Cradle Mountain
ATTRACTION Keywords:
Nature & Wildlife,
UNESCO Heritage Site,
Walking/Hiking,
Mountain,
National Park
Day visitors can take day walks at Cradle Valley and Cynthia Bay, but it’s the 65km (40-mile) Overland Track that gets hikers especially excited by Cradle Mountain. The six-day, five-night epic walking track winds through eucalypt forests and across alpine moors. December to April is the optimum time to walk the track, providing wonderful glimpses of alpine wildflowers.
Shorter walks include the two-hour Dove Lake Loop Track through rainforest, an eight- to 10-minute stroll along the Visitor Center boardwalk rainforest walk, and the 20-minute exploratory walk to historic Weindorfer’s Chalet, once home to the park’s founder Gustav Weindorfer. Rangers also lead guided walks and provide talks and kids activities.
Wildlife to look out for at Cradle Mountain include the Tasmanian devil, spotted-tailed quoll, platypus and echidnas.
Latest Reviews
Review by Richard F, April 2013
Doing what: Cradle Mountain National Park Day Tour from Launceston
Excellent tour made even better by the minibus driver, Stan, who added a 'wealth of knowledge' to a very full day to Cradle Mountain. He was obviously very proud of his island and conveyed that love with a very informative chat all the way from Launceston to the National Park! We stopped along the way at Railton (town of wall topiary) and coffee and cake at Sheffield (town of wall murals) before heading into the spectacular scenery of Cradle Mountain. We had plenty of time at Dove Lake for lunch and a walk at the water's edge. It's a tour I won't forget in a hurry, absolutely wonderful! A visit to Waldheim, home of Gustav Weindorfer, pioneer and acknowledged founder of the park was 'a must', and we all felt priviledged to share this national treasure. I could have stayed longer but alas, it was soon time to leave. We still managed to stop-off on the way back to a cheese farm/shop at Elizabeth Town to sample the goodies of Ashgrove Diary. A memorable tour with lots of extras thrown in for good measure, highly recommended!
Review by jeff b, January 2013
Doing what: Cradle Mountain National Park Day Tour from Launceston
We had a great day. Our driver was very knowledgeable and you wouldn't want to be doing the driving on the winding road into the park. We had plenty of time to stretch the legs at Dove Lake ( which was quite beautiful). The Cheese Shop was a nice break on the way home.
Review by Rhonda H, January 2013
Doing what: Cradle Mountain National Park Day Tour from Launceston
A great day touring. Cradle Mountain was fabulous so too the scenery on the way. The coach driver was very familiar with the area and was very obliging and informative. Definitely a must see area!!!!!
Practical Info
Cradle Mountain is around 150km (93 miles) from Launceston, a two-hour drive. From Hobart, the 302km (187-mile) drive takes just over four hours.
The park is officially called Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, and iconic Cradle Mountain is in the north of the park.
Shuttle buses run daily from the Transit Terminal to Dove Lake, reducing traffic within the park.
