Lyell Saddle Hut

Lyell Saddle Hut is a backcountry hut on The Old Ghost Road in New Zealand’s Kahurangi National Park, managed by the Mōkihinui-Lyell Backcountry Trust for tramping and mountain biking users. Use is by booking through the Old Ghost Road accommodation system, and DOC backcountry hut passes/tickets don’t apply here.

The hut provides communal facilities and sleeps up to 11 people (bunk beds). It also has an option for summer sleepouts—bookable as a private sleepout for warmer months (September to May)—and a small adjacent tent site for up to two people; tent site users stay self-sufficient outside the main hut facilities. Basic services include a rain-fed water supply and composting toilets, plus cooking support such as gas cooking facilities and cooking equipment. Fire use is available via a fireplace.

Bookings are required for the Trust-managed hut accommodation. Accommodation pricing for Lyell Saddle Hut depends on the option booked: communal hut bunk $40 per person for a 1-night in-and-out stay, private summer sleepout $90 per sleepout for a 1-night in-and-out stay, and tent site $25 per site for a 1-night in-and-out stay.