Mangatutu Hot Springs

What to expect

Mangatutu Hot Springs sits at the end of Makahu Road in Kaweka Forest Park, on the edge of the Mohaka River gorge in inland Hawke’s Bay. It is a Department of Conservation (DOC) site: a free campsite on river terraces, a short track down a bank, and two small pools beside the river.

The spring itself is easy to miss. Hot water comes out of a deep hole in an undercut bank near the top terrace, then trickles down a bluff above the Mohaka. DOC has channelled it into two pools, so you sit with the river running below you and the forested hills of the park around you. The pools are small. Think a few friends per pool, not a crowd.

DOC does not publish a water temperature, and the pools are fed by a trickle, so the temperature can change with the weather and with how recently someone adjusted the flow. Test with a hand before getting in.

What makes Mangatutu unusual is the combination: you can drive to it, camp for free, and soak in thermal water. DOC described it in 2022 as one of the few places left in New Zealand where day visitors and campers can still do that without paying. The same release warned that anti-social behaviour (unpermitted hunting, fires, drunken behaviour and damage to signs and trees) could force DOC to close the campsite. That has not happened, but it explains why the rules are worth following.

Getting there

The springs are about 75 km (47 miles) north-west of Napier.

• From Napier: Take Puketitiri Road for about 40 km (25 miles), then turn right onto Pakaututu Road. Makahu Road is 9 km (5.6 miles) along on the left. Follow it to the end.
• Road surface: Allow about an hour on unsealed gravel. The road is steep and narrow in places and slippery when wet. DOC says it is not suitable for caravans or campervans, and recommends a 4WD for the park’s access roads.
• The ford: There is a river ford on Makahu Road 7.5 km (4.7 miles) from the road end. Heavy rain and snowmelt change the water level. If it looks high or fast, do not try to cross.
• Road closures: Makahu Road may close after heavy rainfall. Hastings District Council posts road closures, so check before you set out.

The campsite is on the terraces just before the road end. The Gums parking area and shelter is at the very end, about 500 m (0.3 miles) from the springs. From the campsite a short, steep track drops down the bank to the pools.

When to go

The springs work all year, but the road decides most trips.

• Summer (December to February) is warm and dry, the river is good for a swim and the fishing is at its best. It is also when the campsite is busiest, especially over Christmas and long weekends.
• Autumn and spring are quieter. Nights get cold, which makes the hot water more welcome.
• Winter (June to August) brings cold southerlies and occasional snow to the Kaweka Range. The ford is more likely to be high and the road more likely to be slippery or closed.

Wasps can be numerous in the warmer months. DOC suggests light-coloured clothing and carrying any allergy medication you need.

A wilding pine control operation ran in parts of the park, including the Mangatutu block, from December 2025 to May 2026. DOC kept those areas open.

Rules and etiquette

The site is free and unstaffed, though a volunteer camp warden makes compliance checks at the main campsite. DOC’s rules for the campsite and the park:

• No fires at any time. Bring a gas cooker.
• No dogs. Elsewhere in the park, dogs need a DOC permit for recreational hunting.
• Hunting needs a DOC permit. Sika and red deer are hunted in the park, and DOC has reported people hunting without permits here.
• No motorised boats in the park. DOC has had problems with jet boats entering the park and neighbouring private land, disturbing whio (blue duck).
• Respect the pools. Two small pools serve the whole campsite. Keep soaks reasonable when others are waiting, and leave the channels and pools as you found them.
• Pack out your rubbish. There are no bins.

Swimwear is the norm at a family campsite like this. To report bad behaviour, call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) or the police.

Where to stay nearby

• Mangatutu Hot Springs Campsite, right above the pools, has 45 non-powered tent sites, non-flush toilets, a picnic table and a shelter. It is free and not bookable. Get drinking water from the signposted stream at the road end rather than the Mohaka, and treat or boil it.
• Te Puia Lodge is a DOC hut 2 to 3 hours’ walk up the Mohaka from The Gums. It must be booked online, with adult rates from NZ$25 a night in winter to NZ$34 on summer weekends (2026). See the Mangatainoka Hot Springs listing for the track.
• Napier, about 75 km (47 miles) away, much of it slow gravel, is the nearest city, with motels, holiday parks and supermarkets. Buy fuel and supplies there.

Safety notes

• Amoebic meningitis: Warm geothermal pools in New Zealand can carry Naegleria fowleri, which enters through the nose and causes a rare, usually fatal meningitis. Keep your head above water and do not let children dive or duck under.
• The ford and the road: Most of the danger here is getting in and out. Never drive into a ford you cannot see the bottom of, and turn back if it has been raining hard.
• The river: The Mohaka is cold and can be swift. Swimming is popular in summer, but check the flow and stay out after rain.
• The track to the pools: It is short but steep. Take a headlamp for evening soaks.
• Remoteness: You are an hour of gravel from the nearest sealed road. Bring enough food, water and warm clothing, and tell someone your plans.
• Wasps: Watch for nests near the campsite and the track in summer and autumn.

Nearby stops worth adding

The track to Te Puia Lodge starts at The Gums and follows the true right of the Mohaka River upstream. It makes a good day walk, and fit trampers can continue another 45 minutes to the three tubs at Mangatainoka Hot Springs. The Mohaka River also holds rainbow and brown trout, and DOC lists rafting among the things to do on it.