Tasmania, Australia Hikes
Browse this page for some very spectacular hikes in Tasmania, with General Descriptions, Trip Tips and Hiking Tips.
Use the drop down sub menu under Hiking for other country locations.
ENJOY!
Cradle Mountain Summit
Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania
The iconic Cradle Mountain located in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Claire National park in the North-West of Tasmasnia, rises 1,545 metres above sea level.
When my daughter and her partner went on a wildlife research road trip to Tasmania in January 2025, it was the perfect opportunity for me make a trip there for several days and tick off the Cradle Mountain Summit hike on my ever growing bucket list.
This 13-kilometre out & back hike has an elevation gain of 800 metres but takes you through varying terrain, spectacular vistas and lots of flora and fauna to keep you constantly rewarded.
Instagram REEL:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFcKw6NhPXq/
Trip Tips
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Best season to do this hike is from late Spring to early Autumn, but weather conditions in the Tasmanian wilderness can vary significantly and suddenly, so always be prepared and always check daily weather conditions, including risks of fires.
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The trail head is at Dove Lake which is accessible only by paid shuttle bus which runs approximately every 10 minutes from the Visitor Centre, but do check seasonal time tables. The shuttle ride is for about 10 kilometres and takes about 20 minutes. All the drivers we had were friendly and always had a funny story or three to share on the bus.
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Do note that the validity date of you shuttle ticket starts on the date of purchase and not on the date of first use.
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There are three stops on the shuttle route where you can get on and off during the day. The trail head is at the last stop at Dove Lake.
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Do note that there is very limited food options in the National Park. There are restaurants in the Cradle Mountain Village Resort and Cradle Mountain Hotel. There is a small grocer with limited range at The Discovery Park General Store. Do think about getting your supplies before arriving at the National Park unless you are only making a day trip.
Hiking Tips
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This 13-kilometre out & back hike has an elevation gain of 800 metres. We recommend to allow 4 to 5 hours as you will inevitably want to stop at multiple vista points for photos (and also for a breather as you climb).
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The trail is a mix of well formed tracks, board walks but also there are many sections of steep rocky climbs. The most challenging section is the last bit ascending the summit after Kitchen hut. Here, it is steep and requires careful climbing over large boulders with gaps between them. It is not recommended to summit if the boulders are wet from weather as they can be slippery and may cause falls that could badly hurst you.
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On the return, while all trails suggests to retrace your step all the way, we took the left fork to come down on Horse to get to Crater Peak from where you get an amazing view of Crater Lake. And instead of returning to the starting point, we walked on to the overland Track that took us to Ronnie Creek to catch the shuttle from there back to the Visitor Centre, Along this creek in the late afternoon, you have a high chance of spotting wombats ambling around and foraging.
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You need to purchase a permit to enter Cradle Mountain National Park. This is available at the visitor centre. However, if you plan on visiting more than one National Park, we recommend that you purchase an annual pass that covers all National Parks in Tasmania. Do save a copy of your pass on your phone and also have a print out to display on your car dash.
Knyvet Falls
Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania
This lovely short 2-kilometre out and back walk featuring two water falls starts at the first shuttle bus stop near the Cradle Mountain Rangers Station in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Claire National Park in Tasmania.
This short walk is a great add-on to do on the same day that you do the loop walk around Dove Lake at the base of Cradle Mountain.
The full Kynvet Falls Track is 12 kilometres in distance with an elevation gain of 850 metres.
Instagram REEL:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFrpGRJSlSM/
Trip Tips
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Best season to hike in Cradle Moutain Nationa Park is from late Spring to early Autumn, but weather conditions in the Tasmanian wilderness can vary significantly and suddenly, so always be prepared and always check daily weather conditions, including risks of fires.
-
The trail head is at Dove Lake which is accessible only by paid shuttle bus which runs approximately every 10 minutes from the Visitor Centre, but do check seasonal time tables. The shuttle ride is for about 10 kilometres and takes about 20 minutes to Dove Lake. There are three stops on the shuttle route where you can get on and off during the day. The trail head for this hike is at the first stop at the Cradle Mountain Ranger Station.
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All the drivers we had were friendly and always had a funny story or three to share on the bus.
-
Do note that the validity date of you shuttle ticket starts on the date of purchase and not on the date of first use.
-
Do note that there is very limited food options in the National Park. There are restaurants in the Cradle Mountain Village Resort and Cradle Mountain Hotel but you probably there all the time if you are staying multiple nights. There is a small grocer with limited range at The Discovery Park General Store. Do think about getting your supplies before arriving at the National Park unless you are only making a day trip.
Hiking Tips
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This is a lovely short walk to do if you arrived by mid day into the visitor centre and have enough time to get a walk in before the last return shuttle for the day. Alternatively, you could do this on the morning of your last day there before departing. Do check shuttle schedules according to the season!
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This is an easy 2-kilometre out and back walk that takes in 2 water falls and Pencil Pines. For this short walk, turn around at Kynvet Falls.
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If you have a full day, add on the easy 6-kilometre walk around Dove Lake to make a very satisfying day at Cradle Mountain National Park.
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The Pencil Pines Lookout is a popular spot for taking a dip in the water. Bring your bathers if you fancy taht.
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However, if you are doing the full 12-kilometre Kynvet Falls Track with 850 metres elevation gain, do allow a full day for it as that hike is rated as 'Hard'.
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After your walk, neat the shuttle bus stop, there is a restaurant at the Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge where you could get a meal or some drinks.
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You need to purchase a permit to enter Cradle Mountain National Park. This is available at the visitor centre. However, if you plan on visiting more than one National Park, we recommend that you purchase an annual pass that covers all National Parks in Tasmania. Do save a copy of your pass on your phone and also have a print out to display on your car dash.
Dove Lake
Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania
This easy 6-kiliometre loop walk around Dove Lake in Cradle Mountain National Park has an elevation gain of 175 metres.
Walking under the imposing backdrop of Cradle Mountain and Hanson Peak through changing forests that include Pencil Pines, Myrtle Beech, Trigger plants, and Snow Everlasting. The Ballroom Forest is an enchanting world on its own.
Trip Tips
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Best season to hike in Cradle Moutain Nationa Park is from late Spring to early Autumn, but weather conditions in the Tasmanian wilderness can vary significantly and suddenly, so always be prepared and always check daily weather conditions, including risks of fires.
-
The trail head is at Dove Lake which is accessible only by paid shuttle bus which runs approximately every 10 minutes from the Visitor Centre, but do check seasonal time tables. The shuttle ride is for about 10 kilometres and takes about 20 minutes to Dove Lake. There are three stops on the shuttle route where you can get on and off during the day. The trail head for this hike is at the last stop of the shuttle service.
-
All the drivers we had were friendly and always had a funny story or three to share on the bus.
-
Do note that the validity date of you shuttle ticket starts on the date of purchase and not on the date of first use.
-
Do note that there is very limited food options in the National Park. There are restaurants in the Cradle Mountain Village Resort and Cradle Mountain Hotel but you probably there all the time if you are staying multiple nights. There is a small grocer with limited range at The Discovery Park General Store. Do think about getting your supplies before arriving at the National Park unless you are only making a day trip.
Hiking Tips
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We did this short loop around Dove Lake the morning after we hiked up Cradle Mountain Summit. So it was a welcomed variation from the strenuous climbs of the previous day. It offered us a tranquil and contrasting hike, allowing us time to pause and studying the flora and fauna.
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Coupling this easy walk with the short hike at Pencil Pines Lookout and Kynvet Falls in the afternoon made it another very satisfying day in Cradle Mountain National Park.
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You need to purchase a permit to enter Cradle Mountain National Park. This is available at the visitor centre. However, if you plan on visiting more than one National Park, we recommend that you purchase an annual pass that covers all National Parks in Tasmania. Do save a copy of your pass on your phone and also have a print out to display on your car dash.
Wineglass Bay & Hazards Beach Loop
Freycinet National Park, Tasmania
Coming off Cradle Mountain National Park after doing 3 hikes with my daughter there, I pick up a friend at Launceston Airport and we headed East in excited anticipation of our first hike at Freycinet National PArk.
The beautiful 13-kilometre loop begins with a 30-minute climb up to the Wineglass Bay Lookout. The view from the lookout is nothing short of stunning. With a large old fashion sail boat anchored in the bay, the view transported us to a surreal other world and kept us mesmerised for longer than we realised.
Scrambling down a rocky trail from there, we were welcomed by the invitingly calm waters of Wineglass Bay. It called for spending time again to dwell in this other worldly serenity.
The loop back via Hazards Beach presented a fascinating opportunity to sieve through thousands of beautiful shells on a secluded beach that few tourist had time or will to take the trek to get to from either direction of the loop.
Altogether, a totally fascinating experience that we would do again and again.
Instagram REEL:
Trip Tips
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Freycinet National Park on the East Coast of Tasmania is an easy 2-hour drive from Launceston or 2.5 hours from Hobart.
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The best tow to stay for a multi-day visit to Freycinet is at Bicheno where you have easy access to accommodation, restaurants, groceries and petrol stations.
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If you are visiting both Freycinet National Park and Bay of Fires, and looking for a convenient intermediate location to stay to easily access both locations, Falmouth or Scamander would be quite ideal beautiful small towns to stay. Do note however, that there are no restaurants or grocery stores in Falmouth albeit it has a beautiful estuary and beaches that are fantastic for shell picking, and Scamander is only a short drive away for amenities.
Hiking Tips
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Parking is free at the trail head but fills up quickly from mid morning as tourists flood in to visit the Wineglass Bay lookout.
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You need to purchase a permit to enter Cradle Mountain National Park. This is available at the visitor centre. However, if you plan on visiting more than one National Park, we recommend that you purchase an annual pass that covers all National Parks in Tasmania. Do save a copy of your pass on your phone and also have a print out to display on your car dash.
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We recommend to start early, start the loop clockwise get to the Wineglass Bay Lookout before it gets too busy so you can spend some minutes of relative quiet to soak in the amazing view across the bay, out to the Ocean to the left and the beach to the right.
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Continuing on the loop down to the Bay, do allow time to spend on Wineglass Bay Beach which is tranquil and relatively peaceful compared to the busy Lookout.
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Crossing the isthmus, you come to Hazards Beach and will likely have it to yourself as most tourists do not do the somewhat strenuous loop hike.
The Gardens to Break Yoke Creek
Bay of Fires National Reserve, Tasmania
On the North East Coast of Tasmania, Bay of Fires presents a stunning scene of white sandy beaches, clear azzure seas and granite rocks lined with orange lichen. A truly dream line seascape that is for us, spirit lifting to visit and hike.
The trail which starts at The Gardens and turns around at Break yoke creek is about 8 kilometres out and back. As the farmland fence comes right up to the edge of the beach, the hike is on the beach with rock and boulder scrambling between coves.
In February 2025, Bay of Fires was voted to have the most beautiful Beaches in Australia!
Instagram REEL:
Trip Tips
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The best town to stay for a multi-day visit to Bay of Fires is at Bicheno where you have easy access to accommodation, restaurants, groceries and petrol stations.
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If you are visiting both Freycinet National Park and Bay of Fires, and looking for a convenient intermediate location to stay to easily access both locations, Falmouth or Scamander would be quite ideal beautiful small towns to stay. Do note however, that there are no restaurants or grocery stores in Falmouth albeit it has a beautiful estuary and beaches that are fantastic for shell picking, and Scamander is only a short drive away for amenities.
Hiking Tips
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Parking is limited at the trail head, so do arrive early. When we came back from our hike, people were waiting for a spot to park..
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Note that for most of the hike there is no inland foreshore trail. The walk is actually on the beach and scrambling over the bright red lichen lined rocks and boulders between the fenced farm land and the beach.
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As we started early, there was NO one else there so we had all the beaches and signature orange rock scrambling to ourselves. It was one of the most beautiful and satisfying beach and rock scrambling hikes we ever did.
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In February 2025, Bay of Fires was voted to have the most beautiful Beach in Australia!
Cataract Gorge Zig Zag Circuit
Launceston, Tasmania
On our last day in Tasmania, driving back from the East Coast before flying home to Melbourne, Cataract Gorge was the perfect short hike as it is located just a short drive from Launceston Aiport.
This 3.5 kilometre loop has an elevation gain of 175 metres. It was a rather warm day so we decided to go counter-clockwise to take on the climb first. It was an uneven rocky trail but not too hard for any regular hiker. But the heat of the day had us sweating right from the start.
Absolutely no complaints about the effort as the views were rewarding. This lovely gorge is popular with locals as well as visitors. Except for the uphill portion of the loop which is quiet, the rest of the gorge was busy with tourists and families having a great time in the water.
A great walk to do if you have a couple of hours near Launceston.
Instagram REEL:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFrqMz1SEoK/
