Turnbull Bivvy is a cute hut in a stunning location
Hiking to Turnbull Bivvy in Arthur's Pass National Park
Turnbull Bivvy is a cute orange two-person bivvy in the Poulter Valley, Arthur’s Pass National Park. With an open fire and stunning mountain views, it’s a cosy place to spend a night.
The hike to Turnbull Bivvy, while marked on the Topo50 map, is not straightforward. In this article, I’ll describe the route and what to expect on a hike to Turnbull Bivvy.
Getting to the start of the hike to Turnbull Bivvy
The hike to Turnbull Bivvy starts from the Casey Saddle-Binser Saddle Route just south of Mt Brown Creek. It makes a nice overnight detour from the standard loop.
Parking for the Casey Saddle-Binser Saddle Route is at Andrews Shelter Campsite on Mount White Road, or you can park at the end of the Poulter Valley and walk in from there.
The hike to the bivvy is accessed from the Poulter Valley
Hiking to Turnbull Bivvy Day One: Casey Saddle-Binser Saddle Route to Turnbull Bivvy
While the Turnbull Bivouac Route is marked on the Topo50 map, there is no track or signage on the ground. As such, you will need to find your own route across the Poulter River from the Casey Saddle-Binser Saddle track.
The best marker for where to leave the main track is the narrow gorge just north of the larger, very obvious Turnbull Stream gorge on the far bank of the Poulter River.
The Turnbull Bivouac Route leads up the small gorge in the mud cliffs in the centre of this photo
Once you’re opposite this smaller gorge, head across the braided Poulter River. Make sure to pick the shallowest, slowest-flowing channels to cross. Only attempt this in low flow with a stable weather window, as crossing the Poulter is the only way back from the bivvy.
Crossing the Poulter River
On the far side, walk up the steep scree into the narrow gorge. Continue up the gorge. At the point where the route on the Topo50 map exits the gorge, a small side gorge branches off. Avoid this.
The exit point from the gorge is just past this small side gorge and is marked by pink tape, which we found hard to spot. It is at the point where the main gorge narrows and is filled with treefall.
The walls of the gorge are made of steep muddy scree. Make your way up towards the tape. At the top of the muddy scree is a 1.5-metre-high mud cliff. Pull yourself up using the tree roots.
It's a steep muddy scramble to get into the forest
Once into the forest, it is a very steep, slippery climb, with little to hold onto for support, to reach the edge of the gorge and get out onto the grassy flats above. This bit was scary, and there were a lot of wasps in the forest.
A large grassy area leads from here up to Turnbull Bivvy, which soon comes into view at the edge of the forest. It took us about 1 hour and 20 minutes from leaving the Casey Saddle-Binser Saddle Route to reaching Turnbull Bivvy.
Turnbull Bivvy sits on the edge of the trees in the Poulter Valley
Turnbull Bivvy is a cosy hut in a stunning location
Turnbull Bivvy is a perfect little hut, tucked in at the edge of the forest above the Poulter River. It has fantastic views across the valley, to the mountains on the far side.
Our night at Turnbull Bivvy was a highlight of our time in Arthur's Pass National Park
With an open fire, two bunks opposite the door, a bookshelf, a small bench top under the window for cooking, and just enough room to stand up inside, Turnbull Bivvy makes for a cosy night’s stay.
With its open fire, Turnbull Bivvy provides a cosy night's stay
Outside, there is a long drop toilet and wood shed. Water is from a stream a short walk away.
The start of the track to the stream is marked by a large orange triangle on a tree uphill and to the right of the hut. It’s a very steep, slippery descent into the stream. Collect as much water as you can in one trip so you don’t have to make a second journey. There are bottles and a large bucket in the hut for this.
There was a mouse in residence during our stay.
Hiking to Turnbull Bivvy Day Two: The Return
The return is via the same route used to access the bivvy. The descent back to the bottom of the access gorge is at least as treacherous as the ascent, and care must be taken to avoid a slide.
The descent though the forest from Turnbull Bivvy was very slippery
It’s possible to make it all the way back to your car from Turnbull Bivvy in a day, whether via the Casey Saddle-Binser Saddle Route to Andrews Shelter Campsite, or to the end of the Poulter Valley.
Practicalities of Hiking to Turnbull Bivvy
It’s free to stay at Turnbull Bivvy. You can’t book your stay, so come prepared with camping equipment in case it’s already occupied. There is no space to sleep on the floor.
There's not much space inside Turnbull Bivvy
This hike can be done as a side trip on the Casey Saddle-Binser Saddle Route. It is also possible to reach Turnbull Bivvy in a day from Andrews Shelter Campsite or from the parking area at the end of the Poulter River Valley on Mount White Road.
This route involves crossing the Poulter River and travel up a steep gorge that will likely be a raging torrent in heavy rain. As such, avoid it in wet weather or high river flows.
The hike to Turnbull Bivvy involves crossing the Poulter River
Getting away from the hike to Turnbull Bivvy
Either continue with the Casey Saddle-Binser Saddle Route, explore further up the Poulter Valley – possibly to Ranger Bivvy – or head back to the car.
Maps
I’d recommend downloading the NZ Topo50 app on your smartphone and using it for navigation. Otherwise, print one from topomap.co.nz.
Visited: April 2026