Hawdon Shelter Campsite sits in the Hawdon River valley within Arthur's Pass National Park, Canterbury, reached by turning off State Highway 73 onto Mount White Road roughly 24 km south of Arthur's Pass village.

It is a DOC-managed basic camping area bookable online, with campervans permitted though no powered sites are available.

Facilities include a long-drop toilet, a day-use shelter with an open fireplace (the only place fires are permitted on site), and water sourced from the Hawdon River, which must be treated before drinking. Pets are not allowed.

The surrounding valley involves multiple river crossings, and the Hawdon River can become impassable in rain; a stock exclusion fence near the shelter can act as a strainer hazard for anyone in the water.

Wasp numbers are notably high between January and March, so light-coloured clothing and antihistamine are advisable during that period. The campsite serves as the starting point for the track into the Hawdon Valley toward Hawdon Hut.