Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain

Tasmania is essentially a mountainous island, with almost half of the state more than 600 metres above sea level. Some of Tasmania’s highest mountains are located in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, the highest being Mt Ossa at 1617m, followed by Mt Pelion West at 1560m, Barn Bluff at 1559m and Cradle Mountain at 1545m.

There are 155 mountains in Tasmania that exceed 1,100 meters in height, and Mount Wellington overlooking Hobart is only the 76th-highest.

The Overland Track

The Overland Track is Tasmania’s most famous walking experience and is widely regarded as one of the world’s great wilderness walks. It stretches some 80 kilometres over Tasmania’s highland country, beginning at Cradle Mountain and crossing through Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park. The track features rugged mountains, deep forested valleys and alpine moorlands and spans a variety of ecosystems, from rainforest to buttongrass plains. Snow is a frequent visitor even in mid-summer, but the weather is as changeable as the scenery, and throughout the short summer wildflowers bloom under blue skies. 

The track passes a large number of waterfalls and crystal-clear streams, and winds through dark forests of beech trees, festooned with mosses, fungi and lichens. The Fagus (Tasmania’s only native deciduous tree) turns gold and chestnut brown in late autumn before it loses it leaves for the onset of the long winter months. Walkers have the opportunity to climb Mount Ossa, Tasmania’s highest mountain, or Mt. Pelion and other side trails including the Walls of Jerusalem National Park.

The walk takes 6-8 days and there are very basic huts along the way which provide shelter. Towards the end of the track is a fascinating leisurely walk through Narcissis Bay, which contains eucalypt forests of spectacular snow gums.

Each year approximately 4,000 visitors walk either the full length or sections of the Overland Track. This walk has often been described as one of the best wilderness experiences in the world.

The Dove Lake Circuit

Dove Lake is a 2-km-long glacial lake situated at the base of Cradle Mountain. The lake sits at an altitude of 940 metres and is a 7km walk around it that is probably one of the most popular National Park walks in Tasmania.

The Dove Lake Circuit Track, as it is known, is suitable for people of all ages and is a relatively easy walk, with most of it being a boardwalk. There are a few steeper sections at the end if you walk clockwise, which the walk directions will take you, but you can try going anti-clockwise and do the climbs in the beginning, enabling you to enjoy the rest of the walk in a more leisurely manner. The walk takes around 2.5 hours and along the way there are spectacular views of Cradle Mountain and a wonderful variety of native plants and animals.

The weather can change very rapidly in this area so it is always recommended to take warm, weatherproof clothing whatever the time of year. There are also other walks which lead from the carpark at Dove Lake.

Marion’s Lookout

Marian’s Lookout is located on Cradle Mountain and overlooks Dove Lake. Only accessible by foot and about a 3.5-hour return, it is a Cradle Mountain must-do! Though the lookout is not as high as the Cradle Mountain summit, it still provides a very good overview of the entire valley and is only half the distance.

Enchanted Walk

Only a 20-minute circuit, this is a walk to suit all age groups. It boasts a cascading river, wombat burrows and magical old-growth rainforest.

The Walls of Jerusalem National Park

Mole Creek is the closest town to the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Relatively small but stunningly beautiful, the park is located on a high plateau of dolerite peaks on the western side of the Central Plateau, and features alpine vegetation and endemic conifer forests. Since the park is remote and inaccessible by road, it retains its true wilderness character.

Thousands of lakes formed by an ice cap during relatively recent glaciations cover the plateau, and the features known as the Walls of Jerusalem are a series of higher, craggy hills. From a distance, these peaks seem to be the dominant feature, but once within the Walls, the major attractions are in fact the typically U-shaped glacial valleys and pretty lakes.

The name Walls of Jerusalem appears on plans made by surveyor James Scott, dating back to 1849. Biblical locations were used to name a lot of Tasmania’s natural wonders, including Ephraim’s Gate, Zion’s Gate, Herod’s Gate, Pool of Bethesda, Pool of Siloam, Wailing Wall and The Temple.

A Range of Walks

The most popular walk at the park is a full-day hike that takes you from the carpark on Mersey Forest Road to the ‘Walls’. The track climbs steeply at first and there are landmarks along the way for those wanting a shorter walk – Trappers Hut (2 hours return), Solomons Jewels (4 hours return), Lake Salome (8 hours return) and Damascus Gate (9 hours return). For walks longer than these, it is advisable to camp overnight, which will give you time to enjoy the additional walk to Dixon’s Kingdom Hut (10 hours return) and the climb to the top of Mount Jerusalem (12 hours return).