Paid parking to begin at Aoraki/Mt Cook next month

Aoraki/Mt Cook car park charges confirmed
The Department of Conservation has confirmed the pricing plan for car parking at Aoraki/Mt Cook as part of its paid car park trial, which will begin in mid-December.

DOC director of heritage and visitors Catherine Wilson says the prices are similar to those at Punakaiki and Franz Josef/Waiau, where car park charging is also being trialled.

“The prices were decided once we reviewed all the submissions from locals, tourism operators and businesses. They’ve been set in response to calls for an initial free period, special consideration for locals, free parking for concessionaires, and a reasonable price for both regular users and occasional visitors,” Catherine says.

The confirmed car park fees are:

A free 20-minute period to allow drop-offs, pick-ups or short stops
$5 per hour thereafter
$25 per day
Annual local pass: $10 per vehicle for residents within the Mackenzie District, allowing unlimited access
Annual visitor pass: $60 per vehicle for other regular visitors
Concession holders: commercial tourism operators with valid concessions will be exempt for the pilot period

Payment machines will be installed, and cameras will record vehicle entry and exit. Non-payment will incur breach notices, enforced by Stellar Projects, which has been appointed to install the parking hardware.
DOC estimates the three pilot sites — Punakaiki, Franz Josef and Aoraki/Mt Cook — will generate about $1.5 million in combined revenue over the seven-month trial period (December 2025 – June 2026).

Once the pilot is complete and outcomes reviewed, DOC will decide whether to continue with paid parking at these locations and whether to extend the programme to other high-use sites.

Catherine says the introduction of paid parking enables visitors to contribute to maintaining conservation facilities and the nature experiences they enjoy.

“This is standard practice at many national parks overseas, and most international visitors accept it as a necessary contribution to support these amazing nature sites.”