Mount Field and Cradle Mountain: exploring and hiking

Mount Field National Park

We went many times to Tasmania and always spent some days at the fantastic Mount Field National Park. The visitor centre is wonderful. There are beautiful waterfalls and the giant swamp gum trees are breathtaking. The many hiking tracks are fantastic and plenty of wildlife to spot.

During our many trips to Tasmania, every time we went to Mount Field and Cradle Mountains. Then, start with Russel Falls, a short, easy, and beautiful 25-minute hike through the forest from the Mount Field visitor centre. We were twice lucky to see a platypus in the nearby creek

Horseshoe Falls is a 15-minute steep climb from Russel Falls. It is much smaller than Russell Falls but more beautiful. Return to the Mount Field Information Centre or continue going towards the Tall Trees.

Further up in Mount Field, are the Tall Trees and hiking among swamp gums and tall trees is a beautiful experience. The swamp gums – Eucalyptus regnans are the world’s tallest flowering plant, which can live for hundreds of years (if you don’t chop them for wood chips) and reach a height of over 100 metres.

The roots of the swamp gums at Mount Field are massive.

Then, from Tall Trees, cross Dodson Road and stroll to Lady Barron Falls. The hike from Russell Falls to Horseshoe Falls, Tall Trees, Lady Barron Falls, and back to the Mount Field information station is only 4 kilometres long, but it takes about 2-3 hours.

Hikes from Lake Dobson

Firstly, you need to drive a 15 km dirt road to Lake Dobson at Mount Field. Then, the Pandani Grove loop around Lake Dobson is easy and goes through Pandani alpine gums and soft tree ferns. It takes about 30–40 minutes. 

Pandanis can be found only in Tasmania’s alpine and wet forest mountains. They can reach a height of 12 metres. Lake Dobson, Mount Field, has an elevation of 1033 metres and also gets snow in February.

The Tarn Shelf Circuit was our favourite hike in Mount Field National Park. Starting at Lake Dobson, going uphill to the ski fields, and then to Tarn Shelf, Lake Newdegate, Twilight Tarn, and Lake Webster. Then back to Lake Dobson. The circuit is 12 km long and takes between 5 and 7 hours to complete. Even though some sections are rough and muddy, it is a fantastic hike.

We hiked from Lake Dobson to Mount Field West, which is 1,434 metres above sea level. The track is Grade 5, 17 kilometres long, and extremely rough and steep. It took us 8 hours to get back home. The Tarn Shelf walk was fantastic, but the Mt Field West walk was not.

Lake St Clair

Lake St Clair is part of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. We visited the wonderful place many times. Great for hiking, loved to do the last leg of the famous Overland Track. Fantastic vegetation, Leatherwood, myrtle beech and King Billy pine.

We took the 20-minute ferry from Cynthia Bay to Echo Point Walker’s Hut and then walked back. The 11-kilometre hike takes 3–5 hours and includes steep hill sections and a rough surface. It is mostly through rainforest and close to the lake.

The view of Mount Ida, elevation: 1241 metres.

There are many Leatherwood trees in St. Claire, and we used to bring Leatherwood Honey from Mole Creek back home.

Leatherwood flowers.

Finally, for the overland track hiker, the hike from Echo Point to Cynthia Bays is the last.

Nelson Falls, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park

During our drive from Derwent Bridge and Queenstown, we stopped and did a short walk to Nelson Falls in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Along the way, you’ll see sassafras, myrtles, and ferns.

The Nelson Falls plunges 30 metres into the Nelson River.

Montezuma Falls

Montezuma Falls is near the town of Rosebery on Tasmania’s West Coast. We enjoyed the track along an old tramway route to 104-metre high falls.

Then, from Queenstown, we drove to Rosebery, to hike for 3 hours to The Montezuma Falls. From the suspension bridge, you have excellent views back to the falls.

The highest waterfall in Tasmania falls 104 metres and is named after a powerful Aztec emperor.

Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain is a must-visit in Tasmania. Its landscape features tall mountains, beautiful lakes, and diverse plants. We enjoyed the hiking trails and spotting wombats, quolls, and pademelons.

The Cradle Mountains are a wonderland for hikers, with short, easy, and long, hard walks. They also have a tourist centre, a shuttle bus, an RV park, and taverns. In addition, there is a wildlife centre (Tasmania Devils) and helicopter flights.

Then, there is the Cradle Mountains Valley boardwalk, which runs from the Ranger Station to Ronny Creek. It is a fantastic walk. It is 11 kilometres long and takes 3 to 4 hours to complete. You can do it in sections. The shuttle bus serves Snake Hill and Ronney Creek.

The Dove Lake Circuit begins at the Dove Lake car park and takes about 2 to 3 hours to complete. It is also our preferred hike in the Cradle Mountains, it is not too short, not too long, a beautiful walk.

The walk takes you through Pandani, Myrtle, Sassafras, Beech, and King Billy pine trees.

Also, a good hike is, from Ronny Creek via Lake Lilla to Dove Lake is an additional pleasant way to explore the area. When you walk through button grass, you usually see wombats.

The best, but also the hardest, hike we took in the Cradle Mountains was from Ronney Creek to Lake Lilla, Wombat Pools, and up to Marrions Lookout.

The last section to Marrion’s lookout (1223 metres) is difficult and very steep. It offers views of Lake Lilla, Wombat Pools, and Ronney Creek.

We started at Marrions Lookout and followed the Overland Track before heading down the Horse Track. The view of the Bluff Barn. 

View of Crater Lake, Lake Lilla, and Dove Lake from the Crater Peak

More from Tasmania: East and West Coast

More from Tasmania: Hobart and South