Street: the signed area on the west side, entered from Richmond Street, up to 20 vehicles.
• 520 Mackay Street (bowling club car park): 3 marked spaces in the south-east corner, 5 pm to 8 am only.
• Rhodes Park car park: the signed gravel area north of the netball courts.
• Tararū Beachfront North Reserve: the signed area behind 1019 Tararū Road, up to 4 vehicles.
• Waiomu Domain: the north-western corner of the domain car park.

Check the council's Thames area map before you park, as the council can close areas at short notice.

Can you stay at Pinnacles Hut instead?

Yes. Pinnacles Hut, a walk of 2.5 to 3 hours from the road end, has 80 bunks and a warden, and must be booked with DOC in advance. Our Pinnacles walk guide covers the route, hut fees and bookings.

What should you know before camping in the valley?

• No fires. Fires are not allowed at any time. Gas or spirit cookers are fine.
• Bring water. DOC's brochure says there is no tap water at the campsites. Boil or treat stream water, or fill up with filtered water outside the visitor centre.
• Take your rubbish home. The valley is pack in, pack out, with no rubbish or recycling services.
• Expect little signal. Mobile coverage is limited past Hotoritori.
• Clean your gear. Scrub soil off shoes and gear and use the cleaning stations to protect kauri from kauri dieback.

For day walks from the campsites, such as the Cookson Kauri Walk and Edwards Lookout, see our walks and tracks guide. Planning a longer trip up the coast? Try our Coromandel road trip from Thames.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I camp near Thames?

The main options are the Department of Conservation (DOC) campsites in the Kauaeranga Valley, 14 km from Thames, and Dickson Holiday Park, 3 km from the town centre on Victoria Street. Certified self-contained vehicles can also freedom camp on some council land under the district bylaw.

Do I need to book Kauaeranga Valley campsites?

Yes. DOC says bookings are required and no spaces are kept for campers who arrive without one. You book a site in the valley online, then choose your campsite on arrival. Same-day bookings are available online until 8 pm if spaces remain.

How much does it cost to camp in the Kauaeranga Valley?

DOC lists $10 per adult and $5 per child (5 to 17) per night at the standard campsites, with under-5s free. The powered Kahikatea site for self-contained vehicles is $13 per adult and $6.50 per child.

Which Kauaeranga campsites allow dogs?

Only Hotoritori and Booms Flat allow dogs, on a leash. Dogs are not allowed at the other campsites, on the Kauaeranga Kauri Trail to the Pinnacles, or at Pinnacles Hut.

Can you freedom camp in Thames?

Only in a certified self-contained vehicle. On council land in the Thames-Coromandel district, tents are not allowed, and you can stay between 5 pm and 9 am for up to two nights unless signs say otherwise. Many reserves and roads are off limits.

Which holiday parks are near Thames?

Dickson Holiday Park is in Thames, on Victoria Street. Te Puru Holiday Park and Tapu Camp are on Thames Coast Road to the north, and Tasman Holiday Parks Miranda, with a heated mineral pool, is at Miranda on the Hauraki Coast. Te Puru, Tapu and Miranda have powered and non-powered sites plus cabins or units.

Are there powered sites near Thames?

Yes. Dickson Holiday Park in Thames has campsites alongside cabins and caravans, Te Puru Holiday Park and Tapu Camp on the coast road both have powered sites, and DOC's Kahikatea campsite near the Kauaeranga Visitor Centre has 18 powered sites for certified self-contained motorhomes.

Which Coromandel campsites does DOC run outside the Kauaeranga Valley?

DOC campsites further up the peninsula include Waikawau Bay, Fantail Bay, Stony Bay, Port Jackson and Fletcher Bay in the north, and Broken Hills near Hikuai on the east side. All need a booking and none allow dogs.

How much do Coromandel DOC campsites cost?

The standard fee is $18 per adult and $9 per child (5 to 17) a night, with under 5s free. Port Jackson is $20 and $10 from 26 December to 8 February, and a powered site at Waikawau Bay costs $21 per adult.

Sources: DOC Kauaeranga Valley campsite pages and Kauaeranga Valley brochure; Dickson Holiday Park; Te Puru Holiday Park; Tapu Camp; Tasman Holiday Parks Miranda; Thames-Coromandel District Council freedom camping bylaw. Checked 4 November 2026; DOC northern Coromandel campsite pages checked 12 November 2026.