Cradle Mountain National Park is a true wilderness highlight in Tasmania and offers many trails for multiple days of exploration. If you only have 1 day to spend in the national park, then you will want to get there by 10 AM to get the most out of your visit. (If you are staying in Bicheno, you will want to leave your accommodation around 6 AM and if you are coming from Launceston you will want to depart around 8 AM.)
Below are all of the details on how to explore the best walks in the Cradle Mountain National Park whether you spend one full day within the park or extend your stay for multiple days to further enjoy the beautiful landscapes found here.
Transportation to Get to the Walks in Cradle Mountain National Park
This park is particularly unique for the way that visitors travel within the park. When you arrive at the visitor center parking lot, you will need to go into the visitor center and purchase a shuttle pass to get around. The shuttle helps to limit emissions and remove the need of having parking lots throughout the national park. You will take this shuttle to the different destinations within the park where many of the walks start from.
After purchasing your shuttle pass from the visitor center, you will get in line and take the shuttle through the park. While on the shuttle, you will hear information regarding the park and the wildlife here. Below are two options for how you can spend your day exploring the talks in Cradle Mountain National Park, one being a slower and easier day than the other.
The best way to get around Tasmania is by renting a car.
Multi-Day Walks in Cradle Mountain
The Overland Track
Distance:
48.7 miles (78.5 kilometers)
Elev. Gain
7287 ft (2,221 m)
Time:
6 days
Difficulty:
Challenging
Cradle Mountain National Park is home to one of the most popular multi-day hikes in Australia: the Overland Track. The hike takes about 6 days to cover 80 kilometers. If you are interested in this particular hike, you will need to reserve your permit a few months in advance to ensure availability. You can also find a paid tour group to do the hike which will help manage the logistics of transportation, provide necessary camping equipment and food, and guide you through this experience.
The Blueprint Travelers Hiking Staples
Day Walks in Cradle Mountain National Park
Dove Lake Circuit
SHuttle Drop-Off
Visitor Center to Dove Lake
Shuttle Return
Dove Lake to Visitor Center
Distance:
3.6 miles (5.8 kilometers)
Elev. Gain
7287 ft (2,221 m)
Time:
6 days
Difficulty:
Easy
This hike takes you around the beautiful Dove Lake through some varied walkways and boardwalks. There are a few turn-offs throughout the walk that take you to a variety of viewpoints over the lake where you will have views of the surrounding mountains. This walk should be done in a clockwise direction. Because the walk takes up to two hours, it is great for those who do not want to wake up so early to make their way to the national park. It is also great for those who want to relax, take their time, and just enjoy the beautiful nature around you.
Ronny Creek to Marions Lookout
SHuttle Drop-Off
Visitor Center to Ronny Creek
Shuttle Return
Ronny Creek to Visitor Center
Distance:
4.3 miles (6.9 kilometers)
Elev. Gain
1141 ft (348 m)
Time:
2.5 hours
Difficulty:
Hard
The hike from the Ronny Creek shuttle stop to Marions lookout is one of the popular walks in Cradle Mountain and a great little challenge. The hike starts on a boardwalk path and quickly changes to a well maintained path that ultimately includes some more challenging hiking to get to the final viewpoint. This is a great hike to start out with because from the viewpoint, you can make your way to Dove Lake to end in a different spot from where you started (check out Dove Lake via Marions Lookout details below.)
Cradle Valley Boardwalk
SHuttle Drop-Off
Visitor Center to Ronny Creek
Distance:
3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers)
Elev. Gain
531 ft (162 m)
Time:
1.5 hours
Difficulty:
Easy
The Cradle Valley Boardwalk is one of the easiest walks in Cradle Mountain. This relatively flat route goes from Ronny Creek and makes its way back to the visitor center and parking lot via a boardwalk.
The route of the Cradle Valley Boardwalk.
This link has a roundtrip route but this track can be completed as one of the one way walks in Cradle Mountain by using the shuttle service to be dropped off at Ronny Creek.
Dove Lake Via Marions Lookout
SHuttle Drop-Off
Visitor Center to Ronny Creek
Shuttle Return
Dove Lake to Visitor Center
Distance:
8.1 miles (13 kilometers)
Elev. Gain
1,663 ft (507 m)
Time:
4 hours
Difficulty:
Moderate
This hike merges two of the most popular hikes together through a pass that allows you to potentially see wombats in the wild. It is a beautiful hike with a great variety of challenges and landscapes, making the distance worth it.
You will get off the shuttle at Ronny Creek to start the walk. This is also where the Overland Track begins and you will be doing part of the first portion of the track. You will make your way up to Marion’s Lookout, where you will have beautiful views of Cradle Mountain and the tallest peaks of the National Park. Then, as you make your way down, you will follow the path to the wombat pools. Sometimes, you will see wombats walking around the area and the best way to know that they are around is to look for their uniquely square-shaped poop on the ground.
Finally, you will arrive at Dove’s Lake where you can trek around the entire lake in a clockwise direction, stopping at the variety of viewpoints throughout the loop. You can end your walk at the Dove Lake shuttle stop to return to the visitor center. Make sure you know the final shuttle time from the visitor center so you do not have to walk all the way back to the parking lot at the end of the day.
Similar route to give you an idea of the trek
Rather than return to Ronny Creek bus stop, you can end the hike at the Dove Lake stop to make the trek a little shorter and not repetitive.
Cradle Summit
SHuttle Drop-Off
Visitor Center to Dove Lake
Shuttle Return
Dove Lake to Visitor Center
Distance:
7.6 miles (12.2 kilometers)
Elev. Gain
2,542 ft (775 m)
Time:
5-7 hours
Difficulty:
Challenging
One of the most challenging day walks in Cradle Mountain, making your way to the peak of the craggy mountain that can be seen from Marions Lookout and Dove Lake. This hike ends with a challenging amount of bouldering to get to the final viewpoint.
