Cradle Mountain, Tasmania: A Beginner’s Guide

Cradle Mountain is hands down the top must-see destination in Tasmania and you can easily see why. Just over an hour south of Devonport by car, Cradle Mountain rises above the surrounding landscape with its distinct rocky peaks. Even if you’re not an experienced bushwalker, Cradle Mountain National Park offers something for every visitor.

After spending time in the warm beaches and Outback of Australia, Cradle Mountain’s alpine environment provided a breath of fresh air. With diverse terrain, stunning views, and unique wildlife, Cradle Mountain quickly made itself one of my top Australian destinations. Read on to prepare for you own Tasmanian experience!

Parks Pass and Getting Around

Entry to all national parks in Tasmania requires purchase of an entry pass. Totally-prepared-me didn’t realize this until I was on the ferry to Tasmania and saw all the signs for national park passes. Silly me. Passes can either be for individuals or cars (up to 8 passengers). If you’re traveling in a car with friends, these passes are such a steal! But if you’re like me and on your own with a car, the hit to the budget is a bit harder.

Depending on your itinerary, there are different options that may fit your plans best. If you’re planning on visiting 3 or more national parks during your time in Tasmania, I recommend getting a Holiday Pass. This covers visits to all Tasmania parks for the period of 2 months.

If you’re not sure of your itinerary or only visiting 1 or 2 national parks, get the Icon Daily Pass instead. Two one day passes will cost less than a holiday pass so you’ll save some money that way. The Icon Daily Pass is for Cradle Mountain in particular, but the other parks have a Daily Pass for 24 hours option for visitors too.

Getting Around the Park

The reason Cradle Mountain has its own pass is because of the shuttle service into the park. Parking within the National Park is very limited so visitors are encouraged (and sometimes required) to park in the free parking at the Visitor Center and use the paid shuttle service to enter the park. As of writing this post, construction work is being done on the road so no outside vehicles are authorized to drive into the park during shuttle operating hours. 

Unless you plan to summit and want to leave before or near dawn, I cannot recommend using the shuttle enough. They come roughly every 10 minutes, have multiple stops in the park, and help cut down on any negative impacts of too much traffic within the park. The Icon Daily Pass includes shuttle costs, having any other pass will set you back A$15 for the shuttle for 24 hours. 

Wildlife

In addition to the amazing views of nature all around Cradle Mountain National Park, another big draw to this area is the wildlife! 

Particularly, and perhaps especially, our favorite chunky little critters: wombats. Wombats are spread around all of Tasmania but Cradle Mountain was by far the easiest and best place to spot them. There are a bunch of wombat burrows in the field right off the Ronny Creek shuttle stop in particular. This is the start or end of the Crater Lake Circuit, but you can also just take the shuttle to this stop, get out on the boardwalk for a bit, and head right back to the shuttle. I also saw some wombats around the Enchanted Walk and in the lodge and campground areas nearby. 

For those with an attuned eye, there are also plenty of snow skinks skittering about the national park. The ones I saw were pretty small, but some species of skink can grow surprisingly big so I’m not sure if the snow skink is naturally small or if I only spotted the babies. They blend right into their surroundings, but if you hear leaves rustling and don’t spot any birds or wombats, it’s probably a snow skink trying to hide.

Harder to find is the platypus. I managed to get lucky and spy one from the bridge at the start of Enchanted Walk playing down in the river below. They also like to hang around Lake Lilla if you have the time to investigate every nook on that path. Platypus blend in very well with the river rocks, but with a little patience and a keen eye on the shore line, you may be able to spot our favorite amphibious mammal.

But beware…

There are also, like most of Australia, snakes scurrying around Cradle Mountain. I never saw one, but a woman I crossed paths with on the trails warned me that she and her partner saw a snake sunbathing on the trail close to Crater Lake. Snakes don’t usually want anything to do with humans so just keep an eye out, give any snakes you see some room, and they’ll slither away to a nice warm spot off the trail if you don’t scare them.

Weather conditions

Tasmania has very variable weather conditions that can change quickly and without much warning. Especially in the alpine environment of Cradle Mountain, this can put unprepared hikers in dangerous situations fast. Moderate, difficult, and high altitude walks should be approached with caution, especially on days when clouds cover the peaks. Prepare to turn around if needed – you’re not going to get much of a view if you push on in bad weather anyway so better to be cautious instead.

The rangers at the visitor center have the latest information on weather conditions and detailed knowledge of the trails so if ever in doubt, ask a ranger about your trail plan and if it’s feasible that day. Especially if you’re not an advanced hiker or not set on one particular trail, asking the rangers is a great way to get recommendations based on the weather, your fitness levels, and current trail conditions.

Easy Trails

For those looking for short, easy treks, these are the trails for you. These are great trails for families with little kids or those who don’t have the fitness or experience for more challenging physical hikes. If you are an advanced hiker, don’t write these off too quickly though! They can be a great cool down or warm up to your day.

Enchanted Walk

Probably one of the most well known, Enchanted Walk loops around a river next to the Cradle Mountain Lodge. The path goes up the river, then you cross a beautiful bridge, and make your way back down to where you started. There’s a few children’s tunnel activities with information about the native wildlife and fauna. 

Towards the end of the walk, there are several wombat holes so you may see a few wombats wandering about during your walk. They can also be found around the lodge for this reason as well. If you’ve got a keen eye, you may be lucky to spot a platypus in the river.

This walk takes about twenty minutes at a moderate pace. Exit the shuttle at the Interpretation Center and Ranger Station, then cross the road towards the lodge.

King Billy

Similar to Enchanted Walk, King Billy winds you through the native rainforest and gives you a chance to spot more wombats and other wildlife. This trail is also a loop so you don’t have to double back on the trail. Because so many visitors take the Enchanted Walk, King Billy can help you escape the crowds a bit more while still having easy access to the trail head.

King Billy takes about 40 minutes to complete the circuit. The end of the Enchanted Walk takes you to a fork where you can either continue on to the King Billy trail or exit to the Lodge. If you have the time, you can complete one after the other in about an hour for the full experience. 

Moderate and Above Trails

Those looking for a bit more adventure can find it with these moderate trails. The views of Cradle Mountain give you a better payoff but they will require a higher level of fitness, preparation, and optimal weather conditions.

Dove Lake

One of the most well-known Cradle Mountain walks, Dove Lake Track makes a 6km circuit around, you guessed it, Dove Lake. The summit of Cradle Mountain sits above the lake and gives visitors stunning views of the mountain peaks above you and in the lake reflection below. 

The trail has a little up and down, with one “moderate” hill towards the end. There are also a few dedicated viewpoints which makes it easier to get a good view and snap some photos without fighting your fellow hikers. Because this trail doesn’t climb Cradle Mountain’s rockier terrain, Dove Lake is a safer option on days with questionable weather or other uncertain conditions.

The rangers advise that hikers walk clockwise for the best views and to avoid issues in narrow spaces on the trail. Dove Lake trail is good for those who want something a little longer with some challenge without taking risks.

Crater Lake Circuit

At 5.7 km long, Crater Lake Circuit takes you past Lake Lilla and the Wombat Pool (no wombats sighted unfortunately), to the ridge above Dove Lake, then along Crater Lake, back down through the rainforest (and waterfalls), and through a wombat inhabited field. Whew, is that enough for you? This trail definitely has the most pay-off in terms of variety of views and natural environment. 

Because this circuit ascends onto a mountain ridge, practice caution if there are cloudy conditions or a chance for rain incoming. Clouds on the summit can also impact your view pay-off if your goal is focused on an elevated view of Cradle Mountain summit. Talk to the rangers to get the latest recommendations on the conditions.

Route Options

Technically, this circuit is a combination of a few trails that form a loop and if you want, you can complete any of those trails as an out and back (or in the case of the Lilla Track, from one shuttle stop to another) without completing the full loop. This is also good to know in case you begin your journey only for the weather to change and you need to adapt your plan. But also because of this, there’s a few different orders you can complete the loop.

I didn’t realize until too late that the official map the visitor center gave me recommends the Ronny Creek shuttle stop to begin this circuit and complete a full loop. It did seem like most people did this, but I couldn’t tell if more people ascended via the Overland track or Lilla track. Online however, the route map has this circuit beginning and ending at Dove Lake instead.

If you’re not fussy about a complete loop, you can do what I did, which was to start at Dove Lake and finish at Ronny Creek. From the Dove Lake shelter, I turned right (the opposite direction of the lake trail loop) towards the Boat Shed and turned off the fork for Lilla Track. Then I ascended via the Wombat Pool track, only completing half the Lilla Track. I had no complaints about this route, because the more difficult ascent was earlier in the walk and I got to see Dove Lake without circling back on the shuttle later. You can also do this the opposite way I did and end at Dove Lake.

Marion’s Lookout

Here’s where things start to get interesting. Marion’s Lookout has a truly spectacular view down over Dove Lake and to the Cradle Mountain summit ridge. I don’t think you could find a better one anywhere in the National Park, but it is not for the faint of heart or less fit. If you have high-moderate and above hiking experience, this is truly a can’t-miss Cradle Mountain experience.

This lookout extends about 30 minutes from the Circuit Lake track where the Wombat Pool and Overland tracks meet. Whereas the other tracks are grade 3 – moderate, that stretch to Maroin’s Lookout amps up the trail grade to a grade 4 – difficult. There are several parts where you’re scrambling over rocks and even one point where there is a chain to help you navigate the ‘path’. Honestly, I think there’s a few other spots that deserved a chain but unfortunately that’s not up to me. 

If you are not confident in your hiking or if the weather seems even slightly questionable, do not do this track. I cannot emphasize how dangerous this track can be without the proper fitness level, equipment, and weather conditions. If you do this hike, stay on the track, go slow, and listen to your body, or don’t go.

Combinations

Cradle Mountain National Park is truly criss-crossed with so many tracks for excited hikers. Most of the hikes mentioned above are connected and overlap which makes creating a tailored experience fairly easy. As I mentioned about the Crater Lake Circuit, there are multiple ways to interpret that circuit to optimize your experience to your priorities and preferences.

You can also add Marion’s Lookout to the Crater Lake Circuit (as I did) or out and back the Overland trail to Marion’s Lookout instead. You can also add in the Dove Lake track to the beginning or end of your circuit if you have the whole day, clear weather, and an early start. There are also a few connecting trails to consider as well. Though looking at the one that connects Dove Lake to Marion’s Lookout, definitely ask a ranger before committing to any series diversions. 

Advanced Hikers

For our advanced and overnight hikers, Cradle Mountain hasn’t forgotten about you.

Cradle Summit

Despite how it looks, it is possible to summit Cradle Mountain. The summit trail takes about 6-8 hours and should be avoided except on clear days. The top especially is very rocky and loose, which is only one of the reasons this is a grade 5 track. There’s not a lot of shade once you get to the Crater Lake ridge and nowhere to fill up on water. You must be prepared and bring ample supplies with you (I still follow the Outback adage of 1 liter of water per hour outside, but the ranger station had a lower recommendation). 

This is an alpine environment, so bring warm layers, water resistant outer layers, and sturdy hiking shoes. Because the summit peak sits so much higher than the surrounding ridges, the clouds can easily sit just around the summit and create white out conditions while the rest of the national park is relatively clear. Make sure you check conditions ahead of time, complete your trip intentions in the log book at the ranger station, and prepare to turn back if conditions change.

Overland Track

For the overnight hikers, the Overland Track may tempt you. Taking an average of 6 days to complete, this multi day hike takes you through Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. You must book your hike well in advance due to limitations on how many hikers can depart on the same day. This extensive alpine hike can be just the thing for advanced bushwalkers to make the most of their time in Tasmania. I, however, am not that advanced of a hiker, so please refer to the Parks website and experts when planning your trip.

Cradle Mountain National Park truly has an option for everyone to experience the majesty and beauty that Tasmania has to offer. Whether you’re visiting for a day or several, I hope you can use this guide to make the most out of your time here.

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