Dove Lake car park. Cradle Mountain Summit. The entire route, starting and ending at the Dove Lake car park, is about 8 miles long and will take around 6-8 hours as you will be either ascending or descending most of the time. The steep section has a chain to assist you and is not difficult if you take your time to make sure you keep your footing. So gorgeous. Love the cloudy mood. Layers. In that respect, climbing Cradle Mountain was the scariest physical thing I’ve ever done. So worth it. So make sure you have a rain mac, a jumper and long trousers to hand. It is definitely beautiful Odette and a lot of people miss some of the best views as they don’t take the Horse Track. It sounds so wonderful and like quite the challenge! So interesting to see how moody it can be. It’s another iconic Cradle Mountain hike today, the Face Track Walk a world class, somewhat challenging walk, but the payoff is immense as awe inspiring views dominate virtually the whole journey. This fully guided walk starts at Waldheim in Cradle Valley, venturing south along the Overland Track … If I can do it you can too! We started our hike at Ronny Creek car park. It’s exhilarating and astounding, exhausting and morale-boosting at the same time. When you arrive, write your names, car registration, time and where you are going into the book (just in case the worst happens) and when you return you “sign out”. The walk begins in a pleasant gully of beech forest and small waterfalls and ascends to the alpine plateau via Crater Lake and a button grass moorland. This amazing hike takes up to 10 hours and covers 15.5 km. There is a registration booth with a “sign in” book. A hike to the summit of Cradle Mountain. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Cradle Mountain National Park is located in North West Tasmania, connected to the Lake St Clair park. Oh and wombats are so cute. Continue along this, take time to check the view from Glacier Point. Cradle Mountain is found at the northern end of the Cradle Mt – Lake St Clair National Park. Discover one of Australia’s most spectacular World Heritage Areas while hiking the world famous Overland Track in the peaceful and exquisite terrain of Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania. If you can remember what Baloo the bear was like when he was climbing up the cliff to the monkey palace, that was me. It has an abundance of natural beauty as well as very cute wildlife. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. If you’re feeling adventurous (which you really should be!) It just kind of happened”. I have had several attempts to climb the mountain however it still remains on my to do list. Hike to the Cradle Mountain Summit – Day 2. Answer 1 of 4: We will be staying at Peppers Mtn. The track initially is a wooden path over a marsh area. Hope you get a chance to do this hike Sharyn. This hike needs to be booked 24 hour in… Hiking this summit is pretty exciting and once you reach Marion’s Lookout, you will … Cradle Mountain is also the start of the world famous Overland Track, a 65 km, 6 day hike through some of Tasmania’s most spectacular wilderness region. Thanks for sharing! As we reached Kitchen Hut it began to rain again and clouds came about half way down the Cradle Mountain summit. Would love to see one myself one day. The other benefit is that few people take this track. Check out the best Cradle Mountain hikes, the best Cradle Mountain trails and the best walks Cradle Mountain has to offer: Enchanted Walk (from Cradle Mountain Lodge) – Allow approx 20 min King Billy Walk (from Cradle Mountain Lodge) – Allow approx 30 min Tasmania is absolutely beautiful. Yours has inspired me! Oh, love me a good hike 🙂 Never been to Australia though. Your email address will not be published. Your pictures are absolutely stunning and the hike looks amazing! If you come back, definitely worth the visit. Once you have left the steep section of the hike after leaving Marions Lookout, the track follows a beautiful path along Crater Lake to the boat shed. Have your lunch on top of the mountain – because it beats lunching in an office canteen, doesn’t it? We travel as much as possible, both overseas and at home. I’ve been wanting to do some hiking in the Cradle Mountain for ages, but so far only had a chance to do a little hike around Dove lake, during a conference at Cradle Mt. A climb on Cradle will no doubt boost your confidence and give you an unstoppable grin for the rest of the day; because there’s nothing quite like gazing at a peak at the end of the day and thinking yep, I was on the top of that thing, is there? Join the newsletter and start travelling with purpose. The National Park spreads over 1614 square kilometres and is dotted with charming lakes, jagged peaks and rolling hills. And go on that epic hike! If you have a few days try and wait for the clearest to summit Cradle Mountain, it’s so worth it! We’ve hiked a bit around Queenstown and both are beautiful. But for some, just viewing the peak isn’t enough. One day 🙂, It’s a great hike if you do make it to Australia, Oh this looks gorgeous! Cradle mountain is an must do for anyone traveling Tasmania, the walks are amazing and the wildlife is great, these include Wallabies, Echidna, Wombats and more, and they are quite accustomed to humans and not spooked unless you get too close. This was when I was pure Queenslander with no proper winter clothes. Only do it in good conditions – Please please please. Cradle Mountain Huts Walk. In my opinion, it was a lot harder than Mount Huashan, the supposed most dangerous mountain in China. I’ve done my fair share of hikes, but never anything as vertical as this one. Thanks for sharing this awesome hike 🙂. Climbing Cradle Mountain will give you a huge sense of personal satisfaction while also questioning the art of decision making. The start of the hike. The walk is about 18 km long and intense. Of course, everything depends on your health and physical fitness. The clouds were again low but the view was still spectacular. However, you can purchase one from the visitor centre. But you will need to be well experienced hiker, with good rock scrambling skills plus a head for heights. Add to My Wishlist Remove from My Wishlist. And thanks for the heads up with the gear to take. These photos are stunning! on top of the world. It’s one of the most photogenic places I’ve ever been to! Three attempts failed because of weather – one there was a lot of snow; on another it had snowed the night before and the snow at the key points were now ice. There are hikes for all abilities in the Cradle Mountain National Park, and every traveller in the area should definitely assemble to view the extraordinary peaks of Cradle Mountain itself. DEPARTURE TIME: We depart Cradle Mountain at 3.00pm arriving into Launceston at around 5 -5.30pm. Thanks Michelle. We live in Brisbane and it was our first trip to Tassie. If you take it slowly and only do it in good conditions, you’ll be fine. I can’t wait to go back home over the winter and see it covered in snow , A snowy Cradle Mountain would be incredible! The Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is a world heritage wilderness area in Tasmania, Australia where there are many hiking and bushwalking trails. Cradle mountain is an must do for anyone traveling Tasmania, the walks are amazing and the wildlife is great, these include Wallabies, Echidna, Wombats and more, and they are quite accustomed to humans and not spooked unless you get too close. Good hiking boots / shoes. Beautiful hike! I will never forget that view! To hike Cradle Mountain is a six to eight hour return; it’s 6.4 kilometers one way but includes lots of steep sections, with a total climb of 600 meters. On the agenda are: Marion’s Lookout, the valley, before you (literally) climb the summit and finally descend at Dove Lake. This looks like a great hike! Your photos of Cradle Mountain are gorgeous. Spare batteries are also important as batteries go flat faster in colder climates. The summit offers spectacular views of Dove Lake, Mount Ossa (Tasmania’s highest peak) and offers incredible 360-degree panoramic views of an awe inspiring Jurassic landscape, carved out … We then took a right turn onto the Horse Track and climbed to Crater Peak before heading to Kitchen Hut. After leaving the boat shed, the scenery changes again as you head down timber steps to Crater Falls. We were there in late December (summer) and it snowed a bit the week before we arrived so the hut is definitely a great design for the winter snow. Under 6 miles preferably. I´ve only been to Australia once, ages ago, and I would really love to come back to explore the south and include a trip to Tasmania as well. The national park is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. ... Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park Vacation Packages Flights to Cradle Mountain … As you climb to the end of the Horse Track, you are welcomed by the amazing view of Kitchen Hut at the base of the steep climb to the summit of Cradle Mountain. Getting there. Distance: 10 to 12 km depending on route | Time: 6 hours return | Start: Dove Lake or Ronny’s Creek — It’s the big one – the rocky, vertigo-inducing scramble to the Cradle Mountain Summit. We call Australia home and find that there are so many places to explore here as well. Thanks Chloe. Hope you get the chance to get back Katja. Have clothes for all weather – like everywhere in Tasmania, the weather changes ALL THE TIME. And then we reached the top and I sat down and burst into tears. Cradle Mountain is one of my favourite hikes EVER to date! Your email address will not be published. © 2019 - THE MIDDLE AGE WANDERER. I am dying to go to Australia! We stopped at Marions Lookout for lunch and to enjoy the views. Definitely don’t forget this. Our Cradle Mountain Hike We started our hike at Ronny Creek car park. Tasmania is definitely beautiful and if you are heading there taking a day for the hike is definitely worth the time. You just can’t climb up these boulders safely when wet, and you won’t get a decent view anyway. We saw people doing the hike up to Marions Lookout in sandals and one lady in a pair of ballerina style slip on shoes. Duration – 3 Hours Grade – Easy. From your cabin accommodation at Cradle Mountain Highlanders Cottages you have an ideal base to set out on a day of bushwalking that will suit all levels from relaxing to totally invigorating. We did lots of wombat spotting. Cradle Mountain is also the start of the world famous Overland Track, a 65 km, 6 day hike through some of Tasmania’s most spectacular wilderness region. Cradle Mountain is without a doubt one of the best hikes in Tasmania; if not one of the best in Australia. While this is only a day hike, it is reasonably difficult and the weather can be unpredictable. It is about a 4 hour drive from the capital of Hobart or about a 2 hour drive from Launceston. But if you do get back to Cradle Mountain definitely consider taking the Horse Track if you do this hike. Our return trip was on the Overland Track via Marions Lookout and the Crater Lake boat shed before arriving back at the Ronny Creek car park. Thanks Dana. Cradle Mountain in Tasmania, one of the coolest looking mountains out there and an amazing climb. Camera and spare batteries. Male Statues & Their Appendages – Paris Part 1, 5 Must Visit Locations on Tasmania’s East Coast, Zombie Apocalypse? This walk looks simply out of this world, such stunning views, will have to add this to my bucket list! Now to prepare for the whole Overland Track haha…. OPTIONAL 4 DAY WALK For those up to the challenge, why not add an additional day’s walking experience to your Cradle Mountain walk as we take you into the remote Walls of Jerusalem. What a beautiful hike, the landscape there looks incredible! This hike will take you to the Cradle Mountain Summit via the superb lookouts at Hansons Peak and Marions Lookout. Saving it for reference later ☺️. Cycle or run on over 40km of marked trails including, bermed corners, an old house and hand built bridges, all in the Cradle of Humankind. As you leave Kitchen Hut and head back to Ronny Creek Car Park via the Overland Track, you will find yourself walking along a wooden path as you head to Marions Lookout. We took our time on the hike, stopping to take photos and take in the amazing scenery. Sounds like a great hike. Kitchen Hut would be the perfect place for a studio especially in winter! Claire’s Footsteps is a blog dedicated to helping the world through sustainable travel. Hello, my name’s Claire and I’m obsessed with travelling overland. We did this hike in peak season and did not see another hiker on the Horse Track. Wombats Platypus. The weather can be unpredictable so it is important to have this gear. Definitely worth adding to a Tassie itinerary. CRADLE MOUNTAIN CIRCUIT (12.8km, 8 hours) Start/Finish: Ronny Creek car park. One of the benefits of hiking is definitely that it can conquer your feels and make you feel physically (and metaphorically!) From Crater Falls you then find the blue sign where you originally took a right turn to hike up the Horse Track. Lookouts. I put one foot infront of the other – sometimes a meter higher than the other, and somehow heaved myself up over rocks, through narrow gaps, over boulders. From the Ronny Creek car park, we set out on the Overland Track. Wet weather gear. It is such a unique environment, I could easily spend weeks there. We have warned you anyway. Take enough water – rock climbing is thirsty work. I’m a 40 something accountant, who along with my husband, Darren, has worked hard to have a great career and be financially stable. This is a long, strenuous walk – warm clothes, wet weather gear and plenty of food and water are essential – but it is simply the best way to experience the park without embarking on the full Overland Track. But the boulders are firm, there’s always lots of things to grab onto and never any crazy drops. Looks like a beautiful hike, seems there is great hiking in Tasmania – I need to go! point of interest/building bus stop toilets lookout photo opportunity circuit walk lake road walking track marshland river or creek. See Cradle Mountain in all its glory and learn about the action of past glaciers on the landscape. Tasmania is definitely beautiful Susan and the wombats are sooo cute! Looks like so much fun. Next thing I know, I, a person who wasn’t going to go to the summit, was halfway up the mountain on my way to the summit. No trip to Tassie would be complete without exploring Cradle mountain and ofcourse, hello to my baby lazy bumbum wild wombat. As we were walking up to the summit, we passed several people who’d just ascended the mountain. Ah man, but I want a place like Kitchen Hut as a writing studio in my back yard. It is therefore important to be prepared when doing this hike. We made the decision not to climb to the Cradle Mountain summit at that point. My top advice would be to pack for all weather eventualities – Tasmania can go from hot and sunny … Start at Dove Lake Carpark then head left to start the circuit around the lake. We spent a year in Australia (left in March) and still didn’t have time for Tassie – posts like this make me want to return and visit it so much! Designed & Developed by Pix & Hue. Tassie definitely needs to be added to any Australian itinerary Loredana. Route/Trail notes. Tick Walk. It is such a beautiful place to explore and there are so many hikes for different abilities. We have reusable ponchos that cover us, our backpacks and go down to just above our knees so we stay relatively dry if it is raining. Maps. 1000m This map is provided for free by cradlemountain.net . Once you have climbed the stairs the real reason you take the Horse Track becomes apparent – the amazing views. Cradle Mountain is without a doubt one of the best hikes in Tasmania; if not one of the best in Australia. this is the hike … It is definitely a beautiful hike Katy and a great alternative if you don’t have the time to do the full Overland Track. The start of the hike is at the Dove Lake car park which is a fifteen minutes drive from the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre. We arrived at the car park at about 8am and had no problem getting a car park. But one day means you get amazing views. And I need to see a womabt in real life, cuteness. The wombats are so cute Kelsey and they seem oblivious to everyone, so it’s easy to grab photos of them. I did some of the hikes, but I found it so cold! The hut is two-stories high, allowing an upper access point, when the snow is deep. Even if hiking boots and backpacks aren't your thing, you will find it hard to resist the lure of the well-formed tracks that lead you to surprising discoveries. By the time we finished the Cradle Mountain hike we didn’t get to do the full Dove Lake hike. Haha, we would love to do the Overland Track too. You’re from such a beautiful place , Definitely adding this to my list of hikes to complete! People who are starting the Overland Track climb this section with full backpacks. I will be heading to Tasmania soon. From your cabin accommodation at Cradle Mountain Highlanders Cottages, you have an ideal base to set out on a day of bushwalking that will suit all levels, from relaxing to totally invigorating. Discover the rare beauty and diversity of Tasmania’s World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park across four wilderness-packed days. As the weather is unpredictable, it is important to dress in layers so you can adjust your clothing to how hot or cold it is. The landscape opens up and you have views up to the peak and down onto Crater Lake. Cradle Mountain, Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park: Läs recensioner av resenärer som du och se professionella bilder på Cradle Mountain i Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park, Australien på Tripadvisor. The peak can be viewed on various gentler walks, including Dove Lake Circuit, which offers some of the best scenery of the National Park or the gentler climb up to Marion’s Lookout and beyond to the Kitchen Hut, where you can see all of the fantastic lakes in the park and enjoy standing at the base of the looming mountain. Genuinely, doing something like this was HUGE for me. As soon as you arrive at the car park you will be amazed by the stunning views of the Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake. The following gear is recommended for this hike: If you are planning a trip to Tasmania, you may also find 5 Must Visit Locations on Tasmania’s East Coast useful. That hike looks amazing, and that wombat was ADORABLE! 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