Welcome Flat Hot Pools

What to expect

Welcome Flat is a backcountry hot spring you have to earn. A system of natural hot springs rises on a river flat in the Copland Valley, inside Westland Tai Poutini National Park, and collects in soaking pools a short walk from the Department of Conservation’s Welcome Flat Hut. On a clear evening you sit in hot water looking up at the snow and ice of the Sierra Range. On a wet one, which on the West Coast is often, you sit in hot water in the rain, which is still very good after a long day’s tramp.

There are no facilities at the pools themselves, no changing sheds and no staff. DOC does not publish water temperatures, so none are given here. The pools are fragile: DOC asks visitors not to use soap or shampoo in them and not to dig new pools.

The valley was used by Māori, who knew of the hot pools long before Europeans arrived. A hut was first built at Welcome Flat in 1913. The current hut dates from the late 1980s; it was moved to a safer site soon after it was built, when a mudslide struck its first location.

Getting there

The only way in is on foot along the Copland Track.

• Trailhead: The car park is off State Highway 6, 26 km (16 miles) south of Fox Glacier, on the northern side of the Karangarua River bridge. Turn off and drive about 150 m down the gravel road, closing the gate behind you. There is no camping at the road end. Some bus services will drop off here, but they must be booked in advance.
• The walk: About 18 km (11.2 miles) one way to Welcome Flat Hut, roughly 7 hours. DOC grades it an intermediate tramping track and says you need the fitness for 7+ hours of walking a day. Architect Creek Hut is roughly halfway.
• Creek crossings: Rough Creek, early in the walk, is not bridged. A flood bridge upstream (about 30 to 45 minutes’ walk, DOC gives both) is for trampers trapped by rising water only; if Rough Creek is high or rising when you arrive, turn back. Architect Creek and the other side streams are unbridged too. Shiels Creek has a bridge.
• Landslides: Two large, active landslide areas are signed “no stopping”. One is about 30 minutes upstream of Architect Creek and the other is after the Shiels Creek bridge. Cross them without lingering, and take extra care during and just after heavy rain, when new slips can come down.

Kea frequent the car park and will damage vehicles and gear. DOC suggests a car cover and packing away anything loose, and asks that you never feed them. Do not leave valuables in the car.

When to go

DOC lists summer and autumn as the best seasons. December to April gives the longest days and the best chance of settled weather, and red rātā flowers along the track in summer. It is also when the hut books out first, so reserve months ahead.

In winter, and especially late winter and spring, there is avalanche risk on parts of the route. At any time of year the West Coast can deliver very heavy rain with little warning. DOC closes the Copland Track at short notice when rain is sustained or heavy, posting notices at the track entrance and emailing people with bookings. Refunds for closures go through the Westland Tai Poutini National Park Visitor Centre. Check the forecast and current conditions before you start, and carry extra food in case a flood traps you on either side of a creek for a day.

Hut rules and fees (2026)

Bookings are compulsory for the hut and the campsite all year, and are open for stays up to 30 June 2027. DOC keeps no spaces for walk-ins: if no beds show online, the hut is full. You can book online on the same day until 8pm if space remains. Phone and visitor centre bookings carry a NZ$10 service fee. Pay when you book. Hut tickets cannot be used here, and the Backcountry Hut Pass is accepted only from 1 May to 30 September.

Welcome Flat Hut is a serviced hut with 31 bunks in four bunk rooms on the upper level. You pick your bunk on arrival. There are no cooking facilities in the main hut, so bring a gas cooker, pots and utensils. Toilets are shared with the campsite. There is no rubbish collection: carry out everything you carry in.

Period	Adult (18+)	Child (5-17)
1 May to 30 Sep	NZ$30	NZ$15
Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr weekdays	NZ$34	NZ$17
Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr weekends	NZ$36	NZ$18
1 Dec to end of Feb, weekdays	NZ$38	NZ$19
1 Dec to end of Feb, weekends	NZ$40	NZ$20

Infants (0-4) stay free. Prices are per person per night.

The Sierra Room is a separate room with its own entrance for up to four people, with gas, a gas cooker, a pot-belly stove, a shower, lighting and basic kitchen gear. It is NZ$145 a night from May to September, NZ$171 on weekdays and NZ$196 at weekends from October to April, and NZ$228 on weekdays or NZ$262 at weekends from December to February. Fire rules cap it at four; bigger groups must use the main hut or campsite.

Welcome Flat Campsite, beside the hut, costs NZ$15 per adult, NZ$7.50 per child (5-17) and nothing for infants, with no seasonal variation. Campers use the hut’s water supply and toilets. It also needs a booking every night.

No dogs are allowed anywhere in Westland Tai Poutini National Park.

Beyond Welcome Flat

The track continues up the valley about 7 km (4.3 miles) to Douglas Rock Hut, around 3 hours. Most creeks above Welcome Flat are unbridged and may be impassable during and after rain, and Scott Creek can be extremely dangerous in wet weather. Copland Shelter, further up, has been closed since June 2026 because of unstable foundations and structural damage, and DOC still listed it as closed in September 2026. The upper valley route beyond is alpine terrain for experienced, well-equipped parties only.

Where to stay nearby

On the track, your options are Welcome Flat Hut, its campsite or the Sierra Room. Before and after the walk, Fox Glacier, 26 km north on SH6, has motels, holiday parks and cafes and is the usual base. Franz Josef, about 25 km further north, has more choice. Heading south, the next services are at Haast, a long drive down the coast. Book accommodation for the night after the walk in case you are delayed by a flood.

Safety notes

• Amoebic meningitis: DOC advises keeping your head above water in the pools. The amoeba that causes it lives in natural warm water and enters through the nose. Do not dunk, dive or splash water on your face.
• Rivers: Never cross a flooded creek. Wait it out; that is what the extra food is for.
• Weather: Rain on the West Coast can be extreme. Carry full wet weather gear and warm layers even in summer.
• Remoteness: There is no cell coverage on the track. Carry a personal locator beacon and leave your intentions with someone through the AdventureSmart outdoor intentions service.
• Sandflies: Expect plenty of them at the hut and pools. Bring repellent and long sleeves.

Other New Zealand hot springs

For a soak without an 18 km walk, the nearest developed geothermal pools on the South Island are Maruia Hot Springs near Lewis Pass and Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools. On the other side of the Southern Alps, Tekapo Springs has heated (not geothermal) pools by the lake.