The UNESCO World Heritage Listed Cradle Mountain National Park is perhaps the singular “must see” attraction in the whole state of Tasmania. While there is plenty more to see and do (or you could do all of it), this is by far one of the most pristine, serene, and completely surreal experiences to have in Tasmania. It is here where you can breathe the world’s cleanest air and experience the untouched wilderness of the little island state of Tasmania, Australia.
Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park
Ask any local about the biggest highlight of the island and I guarantee Cradle Mountain will be there. Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park makes up part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. As its name implies, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park consists of two separate areas. Lake St Clair lies near the southern edge of the park while Cradle Mountain dominates the norther part, both with their own visitor centres, specific hikes and unique attractions.
Here you can spot platypus, echidnas and those fortunate souls may chance upon the endangered Tasmanian devil as you hike one of its many trails. To sum up, it showcases the best nature and wildlife Tasmania has to offer.
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is a 4 hour drive from Hobart and a 2 hour drive from Launceston.
Fees: To enter the national park you'll need a park pass which can be purchased at the Visitor Centre or in advance online.
Cradle Mountain Walks
Photo credit: Off The Path, Tourism Tasmania
One of the best features of Cradle Mountain is the sheer amount of world-class system of walking tracks to explore, ranging from very short easy strolls to the more legendary Overland Track.
The Cradle Mountain Summit Walk is a 12km steep circuit trail encompassing iconic highlights including Hansons Peak, Marions Lookout and the iconic Dove Lake boatshed along the trail.
For views of the lake itself, opt for the short and sweet 6km Dove Lake Circuit undulating around the serene glacially carved lake that captures a perfect reflection of the twin peaks in the lakes mirrored surface on a clear day.
The popular Overland Track however is one that steals the show. Considered one of Australia's premier alpine walks which can be done on your own, with a group or on a guided tour. With it's extreme popualrity, there is a limit to the people allowed on the trail at any one time, so booking in advance is ideal. Read on to find out more.
With over 20 tracks to choose from, we have narrowed down our Best Hikes in Cradle Mountain here.
Overland Track
Photo credit: Tayla Gentle, Tourism Tasmania
This is by far the most famous multi-day trek in Tasmania and it comes as no surprise! This 5-6 days hike stretches 65km from the iconic Cradle Mountain to Australia’s deepest lake, Lake St Clair. It is an unforgettable and life-changing journey through Tasmania’s alpine heart. Whichever way you look at it, the magic of Cradle Mountain is bound to captivate.
There are two ways you can experience this 6-day hike through the Tasmanian Wilderness. The first of these is to go on your own accord and stay at public huts or pitch a tent (or a combination of both). This option is great for the adventurers who are looking to walk to the beat of their own drum, take their time on the track, or those travelling on a budget.
The second option is to book a guided private tour. This option is better if you’re looking for a more comfortable experience – complete with three-course meals in the evenings and a comfy mattress to sleep on. These are luxuries for anyone embarking on a 6-day trek in the wilderness, but if you have a choice between the two it is certainly a more comfortable way to experience this semi-challenging hike. Our 6 days Cradle Mountain Huts Overland Track is a great way to start.
Track length: 65km, 6 days
Starting point: Ronny’s Creek
Best time to walk track: The Overland Track offers the best experience between October to May avoiding extreme winters of snow and storms
Cradle Mountain Accommodation
Photo credit: Cradle Mountain Lodge
There are wonderful ways to experience the beauty of Cradle Mountain from style of accommodation. You’ll find a handful of lovely mountain lodges set near the park entrance, but doesn’t come cheap. There are holiday parks for the more budget conscious travelers or mountain huts and campsites for the more adventurous.
Accommodation ranges from the luxurious King Billy Suites at the iconic Cradle Mountain Lodge to the quaint charming rustic rural experience at Waldheim Cabins, sitting 5km inside the park! For those who are on the mission to conquer the multi day Overland Track, the Private Cradle Huts offers exclusive use for Overland hikers being the only private hut accommodation along the Overland Track.
Find our unique picks of Best Places To Stay in Cradle Mountain here.
Cradle Mountain Lodge
Photo credit: Laura Helle, Tourism Tasmania
The Cradle Mountain Lodge is the peak of accommodation offerings here in the middle of the island state. The only on-mountain luxury accommodation, it is said to be one of Australia’s most iconic wilderness experiences. Cradle Mountain Lodge provides the closest accommodation to the spectacular Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. It has a beautiful outlook over the wilderness and a small lake, perfect for wildlife spotting when things spring to life around dusk. You can take leisurely stroll or a more intense hike through the national park’s breathtaking wilderness right from your lodge’s doorstep!
One of the lodge's most popular highlights is its acclaimed Waldheim Alpine Spa for an ultimate pampering sesssion while taking in such serene alpine views. Be pampered with everything from unique massages and power-boosting facials to The Sancturary complete with a steam room, sauna, large hot tub and cool plunge pool and a relaxation lounge. Your experience is topped with fine food and wine with Tassie's finest. The lodge offers wine and cheese tasting to its top-notch in-house restaurant. This luxury lodge boasts private timber cabins and suites each with a fireplace where the scenic vistas can be admired by large picture windows. With a deck to breathe in fresh air and watch wombats waddle about, you are transported to a complete wildnerness journey.
With a cosy lobby and lounge set around a crackling fire, special tours including a Wildlife Spotting Drive Tour and a Helicopter Ride over Dove Lake, the lodge itself offers an experience of its own.
For the more adventurous traveler, the 8 days self-drive Cradle to Coast Luxury Adventure offers epic views of the terrain and gives you an all-encompassing Tassie experience.
Cradle Mountain Summit
No trip to Cradle Mountain is complete without summiting those impressive craggy peaks and feeling on top of the world! At 1545m, it is the sixth highest mountain in Tasmania. The vertigo-inducing scramble to the Cradle Mountain Summit, is a full day hike. It rewards you with staggering views over endless mountain peaks, serene lakes and tarns. Be sure to start early as the great thing about this track is it encompasses quite a few other tracks including Marion’s Lookout. The track traverses' shady forests, steep inclines and board walks through delicate alpine wilderness. Be prepared for the last section will give your legs a workout alone with steep rock scrambling over exposed scree. There are a few ways to reach the summit, either via Hanson’s Peak, Marion’s Lookout, the Horse Track or Wills Lake, all of which lead to the intersection for the summit trail. If heights give you a sense of thrill and if you're feeling adventurous, then this hike is for you.
Track length: 10-12km depending on route, 6-8 hours, hard
Starting point: Dove Lake Carpark
Things To Do In Cradle Mountain
Arguably walks and hikes are Cradle Mountain’s best feature with over 20 walking tracks to choose from. However, hiking isn't the only way to get to the heart of this renowned destination.
Activities and Adventure
- Gallop your way horse riding for a different perspective of Cradle Mountain at Kimberely or Bakers Beach
- Take it to the waters and glide the tranquil Dove Lake on a canoe
- Satisfy your adrenaline canyoning and abseiling into a canyon and cooling off in waterfalls
- Take it to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour admiring the sheer magnitude from a bird's eye view of the magnificent World Heritage Listed National Park
- Hire a bike and peddle away into its canyons and waterfalls
Attractions and Relaxation
- Visit a Tasmanian devil sanctuary at the Devils @ Cradle for a breeding and conservation experience and get up-close moments with these extraordinary and threatened species
- Visit stunning cellar doors as you sample the sparkling wine Tasmania is renowned for at nearby wineries Ghost Rock Vineyard, Lake Barrington Estate and Barringwood Estate
- Delve deep into Tasmania’s behind-the-scene culinary scene and spoil your tastebuds along the Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail visiting cellar doors and artisanal producers showcasing the region’s natural produce
- For the art lovers, Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery boasts a 12-room art museum displaying installations, exhibitions and films created by Tasmanian artists
- Step back in time at Waldheim Chalet, a home built in 1912 for an insight into the early history of the Cradle Mountain area
- Waldheim Alpine Spa is one not to be missed! Nestled into Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge it makes for a perfect stop after walking for a rewarding pamper session to soothe your achy muscles. Read on to find out more.
Cradle Mountain Spa
Photo Credit: Jason Charles Hill, Tourism Tasmania
The Waldheim Alpine Spa at Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge is the ultimate experience to complete your trip. Acclaimed as one of Australia’s best wilderness spas, The Waldheim Alpine Spa is set amid the rugged mountains and ancient forests of the Tasmanian wilderness. Though the scenery may be rustic, the spa offers unpretentious elemental luxury in tune with nature. And its spa treatments are legendary.
The Sancturary is a private space that can be booked by the hour. It overlooks the quaint Pencil Pine River and forest. Complete with an outdoor hot tub, an icy plunge pool, sauna, steam room and shower. It doesn’t stop there. A menu on offer for nibbles and drinks as you soak in the pristine alpine wilderness stretching before you. Cosy in provided towels, robes and slippers where all you need is to bring your swimmers. For the ultimate experience let our Cradle Mountain Walk and Heli inspire your trip.
Cradle Mountain Weather
The weather at Cradle Mountain is known for its unpredictably, being an alpine area, it is inclined to change at any time and you should expect to see four seasons in a single day. Be prepared for any weather regardless of the time of year where snow, heat, sleet, rain and windy condition can happen even in summer! Particularly if you plan on hiking, layers and rain jacket as well as waterproof outer garments are a must.
The most reliable and generally stable weather condition occur during late summer and into autumn (December-April) as the days are longer and the temperature generally warmer.
Special time to visit: In autumn, the leaves of Australia’s only cold-climate deciduous tree, fagus, change from green to red to gold in a spectacle known as the ‘turning of the fagus’. Unique to Tasmania, it is a must see, and only found in two places on the island: Cradle Mountain and Mount Field National Park. A magical sight that has to be seen to be believed. The ‘turning’ happens in late April to early May but is unpredictable. Crater Lake is one of the best places to see the magnificent fagus.
Walls of Jerusalem Tasmania
Despite being next door to the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, the Walls of Jerusalem National Park sees much fewer visitors. Also, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness Heritage Area, the Walls of Jerusalem offers adventure-minded walkers with an experience of a lifetime! If hiking in the wilderness and camping on the plateau sounds like your kind of adventure, then the Walls of Jerusalem has to be put on your hiking bucket list! Bear in mind this is no park visit if you do not have wilderness experience.
This experience has more than just one biblical name attached, and some heavenly wilderness to match. You’ll enter an alpine wilderness unlike no other dominated by jutting dolerite peaks, a labyrinth of highland lakes, tarns, craggy mountains and pure pine forests. The unique alpine vegetation and clean crisp air of this remote highland is sure to invigorate and inspire those with a sense of adventure.
One of the most remote national parks in Tasmania, it is only accessible by foot. The only way is to hike in as there are no roads in or out of the park and with that no visitor facilities. All persons entering the park must be fully self-sufficient. While you can do a long day walk to experience Walls of Jerusalem, most walkers take 2-4 days to explore this alpine wonderland, beginning with a trek at Wild Dog, as your base camp. Each day, summit options range from Mount Jerusalem and The Temple to Solomons Throne. Those keen to delve further can trek into the remote reaches of Golden Gate and Zion Vale.
For more in depth information of the hiking tracks visit Tasmania Parks and Wildlife.
Facilities & Camping
Bushwalkers must carry a tent. Huts within the park are small, in poor condition and suitable for emergency shelter only. There is a camping platform, composting toilet and running water at Wild Dog Creek. We recommend that walkers camp here in preference to Dixon's Kingdom.
Weather
The Walls of Jerusalem National Park is very exposed to the extremes of Tasmania's changeable weather and with no road access and no casual visitor facilities bushwalkers need to be well-equipped and experienced in the often harsh Tasmanian conditions. Snow and blizzards can occur any time of the year even in summer! Low clouds can reduce visibility to several meters making tracks difficult to follow. The weather can change dramatically within just a few hours!
Good to know
All walkers must be registered to undertake this walk. There are no facilities within the park and are fit for self-sufficient, well-equipped and experienced walkers.
