Mt Picton Camping

[L_Cham_67]

After a failed attempt at Mt Picton as a day walk last December (only making it to that small boulderfield below Steanes Tarn), I'm looking at heading back there in late January/early February, this time as part of a 1 or 2 night trip.

My question: Where is the ideal place to camp? I've read Chapman's guidebook, which has Steanes Tarn, Glassworm Tarn and Lake Picton as campsite options, but I'm not sure at this stage where we'd camp. It'll be a group of 4 people max, so probably 2 tents. Are the campsites big enough for 2 or 3 tents? Is the side-trip to the lakes (Glassworm, Riveaux, Picton) an easy track to follow?

Cheers

[north-north-west]

Well, I camped directly under the summit ridge boulder field. Plenty of room there for a number of tents.

The upper parts of the track/s are easy enough to follow. It's just the rainforest section that can be a bit awkward at times. And once you reach the boulders, you make it up as you go along.

[L_Cham_67]

Great location for a campsite! I think we'll camp up around that same area as you did if the weather is good, and settle for Glassworm Tarn if conditions are poor.

[Thornbill]

Agree with NNW. The campsite under the summit near Steanes Tarn is lovely. Great view to watch the sun set over Fed Peak. We encountered a group of around 12 people and 7 tents when up there, which I though was a bit large for such an area. It made finding a spot a bit tricky, but normally you should be fine with a couple of tents.

[wander]

The area about Steanes Tarn and the below the boulder field (just above the spring) are all on cushion plants and so are somewhat delicate.

So we try and camp at Glassworm Tarn if possible. This is also very protected camping. You can now just fit 3 off 2 person tents in the small cutouts in the scrub just over the link drain between Glassworm and Riveaux. The trail is well marked and easy to follow. Be careful not to get side tracked to the Lake Picton track about 2/3s the way along.

When it has been more important to camp closer to Picton we have found a couple of spots pretty much on the track itself just inside the shubbery 20M short of where you come out into the clear area at the base of the boulder field.

We have noted that some folks have camped on top of the rocks about 50M down stream from the spring. The rocks are flatish on top and have stones left from previous users.

[L_Cham_67]

Thanks for the info everyone!

[tibboh]

If you're game, there's a tent sized flat rock platform just to the SW of the summit trig.
Has anyone slept here?? I reckon it would be amazing on a balmy summer evening.

[Taiti]

With a small group in late November we made it to the summit, with a little bit of snow around, but failed at finding a camp site. It had rained heavily that week and the Steanes Tarn area was thoroughly soaked. Maybe a small drier area for one or two small tents, but we had left our packs back at what we thought was the track junction to the lakes. Finally getting back to our packs we didn't know how much space for tents there was going to be at Glassworm and given the time of day, we walked out by headlamp and drove home. Chalking that one up to fitness training for carrying full packs through steep and dense wet rainforest in the dark. A very long, exhausting day.

Doesn't look like you're at any risk of flooding for the next month or so. Steanes would be prime.
If I ever get back up there good to know that Glassworm is limited to 3x 2p, thanks Wander.

[L_Cham_67]

Unfortunately it's looking like that we're gonna have to postpone the trip until a later date, we just can't get the time off for it

[sixfingers]

Went up there on one recent afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to find a nice spot for 1 tent just as you brake out of the rainforest at the Lakes junction. It had been a lovely still afternoon but the wind picked up dramatically during the night and was glad I wasn't perched on the shelf by Steans Tarn. It was well protected where I was.