Coppermine Creek Hut | Haast Paringa Cattle Trail
One of those huts that almost suffers from being accessible by four-wheel-drive, but the difficulty of access, Coppermine Creek and Waita River need to be crossed a few times if in a vehicle, precludes many potential visits.
The DOC track to the road has not been cut/marked for some years, and has some frustrating sections where decades of cattle hoofs in boggy ground have made tramping with a pack a pain. If the river is down, it is certainly easier to bash down the river gravels, crossing as required. Staying on the “marked” track leads, at times, through prickly gorse forests and those potentially ankle-breaking bogs.
Memorable for the hordes of mosquitoes that seem to find their way into the hut. Expert tip: bring your own mozzie coils, or even a can of fly spray.
category . . . standard hut
hut fee . . . from 1 July 2026
Adult (18+ years): $15.00 per night
Youth (5–17 years): $7.50 per night
Child/Infant (0–4 years): free
Before you go, buy 1 Standard Hut Ticket (blue for adults, red for youth) for each night of your stay. Put this in the honesty box at the hut. A Backcountry Hut Pass is also valid year-round.
booking . . . not required all year for either hut or camping
campsite fee . . . free to camp
elevation . . . 50 m
bunks . . . 8 mattresses, in bunks
built . . . 1980
heating . . . woodburner, collect own firewood
water . . . tap above sink from 900 litre rainwater tank
toilet . . . longdrop
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