Townsend Hut
Basic/bivvies hutArthur's Pass National Park, West CoastOpen
Current advisories
Fallen trees on Lake Kaurapataka Track
13 September 2026
A significant number of fallen trees are blocking the Lake Kaurapataka Track and may make it unpassable. We recommend avoiding this track. First published on 10 November 2025. Last reviewed on 14 September 2026.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai alerts.
- Sleeps
- 4 bunks
- Booking
- Not bookable
- Heating
- None
- Drinking water
- Boil first
- Toilet
- Non-flush
Getting there
We have not checked a road end or car park for this place yet, so we do not give driving directions to it. Check how to get there before you go. Some routes cross private land and need the landowner's permission.
How to get there, on doc.govt.nzTime from nearest huts:
From Kiwi Hut, continue on the true right of the Taramakau to Michael Creek. Cross the Taramakau River here and head upstream on the true left to where a large fan of the unnamed creek where a large orange triangle marks the start of the route.
The route travels in and out of the creek bed which is followed up past a small fork on the true right. At around 520 m the track proper leaves the creek and climbs steeply up the bush faces onto a narrow ridge and follows this up through the sub-alpine zone and out into scrub and open tussock to where the hut is located.
- Topo map
- Topo50 sheet BU21
- Grid reference
- E1499993, N5263535
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Map
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Topo map: LINZ, CC BY 4.0. 42.77421° S, 171.77748° E
About this place
This is a basic four-bunk hut in Arthur's Pass National Park.
Fees and bookings
Free
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Nearby stops
Kiwi Hut – West Coast
Standard • 10 bunks • West Coast • 3.4 km
Kiwi Hut is a standard ten-bunk hut located in the Hokitika area of the West Coast.
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
Minchin Bivvy
Basic/bivvies • 2 bunks • Canterbury • 3.5 km
Minchin Bivvy is a basic two-bunk hut located in the North Canterbury and Arthur's Pass area. It provides simple shelter for hikers in the Canterbury region.
Toilets - non-flush
Poulter Bivvy
Basic/bivvies • 2 bunks • Canterbury • 4.6 km
Poulter Bivvy is a basic two-bunk hut located in the North Canterbury and Arthur's Pass area. It provides simple shelter for hikers in the region.
Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush • Water from stream
Koropuku Hut
Basic/bivvies • 4 bunks • West Coast • 5.5 km
Koropuku Hut is a basic four-bunk hut located in the Hokitika area of the West Coast.
Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush • Water from stream
Locke Stream Hut
Standard • 18 bunks • West Coast • 5.8 km
Locke Stream Hut is a standard 18-bunk hut located in the Hokitika area of the West Coast. This historic shelter dates back to the 1930s government fitness…
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - non-flush
Walks nearby
Contact
Arthur's Pass National Park Visitor Centre
104 West Coast Road, Arthur's Pass 7654
Regional DOC service centre.
Notes from people who have been
No notes yet. If you have been, say what you found.
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Sources
- DOC Huts (API) · CC BY 4.0Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. Data sourced from the DOC Developer Portal (api.doc.govt.nz).
- OpenStreetMap Huts · ODbL (Open Database License)Contains information from OpenStreetMap, made available under the ODbL.
- DOC Huts · CC BY 4.0Data sourced from the Department of Conservation (DOC), New Zealand.