Best Family Friendly Huts in the South Island
The best Family Friendly Huts in the South Island, New Zealand
There is no better way to get kids excited about tramping than heading into a New Zealand backcountry hut for an overnight adventure. It’s a sleepover in the wild, where you can go outside and see the milky way, eat some yummy treats and play cards by the fire.
What we love about some of these backcountry huts, is it turns a 4-5 hour hike into a 2 hour trip each way which is totally manageable for kids.
Here we’ve made a collection of some great South Island huts that are kid friendly, meaning they are shorter walks that don’t require a ton of navigation skills, so are great for newbies to hiking.
If you’re a beginner tramper and looking for an introduction to hiking, these articles might also be helpful
- How to plan a family hiking trip and keep safe
- Tramping Gear List
- What we gear we use for tramping with kids
This article provides a summary of our favourite huts in the South Island and you can click through to full articles with tons more photos and detailed information about each hut. And whatever you do, make sure you keep safe in the outdoors. This means the correct gear (you can always borrow), checking the weather and making sure you have an emergency plan like a personal locator beacon (you can hire these)
And most importantly, have a blast!!
The most beautiful hut in Mt Cook
- Hut Name: Hooker Hut
- Region: Mt Cook, Canterbury
- DOC recommended time: 2 hours one way
- How long it actually took us: 90 mins with a group ranging from 4-9 years old
The Hooker Hut is a cute quaint historic hut sleeping 9 people and is just off the famous Hooker Valley Track. The track is practically flat with a few minor undulations and would suit active preschoolers and older.
The trail is very easy to follow and is surrounded by incredible snowy topped mountains and my kids favourite: the swing bridges. Kids will love hearing avalanches and if you’re very lucky, you might even spot a kea.
The hut itself is nestled off the main Hooker Valley Track, protected and secluded so it feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere, all on your own. You have the most incredible view of Mt Cook from the deck and the stargazing is fabulous.
A few tips
- One thing that makes this a great first overnight tramp is that gas is included in the hut, so you can just bring a pot from home to cook on. No fancy cooking equipment needed.
- Do make sure you leave your gear at the hut and explore the rest of the Hooker Valley Track. Kids will love seeing the icebergs floating in the lake.
Read more: Guide to the Hooker Hut with photos
A downhill walk to a two storey hut: Rod Donald Hut, Canterbury
- Hut Name: Rod Donald Hut
- Region: Little River, Canterbury
- DOC recommended time: 50 minutes
- How long it actually took (including stops) 45 minutes walking in and about 50 minutes walking out with a group of 4-9 year olds
Rod Donald Hut is perfect for a family’s first overnight hike. Less than an hour of which a lot of the walk is downhill on the way in, this 2.5km walk will be easy for most kids. Easily doable as a day walk or nab a coveted weekend booking in the hut.
It’s a combo of open farmland walking and a bit of bush, so do bring a jacket and hat for those open sections as it gets mighty windy up there. Check out the photo of those trees
Rod Donald Hut has 9 beds and a cute upstairs bedroom and downstairs kitchen/dining setup. There’s a big window overlooking the Little River valley below. You’ll need to bring your own cooking supplies as there’s nothing provided but there is a log burner with a woodshed. Also a few games on the shelf to share when we were there too.
Read more: Our guide to Rod Donald Hut with photos
Double glazed goodness in the high country: Woolshed Creek Hut
- Hut Name: Woolshed Creek
- Region: Mt Somers, near Ashburton, Cantebury
- DOC recommended time: 3 hours
- How long it actually took (including stops): 2 hours, 45 minutes one way
Woolshed Creek is the first hut I took my kids for an overnight and it’s a very manageable first tramp. It took my 3.5 year old just under 3 hours with some good stops for snacks and a lunch break.
The trail is part of the Mt Somers Track which is actually a 2 day walk, but this is by far the easier of the 2 huts to get to. There is a decent amount of gentle uphill on this walk. The steeper sections don’t last too long and with plenty of encouragement and breaks, the kids will make it.
There are a couple of trails into Woolshed Creek. The miners trail is the easiest, but if you have kids looking for a bit more of a challenge, the Rhyolite track is quite undulating with some steep ups and downs.
Woolshed Creek Hut sits right next to the creek which is fun to play in and there are some short walks to the water caves and swing bridge closeby.
The hut itself has 26 beds across two rooms. They are on a shared mattress platform as opposed to individual bunk beds. There’s a good fire for warmth and double glazing which is pretty fancy.
Read more: Woolshed Creek Hut, our family friendly South Island hut guide
The one with Banks Peninsula Views: Packhorse Hut, Christchurch, Canterbury
- Hut Name: Packhorse Hut
- Region: near Christchurch, Canterbury
- DOC recommended time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- How long it actually took (including stops): 1 hour and 20 minutes – yip this was accurate for us.
Packhorse Hut can be reached by 2 tracks: Gebbies Pass and Kaituna Valley, the latter is the shortest, taking just 1 hour and 20 minutes. It does have a pretty steep hill in it, but that takes no longer than perhaps 15 minutes to conquer the steepest part. I think Gebbies Pass has the best views, but its more undulating, so sometimes you have to go back down, when you’ve climbed all that way up.
Kids will love the historic stone hut that sits nestled on the hill, wilth views over the sea at Banks Peninsula. You can also see the Southern Alps and Lake Ellesmere off in the distance.
The cute hut has a bunkroom sleeping 9 people with a mix of single bunks and a shared platform. It’s great for 2 families to share so book ahead and book it out. There’s a small pot belly fire in the dining area so bring some matches and paper to get it going.
Read more: Packhorse Hut, a great Christchurch hut walk
A good forest stroll: Kiwi Burn Hut
- Hut Name: Kiwi Burn Hut
- Region: Mavora Lakes, Fiordland
- DOC recommended time: 90 minutes
- How long it actually took (including stops): 100 minutes. Took us a bit of time to find where to cross the last stream
Kiwi Burn Hut is a lovely little 12 bed hut in the Snowden Forest Conservation Area. You will find it just before the popular Mavora Lakes campsite area near Te Anau in Fiorldland. The trail is a forest track that is mostly flat so very easy to navigate.
There are over 100 orange markers to find along the way, a fun game to keep the little minds busy. There are a number of little streams to cross that are easy to jump over or navigate the rocks and logs. It hadn’t been particularly wet so I’m unsure if these would be much harder in a wetter weather.
There’s one larger stream where the kids did get wet feet, but besides that, a very easy and manageable trail.
Read more: Kiwi Burn Hut Mavora Lakes
The hut with the lake: Manson Nicholls Hut, Lewis Pass
- Hut Name: Manson Nicholls Hut, aka the Lake Daniells Hut
- Region: Lewis Pass, an hour from Hanmer Springs
- DOC recommended time: 1-3 hours
- How long it actually took (including stops) 3 hours, 15 minutes with lunch.
Manson Nicholls Hut has long been on the list as a great family friendly tramp. This is because the track is mostly flat, in elevation terms and it’s not hard to navigate. In reality, it is more undulating than you’d probably think when I call it flat, but not difficult.
The three hour tramp runs through the bush and you’ll be able to hear all types of birds along the way. I did find the walk a little boring, but if you’ve followed me on Instagram you know I’m a fan of ridgelines and mountain views
Manson Nicholls Hut is really cool though. It’s right on the lake and in the summer you could definitely swim, just bring lots of bug spray. There’s two bunkrooms, one more platform style where everyone sleeps in a row, and the other room has single bed bunks.
It’s got a fire, a huge chalkboard, so bring some chalk and some great tables with views over the lake. It does book up fast, but otherwise there’s a big flat area for a tent, so that’s always an option too.
For good beachy swims: Abel Tasman Great Walk Huts
I’m going to recommend any of the Abel Tasman Great Walk huts, because even if you’re not looking to walk the whole thing, water taxi access means you can just walk a section of the track, stay in a hut, maybe walk a little more and get picked back up again. This means that they’re super family friendly.
The hardest part of walking to the Abel Tasman Hut will be getting a booking, so it could also be great during winter when they aren’t quite as busy.
There are four huts on the Abel Tasman Track: Awaroa Hut, Bark Bay Hut, Anchorage Hut and Whariwharangi Hut (the lesser known hut)
For those wanting a short walk, we’ve used Wilsons Water Taxi and walked into Bark Bay Hut, you could stay there and go out again the next day, which is a great option for littlies. Or if you don’t want to water taxi, you could walk in and out of Anchorage Hut (although I do find this walk a little boring) There are lots of options, so go check them out.
Backcountry Goodness: Nina Hut
- Hut Name: Nina Hut
- Region: Boyle River, Lewis Pass
- DOC recommended time: 3 hours one way
I have to admit that I haven’t actually done this walk but lots of my friends have, so here is a wee summary. It’s about an 8km walk from the road end and is ideal for families with a bit of tramping experience. It can be muddy and the trail is quite rough. There’s lots of tree roots and bits to negotiate along the way.
There are a couple of cool swingbridges along the way and about 400m of elevation gain.
Nina Hut is a standard 10 bed hut which you unfortunately cannot book. You’ll need to purchase hut tickets from an outdoor store like Macpac or a DOC visitor centre. Do be prepared and bring insect repellent.
A first taster of the Routeburn: Routeburn Flats Hut
- Hut Name: Routeburn Flats Hut
- Region: Glenorchy, Mt Aspiring National Park
- DOC recommended time:1.5-2.5 hours
- How long it actually took (including stops) A bit over 2 hours
Routeburn Flats Hut is 7.5km walk on a flattish track, slight incline most of the way (but doesn’t really feel like you’re going up most of the time, no major hills) It is the start of the Routeburn Track although I always recommend people skip this hut for Routeburn Falls Hut. It’s a lovely forest walk all the way to a big open plain with great views.
Because it’s a great walk hut, it can get booked up, but if you visit out of season, theres good space and to be honest, there can be spaces in Great Walk season too. It’s worth checking in on. Its got two bunkrooms sleeping up to 20 people and as its of Great Walk standard, gas is provided in Great Walk season, which is great if you haven’t committed to being a tramping family and don’t have your own cooker (just bring pots)
If you wanted you could also walk up to the waterfalls at Routeburn Falls Hut and then come back down again as a day trip and stay a second night at the hut.
Read more about the Routeburn Track with kids here
A newly renovated hut in Mt Aspiring National Park
- Hut Name: Aspiring Hut
- Region: Mt Aspiring National Park near Wanaka
- DOC Recommended time: 2-2.5 hours
- How long in actually took (including stops) We actually biked into this hut and it took us 1 hour 45 minutes
Aspiring Hut has recently been renovated and is a lovely hut for families. It’s an old historic stone hut which looks pretty cool out there in the middle of nowhere. The hike itself is pretty gentle, mostly flat with one decent hill, although it was a little rocky on a bike and felt more undulating. It was a little swampy in sections which would have been fine to hike, but required extra effort on a bike.
Many people bike out to the hut to stay (beware the keas who will eat your seat) or take a walk. It’s in a wide open valley and would be quite pretty in winter with snow on the mountains I would imagine.
The hut has 32 beds and does get booked up over the summer, so book online at the DOC website in advance.
This is one we definitely want to hike out to again.
More Advanced family hikes in the South Island
These huts are also good options for families if you’re looking to tackle more hills and wish to hike a longer distance.
Pinnacles Hut, Mt Somers Track
- Hut Name: Pinnacles Hut
- Region:Mt Somers Track, Ashburton area
- DOC recommended time: 3 hours one way
- How long it actually took (including stops) 2 hours 15 minutes with my fast hiker child, about 3 hours with the whole family (youngest 6)
If you’ve completed Woolshed Creek on the Mt Somers Track, then Pinnacles is one you can walk to, to make it a multi day hike, or you can access it from the Sharplin Falls Carpark. The track isn’t super difficult but in terms of effort I’d call it an intermediate hike and is definitely a step up from Woolshed Creek.
You’ll start with a steep hill up to Dukes Knob, then head down again to the river. You’ll follow the riverside and its undulations along the way here before another good climb up to the hut. It always seems to take longer than I think to get here.
A lot of this trail is in the bush and forest and there’s lots for kids to concentrate on along this track.
Pinnacles Hut is a one roomed hut, which is probably the downside if you have younger kids. This means that everyone sleeps in the same room as the kitchen/living area. We’ve visited in the day but not stayed overnight, but this would mean that everyone will end up going to sleep together really. There are a couple of tent sites in good little hidden alcoves though if that’s an option for you.
You can read more about Pinnacles Hut or the 2-3 day hike on the Mt Somers Track here
Epic Lake views at Bushline Hut, Nelson
- Hut Name: Bushline Hut on the Mt Robert Circuit Track
- Region: Nelson Lakes National Park
- DOC recommended time: 5 hour round trip
- How long it actually took (including stops) 5 hours including lunch stop.
Bushline Hut can be found on the Mt Robert Circuit Track. This track really blew us away as we were blessed with the perfect sunny day. The lake sparkled below and we had stunning views all day.
This is a loop track which I love and we walked up the steeper Pinchgut Track first. This meant we hiked up in a good amount of forest when we were doing the hard uphill and then could see all the views on the way down. There’s debate as to which is easier but that worked well for us.
It will take a good 2 hours of uphill and the whole loop is about 9km, so a decent jaunt. My just turned 4 year old did well on this track and managed it fine (with a few 2-3 hour hikes under her belt)
Bushline Hut sleeps 14 people and the only downside of this hut, is that the sleeping and kitchen area is all one big room. This may make it harder for little people to get to sleep ahead of the adults and older kids. But it’s a great tramp and one we highly recommend.
Where the mountains meet the sea: Mt Fyffe Hut Kaikoura
- Hut Name: Mt Fyffe Hut
- Region: Kaikoura
- DOC recommended time: 3 hours one way
- How long it actually took (including stops) 3 hour, 15 minutes with lunch
This is not a technical climb, in fact its a 4wd style track so super safe and easy to navigate, but it is a really steep uphill hike. So if your kids are strong hikers and can deal with a good amount of uphill that is a little boring, I did love the cute wee hut up here and the views would be insane.
Mt Fyffe Hut is an 8 bed standard hut and the one downside is that you can’t book it, so my plan is always to arrive earlier in the day to make sure I nab a spot. Not going to lie, I didn’t love the walk itself, but if you are looking to build some stamina and love a good view at the top, this might be another one to consider
Read more: Mt Fyffe Hut with kids
Mountain madness: The best hut in Mount Cook National Park
- Hut Name: Mueller Hut
- Region: Mt Cook National Park
- DOC recommended time: 3-4 hours up
- How long it actually took (including stops) About 6 hours with my three year old, 3.5 hours on other occasions
I’ll premise this walk with a warning that you need to be doing this walk on a day with good weather. I had hiked this before with my 5 year old on a perfect day, so when I took my 3.5 year old, I knew exactly what the track was like and again, the day could not have been more perfect in March.
This is a big alpine hike and can have horrific rain and wind and even snow in the summer so please make sure you do your due diligence prior.
In saying that, if your kids have some good hiking under their belt and you’re up for a challenge, then this hut is incredible and the views are just something else.
Be prepared though as this climb is about 1000m in elevation gain and you will be hiking for at least 3-5 hours uphill. You will start with the 2000 step climb to Sealy Tarns which has the most beautiful views. This is a good alternative if you don’t want to go all the way to the hut. Then you’ll head up another few hours up the rocky trail marked by marker poles. You’ll find your own route up the scree following the poles and traverse the big boulders before you’ll see the hut out ahead.
It’s a tough climb and you’ll need navigation experience and you must have the correct clothing and gear here. My kids love this hut and are keen to do it again!
Read more: Hiking Mueller Hut with kids
Looking for advanced hikes?
If you’re looking for some harder hikes for experienced trampers, then take a look at these ones
- Brewster Hut: 3-4 hour steep uphill climb near Wanaka
- Breast Hill Track with Pakituhi Hut: 4-5 hour uphill technical climb, not for young kids
- Another hut I have on my list is the Copland Track on the West Coast of the South Island. There’s a hut out there right near a natural hot pool and while the track isn’t too steep, it is 20km. This could be a good one to look into for more seasoned families.
- Routeburn Track: For families with alpine experience, this might be a good track to try out. Only 32km over 3 days, this was our first New Zealand Great Walk and we loved it
- Kepler Track: Over 60km in 4 days, this is a long hike but the day 2 mountain section was just something else, loved it!
Jennifer
Founder of Backyard Travel Family
Jen is a super organiser when it comes to travel. Having travelled extensively in Europe and Africa, has lived in London and the USA and holidayed in many parts of Asia, she is not a newbie to the travel space
Jen has three young children, 10 and under and travels around New Zealand with them.
