Mount Field and Cradle Mountain: exploring and hiking
Mount Field National Park
Mount Field, located just a two-hour drive from Hobart, is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. This diverse and stunning park offers some of the world’s tallest eucalypt forests, glacial lakes, cascading waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. In winter, it transforms into a ski destination. Visitors can explore a variety of hikes, ranging from easy walks to challenging treks. The park is well-equipped with facilities, including a visitor centre with a café, picnic areas, a children’s playground, and a campground, along with other accommodation options.
During our many trips to Tasmania, we visited Mount Field every time. Our journey always began with Russell Falls, Tasmania’s most beloved waterfall. Standing in the lush, moss-covered forest, we were always in awe as the water cascaded over multiple levels. The walk to the falls is an easy 25-minute stroll through the forest from the visitor centre. Twice, we were lucky to spot a platypus in the nearby creek. At night, the magic continued as glow worms lit up the vegetation near the falls, creating a truly enchanting experience.
Horseshoe Falls is a short but steep 15-minute climb from Russell Falls. Though smaller, it is often considered even more beautiful. From there, you can either return to the Mount Field Information Centre or continue on the scenic 6 km circuit (approximately 2.5 hours). The trail takes you through the majestic Tall Trees Walk, home to towering swamp gums, before leading to Lady Barron Falls—a charming, cascading waterfall nestled in lush rainforest.
The Tall Trees Walk is a must if you visit Mount Field. Hiking among those swamp gums, the tallest flowering plants on Earth is a beautiful experience. They can live for hundreds of years (provided they aren’t chopped down for wood chips) and reach heights of over 100 metres.
The roots of the swamp gums at Mount Field are massive.
Lady Barron Falls is the third waterfall on the circuit, with a height of around 8 metres. To return to the information centre, you’ll need to climb a long staircase with hundreds of steps. If steep staircases are a concern, consider starting the circuit clockwise from the information centre to walk down the steps at the beginning of the circuit.
Hikes from Lake Dobson
A fantastic hike awaits at Pandani Grove. To reach it, drive (or walk) along a rugged 15 km dirt road that climbs nearly 1000 meters to the serene Lake Dobson. Once there, enjoy an easy 1.5 km circuit around the lake, which is a peaceful walk through a stunning subalpine landscape. Along the way, you’ll see pandanis and other remarkable plant species, including alpine gums, soft tree ferns, and pencil pines. If you’re lucky, you might even spot the elusive platypus,
Pandanis, can reach a height of 12 metres are the world’s tallest heath. Can be found only in Tasmania’s alpine and wet forest mountains, and nowhere else on Earth. Even in the summer you can find snow at Lake Dobson.
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
Whenever we drove through Tasmania, we would spend several days at the tranquil Lake St Clair, also known by its Aboriginal name, Leeawuleena, meaning “sleeping water.” Lake St Clair is Australia’s deepest freshwater lake and lies within the renowned Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It marks the endpoint of the iconic Overland Track, a multi-day hike through Tasmania’s wilderness. Though we’re no longer as young as we once were, we are proud to have completed the first part of the track and to have hiked its final section many times.
To hike the last section of the famous track, we took the 20-minute ferry from Cynthia Bay to Echo Point Walker’s Hut. The 11-kilometre hike back takes 4 to 5 hours and includes steep hill sections and a rough surface. It is mostly through rainforest and close to the lake. Understandably, some Overland Track hikers choose the ferry return attracted by having a hot shower, comfortable bed, and a good meal.
Fantatic short walks and more challenging hikes. Large gum trees and the beautiful Leatherwood trees. Abundant wildlife, including Bennett’s wallabies, pademelons, wombats, echidnas, quolls, and even the elusive platypus. Plus, visitors can enjoy comfortable accommodations and a great restaurant.
The Leatherwood flowers are beautiful, and the Leatherwood honey is absolutely delicious. We always make sure to bring some back home from Mole Creek.
Nelson Falls, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
On our drive from Derwent Bridge to Queenstown, we made a stop for a short walk to Nelson Falls in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. The trail offers a lush glimpse of the surrounding wilderness, with beautiful sassafras, myrtle trees, and ferns lining the path.
When we visited Nelson Falls, there wasn’t much water cascading down the 30-meter drop into the Nelson River. Despite that, the falls were still incredibly impressive.
Montezuma Falls
The Montezuma Falls near the town of Rosebery on Tasmania’s West Coast, is truly amazing in many ways. Firstly, it was named after Montezuma (1466 1520), the Aztec emperor of Mexico, because the Silver Mining Company that held the lease was called Montezuma. Secondly, the track follows the path of a former tramway, adding a historical touch to the hike. Lastly, with a 104-meter drop, Montezuma Falls is the tallest waterfall in Tasmania, and the track takes you right to the base, gives a stunning view of the falls.
The hike is an easy, graded 2.12 km loop that takes about 3 hours, winding through lush rainforest. From the bridge, you’ll enjoy stunning views of the falls and the surrounding rainforest.
The Montezuma Falls
Cradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain, standing at 1,545 meters (5,069 feet) above sea level, is a stunning feature of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. This region is famous for its beautiful landscapes, including towering mountains, glacial lakes, lush rainforests, and abundant wildlife.
It’s a paradise for hikers, photographers, and nature lovers alike. We’ve visited Cradle Mountain many times, enjoying both easy and challenging hikes, while spotting wombats, quolls, and pademelons. There is an excellent tourist center, a shuttle bus through the park, a variety of accommodations, a campground, and taverns. In addition, there is a wildlife center where you can see Tasmanian devils, as well as helicopter flights.
Next, there’s the Cradle Mountain Valley Boardwalk, which stretches from the Ranger Station to Ronny Creek. This fantastic 11-kilometer walk takes around 3 to 4 hours to complete, but you can easily break it up into sections. The shuttle bus also serves Snake Hill and Ronny Creek, making it convenient to explore different parts of the trail.
Whenever we visit Cradle Mountain, the Dove Lake Circuit is a must-do for us. It’s the perfect hike for those who may not be extremely fit, but still want to enjoy the beauty of the area. This Grade 3 walk takes 2 to 3 hours and includes some steep sections, boardwalks, and gravel paths. Along the way, there are breathtaking viewpoints offering stunning views of the mountains and the lake. No wonder this is the most popular walk at Cradle Mountain!
We loved walking through the cool temperate rainforest of ‘The Ballroom Forest,’ surrounded by myrtle, King Billy pines, and sassafras. It felt like walking through a cathedral. Along the circuit, we also spotted pandanis, the world’s tallest heath, reaching heights of up to 10 metres.
Another delightful walk we enjoyed started with the shuttle bus drop-off at Ronny Creek. From there, we walked through the button grass area, where wombats are often spotted, before reaching the beautiful Lake Lilla. A little further along, we arrived at Dove Lake to complete the circuit. It’s a scenic and hike off a wonderful mix of landscapes.
The most interesting hikes for us, as “oldies,” was the trail from Ronny Creek to Lake Lilla, passing by Wombat Pools and continuing up to Marion’s Lookout
The Marion’s Lookout walk (1,223 meters) can be challenging in parts. There’s a particularly steep and slippery section, which may not be suitable for young children or the elderly—except for us, of course! However, the effort is well worth it, as the lookout offers stunning views of Lake Lilla, Wombat Pools, and Ronny Creek.
From Marion’s Lookout, we followed the Overland Track before descending via the Horse Track. Along the way, we were treated to a stunning view of the iconic Bluff Barn, a picturesque spot that’s often photographed from every angle.
The view of Crater Lake, Lake Lilla, and Dove Lake from Crater Peak is enough to convince anyone that the Marion’s Lookout walk is truly a spectacular experience.
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