We absolutely love so many freedom camping spots. The views you get are second to none. So too is the peace and tranquility that you can’t always get at proper campsites. Don’t get us wrong, we have definitely had bad nights freedom camping, but the good outweighs the bad.
Below is our list of the best spots for freedom camping on the North island. We have then fleshed out why we love these particular spots and the reason for their spot on the list.
We’re yet to explore all of the North Island, hence why this is a running list. We will update it as we go to include the best spots. So check in from time to time to see what has fallen off the top 10 list and what we have added to it.
North Island Freedom Camping Spots
Jones Landing
Stunning views of the Waikato river and rock formations behind the campsite are just the start of why this is our favourite freedom camping spot on the North Island of Aotearoa.
There is a beautiful walk you can take from this campsite that goes up into the hills behind you. There is the river in front of you that we always back onto so we can enjoy looking at it from inside Vandalf.
One of the best things yet about this spot is the FREE shower! There is limited hot water for the shower as well! There are trees to put up our hammock and plenty of space to get out the baby-Q as well. If you don’t have a bbq with you, don’t fret as there is a communal one here too.
This freedom camping site literally ticks all the boxes. We highly recommend spending a night or two here.
Stratford Plateau – Mount Taranaki
Just WOW! It’s going to be hard to top the views of this freedom camp spot. Mount Taranaki is behind you with a continuous changing of clouds around it.
The Maunga likes to hide behind the clouds, which makes it beautiful to watch as the clouds dance around it. You then have views out over New Plymouth to the coast. Absolutely stunning. We woke up above the clouds when we stayed here, which was amazing as well!
The only downside is it can get rather windy up here. We woke up early due to the wind and moved further down the mountain to get a bit more shelter. It still makes the top 2 list though, just for the views and serenity of camping on a mountain.
Clifton Road – Tongapōrutu
A very peaceful spot by the river. From here you can walk along the river’s edge to the beach and the well known 3 sisters and elephant rock formations. We loved staying here and managed to snag a spot off to the side of the camping sites away from the much coveted but very sloped spots with views over the river to the cliffs and sea. Our spot was sheltered with some trees and still had lovely views, as you can see!
Dawson Falls Car Park – Mount Taranaki
Not quite the spectacular views that you get on Stratford plateau. This spot is beautiful for its own very different reasons. For one, you are much more sheltered here. The walks from this car park are beautiful and include Wilkies pools! The perfect spot for an ice-cold bath.
We waited for the car park to empty out a bit before heading on a walk to the Falls and then up to Wilkies pools. We had the pools to ourselves for a bit and were then joined by a couple of other campers. The crowds were gone, and it was golden hour, the perfect time to enjoy nature in peace!
The water is freezing though, so be warned. When you’re freedom camping you’ll take what you can get in the way of a shower and this was a pretty cool way to get clean!
Buffalo Beach Self-Contained Park
The perfect spot to back into and enjoy views over the calm ocean! This is a car park spot, so it is tight with only 3 spots designated for freedom campers you need to get here early too. It’s worth it though for that view from your van.
It is also conveniently located walking distance from the delicious Whitianga Lost springs hot pools. We spent the entire night at the pools, soaking in the warmth and enjoying a poolside dinner and cocktails.
Timona Park – Feilding
A lovely park to spend the night. There is plenty of room for campers here with parking surrounding the oval. You can park on grass or gravel and are amongst the trees in some spots too. Such a peaceful spot. It was nice to go for a little walk around the park too. We found this to be the best spot to stay for Palmerston North.
Lake Ngaroto
Who doesn’t love a lake?! There are heaps of amazing lakes in Aotearoa and this one is no different. You can go for a walk around the lake here or just enjoy the views from your van. Another peaceful spot in nature. We have come back to stay here on our travels a couple of times.
Pukekura Park – New Plymouth
A particularly great place to park if you want to see the Festival of Lights in New Plymouth! This is a parking lot in the park, giving you access to the spectacular lights during the day and at night. We found this one to be quiet at night but busy in the day as everyone comes to the park. It is also really well sheltered. We relocated in the middle of the night from a windy beach spot and it was super calm here.
Horahora Domain
Another spot along the Waikato river. This one is not quite as good as Jones landing as there are no free showers and it does get busier. However, it is still a beautiful spot and if you are lucky, you’ll get to say hi to the sheep that are sometime grazing in the paddock behind you! Even though it was busy, everyone was quiet and there were no loud noises at night.
Hamilton Lake
Even though this is just a concrete parking lot, it still makes the top 10 list for its great location next to Lake Rotoroa in Hamilton. A walk around the lake is wonderful anytime of day and you can make use of the park facilities such as the playground and BBQs. We found it to be quiet at night too, which is always a win for freedom camping spots close to cities and towns.
If you are here during the Balloons over Waikato, this is the perfect spot to stay as you can wake up, throw on some clothes and head down to watch the balloons with your morning cup of tea or coffee.
Stay tuned on our favourite Freedom Camping spots!
And that’s all of them for now! Our favourite freedom camping spots that we have visited so far. A lot of the places we have freedom camped are parking lots in towns or cities and although they are well located for exploring the areas they are in, they don’t make for overly exciting places to stay.
So whilst places like the kiwi cash camp in National Park and the parking lot just outside of the Polynesian Spa in Rotorua are really good, they didn’t make this list. As we continue to explore, we promise to revise the list and keep it as up to date as possible. To find out when it’s been updated, follow us on Instagram where we will keep you informed on all things freedom camping!
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