What the Hut Finder connector does
Hut Finder is now in Claude’s connector directory. Once you connect it, Claude can look up the same DOC availability you see on the Hut Finder map: more than 400 DOC huts, lodges and campsites that are booked online.
It’s built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open standard Claude uses to connect to outside tools. You don’t need to know anything about MCP to use it. You connect it once, then ask questions the way you would ask a friend who has DOC’s booking calendar open.
Why not just ask an AI assistant about hut availability?
On its own, an AI assistant can’t see DOC’s booking calendar. Ask it whether Awaroa Hut is free next Friday and the best it can do is guess from old web pages or tell you to check DOC yourself. Bunk counts change every time somebody books or cancels, so a guess is no basis for a trip.
Trampers have noticed. When Wilderness magazine asked ChatGPT to plan a couple of Canterbury day hikes, it found real value but clear limitations. One reader asked ChatGPT for directions to Packhorse Hut on Banks Peninsula and was told to drive to Arthur’s Pass, about 150 km away.
The connector fixes the data part. When you ask about availability, Claude asks Hut Finder, and Hut Finder answers from DOC’s booking data. You keep what Claude is good at, such as comparing options, reshuffling an itinerary and explaining the result, but the numbers come from DOC.
Setup · about a minute
How to add Hut Finder to Claude
- 1
Add Hut Finder from Claude’s directory
Open claude.ai/directory/hut-finder, signed in to Claude, and connect it. If you ask Claude about huts first, it may suggest Hut Finder in the chat; accepting that does the same thing. - 2
No Hut Finder sign-in yet
Searching needs no account. Claude only asks you to sign in to Hut Finder when you first use alerts, your account, or dates more than 14 days ahead. - 3
Turn it on and ask
In a chat, check Hut Finder is on under Connectors in the + menu, then ask which huts have space, check a Great Walk night by night, or set an alert.
Using Claude Code? Run claude mcp add --transport http hutfinder https://dochutfinder.com/mcp. If Claude answers without using Hut Finder, mention it by name; more fixes are on the setup page.
What can you ask Claude?
Ask in plain English, with whatever detail you have. Hut names, regions, track names, “this Saturday” and party sizes all work. Dates are New Zealand dates.
Find a hut with space
- “Which huts near Arthur’s Pass have space for 3 people this Saturday night?”
- “Find a hut in Nelson Lakes for 2 on Friday and tell me the forecast.”
Check one hut, live
- “Is Pouākai Hut free next Friday? Show me the week around it.”
- “How many bunks are left at Mueller Hut over the next fortnight?”
Check a whole trip
- “Check the Abel Tasman Coast Track for 2 people starting next Wednesday.”
- “Would the Routeburn Track work for 4 of us starting Thursday or Friday?”
Alerts (sign in first)
- “Set an alert for Mueller Hut on 14 February for 2 people.”
- “What alerts do I have? Cancel the one for Pinnacles Hut.”
Follow-ups work too. If a trip doesn’t fit, ask Claude to try the next day, the other direction or a different hut. It checks again rather than guessing.
Worked example
A real trip check: finding a gap on the Abel Tasman
On 24 October 2026 we asked Claude to check the Abel Tasman Coast Track for two people, starting Wednesday 4 November, on the usual three-night hut itinerary. Hut Finder checked each hut in walking order:
- Wed 4 NovAnchorage Hut25 bunks free
- Thu 5 NovBark Bay Hut22 bunks free
- Fri 6 NovAwaroa HutFull
Two easy nights, but the trip didn’t work: Awaroa Hut was full on the Friday. Instead of opening three DOC calendars, we asked a follow-up: “When does Awaroa have space that week?” Hut Finder checked Awaroa live with DOC. It was full on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November, with space again from Sunday.
So we asked Claude to try starting on Friday 6 November. Every night worked: 11 bunks at Anchorage, 8 at Awaroa on the Sunday, and exactly 2 at Bark Bay on the Saturday. Two bunks for a party of two is cutting it fine, so that’s the night to book first, using the DOC link Claude gave for each hut.
Prefer a screen to a chat? The Trip Planner does the same night-by-night check on the website, and the Great Walks availability guide covers how each walk is booked.
What’s free, and what needs an account?
Most of the connector works without a Hut Finder account. You only need to sign in for alerts, your account details, or dates more than 14 days ahead.
No account
- Search 400+ DOC huts, lodges and campsites
- Availability for the next 14 days
- Live check of any single hut
- Whole-trip and Great Walk checks
- Forecast for the first night, when available
Free account
- Everything with no account
- One availability alert for one fixed date
- Create, list and cancel it from a chat
Hut Finder Pro
- Dates up to 12 months ahead
- Up to 20 alerts with flexible date windows
- Trip alerts that watch a whole track
When you ask for something that needs your account, Claude shows a sign-in card. Sign in with the email code you use on the website and approve access once. Alerts you create in a chat are the same alerts as on your Alerts page, and they email you the same way. Cancelling one always asks you to confirm first. See pricing for Pro.
Accuracy, booking and privacy
- One hut is checked live. When you ask about a single hut, Hut Finder checks DOC on the spot (a check from the last five minutes is reused).
- Searches and trip checks may be cached. Before you book, ask Claude to check each hut on its own for a live result.
- Hut Finder can’t book. Every answer includes the DOC booking link. A booking exists only once DOC has your payment and sends confirmation. DOC online bookings.
- Your conversation stays with Claude. Hut Finder receives only the details of each request, such as hut, dates and party size, and never stores your chat. See the Privacy Policy.
- Disconnect any time. Remove Hut Finder in Claude’s connector settings, or use Account → Connected apps on the website. How to disconnect.
Frequently asked questions
Can Claude check DOC hut availability?
Yes, once you add the Hut Finder connector from Claude’s connector directory. Claude can look up availability for more than 400 DOC huts, lodges and campsites that are booked online, check a whole Great Walk night by night, manage your Hut Finder alerts, and give you the DOC booking link. Without the connector, Claude has no access to DOC’s booking calendar.
How do I add Hut Finder to Claude?
Open Hut Finder in Claude’s connector directory at https://claude.ai/directory/hut-finder and connect it, or accept Claude’s suggestion if it offers Hut Finder when you ask about huts. You don’t need to sign in to Hut Finder until you use alerts or your account. In Claude Code, run: claude mcp add --transport http hutfinder https://dochutfinder.com/mcp
Can Claude book a DOC hut for me?
No. Hut Finder finds availability but cannot make bookings, so neither can Claude through it. Every answer includes the official DOC booking link, and a booking only exists once you have paid DOC and received its confirmation.
Is the Hut Finder connector free?
Yes. Searching huts, checking availability over the next 14 days and checking whole trips need no account. A free Hut Finder account adds one availability alert. Hut Finder Pro adds dates up to 12 months ahead, up to 20 alerts, flexible date windows and whole-trip alerts.
What is an MCP server?
MCP (the Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI assistants such as Claude use outside tools and data. Hut Finder’s MCP server at https://dochutfinder.com/mcp gives Claude tools to search huts, check availability and trips, and manage alerts.
Does it work for the Great Walks?
Yes, for the ten Great Walks booked through DOC. Name the Great Walk, a start date and your party size, and Claude checks each hut in walking order and tells you whether every night works, and which night does not.
How up to date is the availability?
When you ask about one hut, Hut Finder checks DOC live, reusing a check from the last five minutes. Searches across many huts and trip checks may be cached, so ask about the specific hut before you book and always confirm on the DOC booking page.
Does Hut Finder see my conversations?
No. Hut Finder receives only the details of each request, such as the hut, dates and party size, and never stores your conversation. Anthropic handles the chat itself.
New to DOC bookings? Start with How to Book a DOC Hut in New Zealand, or read how to score a cancellation on a full hut.