2 Leitchs Hut, Waikato

This secluded sanctuary, just 3.5hr from Auckland, is perfect for first-timer trampers and families.

This former residence of pioneer Sam Leitch, who lived here in the early 1900s, sits in a grassy clearing in the Awakino River headwaters. Leitch surveyed and farmed the area, convinced it would become a busy crossroads. However, no roads were built and after 20 years’ toil he moved on. Today only macrocarpa trees remain. In 1994 an old house was relocated to the site for public accommodation.

The gentle track is well-graded. Pass through farmland over a low bush saddle to open river flats and Leitchs Hut. With a woodstove and twin bunkrooms, this historic 16-bunk homestead is an anachronism from a bygone era.

Grade Easy Time 3hr

-Ray Salisbury 

3 Crosbies Hut, Coromandel Forest Park

This alternative to the palatial Pinnacles Hut is arguably an even better destination.

Perched high in a clearing with sweeping views over the Coromandel Range, Crosbies Hut is an upper North Island gem not to be missed.

Unlike 80-bunk Pinnacles Hut, the only other one in the forest park, Crosbies is reached on a gently ascending track (Waiotahi Track), making the 16km distance manageable even for children. This gentler gradient can lead to extremely muddy conditions, however.

The hut has an interesting history. The area was cleared for farming in 1880, but life was tough and the settlement was abandoned in 1926. In 1989, Swedish tourists Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen went missing while tramping in the area.

From the hut there are magnificent views of Mercury Bay, Table Mountain and the Coromandel Range.

Grade Moderate Time 5hr

-Alistair Hall

4 Te Wairoa (Rogers) Hut, Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park

Living history in a classic cullers’ hut.

A hut can be a collector of stories, some true, some imagined, often told by candlelight or the roar of an open fire. Te Wairoa (Rogers) Hut, nestled in Whirinaki’s podocarp forest, must have collected a few. Built in 1952 by legendary deer culler Rex Forrester to support culling operations for the NZFS, it has served generations of hunters, trampers and mountain bikers. The beech slab interior is decorated with autographed tin lids illuminated by light that filters through a stained-glass window. It can be reached along the shared-use (cycling and tramping) Moerangi Track from Okahu Road.

Grade Easy–moderate Time 3.5hr from Okahu Road end

-Sam Harrison

5 Rocks Ahead Hut, Kaweka Forest Park

Discover the charm of a backcountry confluence.

Rocks Ahead Hut is hidden in the remote heart of Kaweka Forest Park. Sited on a terrace in vibrant beech forest, it looks out over the Ngaruroro River. The hut marks the junction of three major tracks, making it an excellent base for further exploration. To the north a three-wire bridge over Rocks Ahead Stream provides access to Venison Tops via a steep spur. To the west a cableway crosses the Ngaruroro, linking the hut to a smaller bivvy and the route up Spion Kop to the open tops of Manson Country. And to the east a steep track links this isolated hideaway with the popular tracks of the main Kaweka Range.

Grade Moderate–difficult Time 7hr from Makehu Saddle car park

-Sam Harrison

6 Hikurangi Hut, Raukumara Conservation Park

Be the first to see the dawn of a new day from the heights of Mt Hikurangi.

The rugged Raukumara Range features Mt Hikurangi (1754m), the highest non-volcanic mountain in the North Island. The massif crowns East Cape and is the first place in the world to be kissed by the sun at dawn. The small corrugated-iron hut has sheltered climbers on the mountain since 1968. Visit it and experience one of the most special mountains of Aotearoa. Note, contact  Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou for permission.

Grade Easy–moderate Time 4–5hr (hut to summit 2–3hr)

-Mark Watson

7 Howletts Hut, Ruahine Forest Park

Enjoy the sunrise from the highest hut in the Ruahine Range.

The original Howletts Hut was built of mountain cedar slab by botanist William Howlett in 1893. The current hut was built in 1940 by two tramping clubs and is maintained by Heretaunga Tramping Club. It’s tucked into stunted bush on narrow Daphne Ridge and allows expansive views over Hawke’s Bay. Behind the hut, Taumataomekura and Tiraha peaks beckon invitingly. From Howletts you can romp over the famous Sawtooth Ridge Circuit, or traverse Te Hekenga to the eastern side of the range.

Grade Moderate–difficult Time 5hr via Daphne Hut

-Sarah White

8 Poor Petes Hut, Kahurangi National Park

A haven in a vast paddock of waist-high tussock. 

In this corner of Kahurangi there are two tablelands to explore: Thousand Acres Plateau and Hundred Acres Plateau.

Matiri Valley Road, just north of Murchison, leads up the Matiri Valley. From there it’s an easy ramble to the wildlife refuge of Lake Matiri. A grunty, sweat-inducing 700m haul up a vertiginous spur will make reaching Poor Petes Hut a welcome experience. There are only two bunks but there’s ample camping around this new bivouac, which has a covered porch and a rain tank.

Larrikin Creek Hut is a few hours further on, as is the tricky route up The Needle and The Haystack. High up on the Devils Dining Table, Mt Misery awaits intrepid trampers.

Grade Moderate–difficult Time 5hr

-Ray Salisbury

9 Longview Hut, Ruahine Forest Park

A family-friendly destination when it’s not too windy.

Longview Hut is situated 60m below   Pohangina Saddle, one of the windiest locations in New Zealand, so choose your weather when you visit. The hut is surrounded by dracophyllum, tussock, leatherwood and other subalpines, and boasts great views eastwards over Hawke’s Bay hill country. Built in 1979 by the Forest Service and the local Deerstalkers Association, it’s a welcoming place with big windows, a north-east aspect, indoor water supply, modern wood burner and supplied firewood. It has platform bunks with space for 12 and a covered back porch for all your wet gear.

Grade Easy–moderate Time 2–3hr from Kashmir Road end

-Sarah White

10 Dorset Ridge Hut, Tararua Forest Park

An alpine delight on a route less travelled.

This six-bunk alpine hut high in the Tararua Range has magnificent views of the surrounding 1500m peaks. No official tracks lead to it, but the most common approach is over the range’s highest peak, Pukeamoamo Mitre, before crossing the twin peaks of Brockett and  Girdlestone. More adventurous parties may access the hut via the old deer cullers’ route to Dorset Creek, which links with routes up to South King and McGregor Bivouac.

Grade Difficult Time 10–11hr from the Pines car park

-Sam Harrison

11 Powell Hut, Tararua Forest Park

Bag an iconic lodge on the wind-lashed-tops of the Tararua Range. 

This hut is tucked into a tussock bench on the ridgeline route to Mt Holdsworth. It’s the fourth incarnation of the original Powell Hut, which was erected in 1939 by Hutt Valley Tramping Club as a skiing base. Today the modern 32-bunker offers views over the Wairarapa plains. Four separate bunkrooms give adequate privacy, and a spacious deck provides ample room for residents and day-trippers. Bookings are necessary.

From the road-end at Holdsworth Lodge, the Gentle Annie Track gradually ascends to Mountain House Shelter. From here the trail climbs steadily through silver beech to Powell Hut at the bushline. Note that the route to Holdsworth is exposed to wind and inclement weather.

Grade Moderate Time 4hr

-Ray Salisbury

12 Carkeek Hut, Tararua Forest Park

This traditional NZFS hut is the most remote in the park.

High above the Waiohine River, Carkeek stands at the heart of what was once a dense network of cullers’ tracks scoring the ridges and valleys. They’re mostly lost to the bush now, but volunteer efforts have kept enough routes viable that this six-bunker is still a classic destination. Whether it’s over a weekend or four to five days, you’ll traverse some of the Tararua’s finest tops and goblin forests to reach this gem.

Grade Difficult Time Poads Road to Te Matawai Hut, 6hr; to Carkeek Hut, 6–8hr

-Mark Watson

13 Rocks Hut, Mt Richmond Forest Park

Spectacular views of the rugged Richmond Range make this a must-visit destination. 

The current Rocks Hut was built by the Forest Service in 1984 on the Bryant Range behind Nelson. It’s the third version of the original four-bunk log cabin built by Nelson Tramping Club in 1935. Today it’s a popular stop-over on Te Araroa Trail. The most straightforward access is via the country’s first railway, now the Dun Mountain Trail, a gentle incline from Brook Valley wildlife sanctuary to Coppermine Saddle where the mineral belt was mined in the 1860s. A side trip to The Rocks (939m) or to the barren ultramafic geology on Dun Mountain are both worthwhile.

Grade Easy–moderate Time 5hr

-Ray Salisbury

14 Mt Brown Hut, West Coast

Climb to a hut with a glorious coastal outlook.

This diminutive dwelling in the clouds is a worthy weekend destination. The track initially climbs gently through hardwood forest, but it’s not typical bush. This is impenetrable West Coast jungle: lush podocarp forest, dripping dark and wet. The middle section is steep, requiring some real grunt, and after three hours the track punches through leatherwood near the bushline. Follow snow poles across tussock tops to the hut, a quaint four-bunk shelter built in 2010 by volunteers and painted rescue orange.

Far below is sausage-shaped Lake Kaniere, and beyond is the turbulent ocean. Eastward, across the glowing, golden tussock, a line of snowy peaks stabs into the sky. Magic.

Grade Difficult Time 4–5hr

-Ray Salisbury

15 Frew Saddle Bivouac, West Coast

Visit the first NZFS two-person bivvy built in Westland. 

Historic Frew Saddle Bivouac is on a beautiful alpine saddle along one of Westland’s classic multi-day tramps. It holds a small but notable place in the story of New Zealand’s backcountry huts. In 1957 the first of a new design of deer culler’s bivouac, the NZFS B49, was erected here by Forest Service staff. Frew Saddle is a key to the heartland of the Hokitika Catchments tramping region, and as well as the popular but rugged Toaroha–Whitcombe circuit there are many more remote routes and huts accessible from here, including Frisco Hut, Homeward Ridge, Sir Robert Hut and Mathias Pass into Canterbury.

Grade Moderate–difficult Time 8–10hr from the Hokitika road end

-Mark Watson

16 Christmas Village Hut, Rakiura National Park

Sleep in a coastal hut by Foveaux Strait and climb a windswept mountain.

Christmas Village Hut sits on a grassy shelf above a small, rocky beach backed by lush forest. It’s a majestic place on the northern tip of Rakiura, and a good base from which to climb Hananui Mt Anglem, the highest peak here. You might be lucky and spot an elusive kiwi. Unbroken quiet and a true wilderness vibe are what make this corner of the country so special.

Grade Moderate Time 2 days

-Ray Salisbury

17 Upper Travers Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park 

Experience the subalpine paradise of the upper Travers Valley. 

A journey into the upper Travers Valley encapsulates much that is special about tramping into New Zealand’s subalpine zone. This deservedly popular tramp starts with a post-glacial lake and grassy meadows alongside beech forest before transitioning to an inspiring environment of swift rivers, craggy peaks, chasms and waterfalls. Despite its rugged alpine location, a visit in summer will find this modern hut surrounded by alpine flowers, babbling brooks and photogenic views.

Grade Easy–moderate Time 4 days return, or 4–7 days for the Travers–Sabine circuit

-Mark Watson

18 Hooker Hut, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park

A family-friendly cabin with million-dollar views.

The walk to eight-bunk Hooker Hut is among the best family-friendly hut walks in the country. Unsurprisingly, it’s the most popular hut in the country – it has an occupancy rate of around 85 per cent. Built in 1910 it was originally perched above the moraine of the Hooker Glacier – a resting point for those crossing Copland Pass. As the glacier receded in the 21st century the hut became increasingly inaccessible, and in 2020 it was reinstalled on a short side track off the Hooker Valley Track, just a two-hour walk from Whitehorse Hill car park. It’s a place with memorable views that will last a lifetime.

Grade Easy Time 2hr

-Sam Harrison

19 Jolliebrook Hut, Lake Sumner Forest Park

Visit this wonderful hideaway in the hinterland of Northern Canterbury.  

This leisurely excursion into the hill country near Lake Sumner is perfect for a social tramp or a leg-stretcher.

From the trackhead cross a swingbridge over the Hurunui River, which is lined with kōwhai trees and kānuka. A cattle track leads to Jollie Brook. Follow a marked trail along stony flats and through a small gorge. Navigation is generally straightforward along the wide valley floor, but be prepared for multiple stream crossings. The full 36km loop continues on tracks over a low saddle to Gabriel Hut and along open cattle flats back to the start.

Jolliebrook Hut has two bunkrooms separated by a large kitchen and is in excellent condition. It’s sited in a large clearing with good camping spots.

Grade Moderate Time 4–5hr

-Ray Salisbury

20 Camp Stream Hut, Te Kahui Kaupeka Conservation Park 

Mustering history in an accessible pocket of Mackenzie Basin high country.  

This hut is just a few kilometres south of Te Araroa’s highest point, Stag Saddle (1925m). The site has sheltered musterers and trampers for over 100 years. The original hut was built in 1898; when it burnt down a replacement was built in the same style using materials recovered from the fire. Squat, with a steeply pitched roof and clad with rusty corrugated iron, the hut nestles in its tussockland surroundings. Access is easiest from the south, and if following Te Araroa northbound, it’s the first in a string of historic huts through the Two Thumb Range.

Grade Easy–moderate Time 3–4hr from Round Hill Snow Area access road

-Mark Watson

21 Holly Hut, Te Papakurao Taranaki

There’s more to the Pouakai Circuit than a tarn and the view of Taranaki Maunga.

Holly Hut is one of two on Taranaki’s Pouakai Circuit and a great base for exploring the surrounding area. The Ahukawakawa Swamp lies at the hut’s doorstep, and  nearby Bells Falls roars over an ancient lava flow. You may hear kiwi calling in the bush around the hut at night. This classic 1970s Lockwood design has 32 beds over three bunkrooms and a central cooking and eating area with solar lighting. Firewood is supplied.

Grade Easy–moderate Time 3–4hr from North Egmont Visitor Centre

-Sarah White

22 John Reid Hut, Kahurangi National Park

This remote cabin boasts jaw-dropping views of the marbled flanks of Mt Owen. 

This seldom-visited hut is hidden in a grassy basin at the southern end of the Arthur Range in the country’s second largest national park. Nestled into the treeline at 1300m, the six-bunker lies halfway along the undulating ridge between mounts Patriarch and Gomorrah. The broad panorama from the ridgeline above makes you feel very small, and at night the intense canopy of stars is humbling.

The building was named after a pioneering helicopter pilot who delivered the kitset in 1963. Water is from a nearby stream and there is a woodstove. Access is from the Wangapeka Valley up the relentlessly steep Chummies Track, or from Kiwi Saddle Hut along the backbone of the Arthur Range.

Grade Difficult Time 4–5hr

-Ray Salisbury

23 French Ridge Hut, Mount Aspiring National Park

An iconic alpine hut located among dramatic Southern Alps scenery. 

For the scale and splendour of the mountains that border it, the Matukituki Valley is a gentle entry point to the high peaks of Mount Aspiring National Park. An easy track and riverside meadows lead to Aspiring Hut, where the valley narrows. Glades of beech forest, grassy clearings and glimpses of the Matukituki River follow, until the river is crossed and the track launches steeply up French Ridge towards its namesake hut. The hut sits just below 1500m, well above the bushline and on the edge of vertiginous Gloomy Gorge, which is fed by waterfalls pouring from the névés below Quarterdeck Pass, Mt Avalanche and Rob Roy Peak. French Ridge Hut (NZAC/DOC) is a traditional climbing base for Tititea Mt Aspiring and peaks around the Bonar Glacier, but it’s also a worthy summer tramping destination for its incredible location and views of the surrounding mountains.

Grade Moderate–difficult Time 6–8hr

-Mark Watson

24 Mt Rintoul Hut, Mount Richmond Forest Park 

Soak up sweeping views of Tasman Bay from the heights of the Richmond Range.

Situated near the bushline high on the steep slopes of Mt Rintoul, this hut would probably make many Te Araroa walkers’ list of favourites. In clear weather there is a panoramic view of Tasman Bay right across to Kahurangi National Park, while by night the lights of Waimea Valley sparkle below. The best way to get there is via the multi-day Richmond Range traverse followed by Te Araroa, which packs in a diverse and geologically unique range of tops and bush tramping with regularly spaced huts along the way.

Grade Moderate Time 8–10 days via Te Araroa, or more directly over 2–3 days

-Mark Watson

25 Ivory Lake Hut, Waitaha River area

Our 25th hut is Ivory Lake – click here to read all about it….