One of the greatest ways to discover and experience nature in all its Tasmanian glory is on your two feet. Call it hiking, bushwalking, or trekking, Tasmania offers over 2,800 km of walking tracks, and over 880 different walks in its national parks, conservations areas, and reserves. Take your camera, because not only is the natural beauty mind-blowing, but you will surely cross paths with some of Tasmania’s distinctive wildlife and spot its exotic endemic plants. Image thanks to Tourism Tasmania & Sarajayne Lada.
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For hikes in the Central Highlands such as Lake Sinclair, Overland Track, Mt. Field, Walls of Jerusalem and such, the best time to go is from December to April. For hikes in the east coast, the best times are from October to December and from March to April. Places such as Maria Island and the Three Capes Walk can get quite hot in January and February.
The trails in Tasmania range from quick jaunts and short walks through rainforests, to multiple-day adventures that take more than a day up to its tallest mountain. A wide range of options exist, from ascending to peaks of mountains, meandering through perfect temperate rainforest, enjoying heritage walks, coastal walks and even city walks.
Crisscrossing trails around the mountain towering over Hobart provide a magnificent view of the city. A return hike of 4 hours from Fern Tree to come across the exceptional rock formation that’s known as the Organ Pipes asks for a little climbing. From that point on, the people with cars can continue on to the rocky summit by driving, and enjoy the lookouts along the way.
This is the go-to choice for a once-in-a-lifetime multi-day walk in Tasmania. Known as one of Australia’s most sought-after hikes, this 6-day adventure with 65 km of beauty will leave you amazed. Leading you through Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park, it sure has its challenges-- day one presents a steep section with mud.
This beautiful walk around a series of delightfully different alpine lakes shows you up close the incredible power of the deep ice and snow that once covered this area. The walk also showcases some fascinating alpine vegetation, and offers walkers a good option for when low cloud and rain are lashing higher tracks.
An easy 1½ hour return walk starts near Allports Beach and meanders through coastal heath and along stunning beaches to the unmissable rock. The dramatic cleft towards the top accentuates the boulder’s scone-like appearance. While wonderful to view at any time of the day, it’s particularly spectacular when the setting sun highlights the golden rocks and the orange lichens. The walk is best done at low tide. Watch out for large waves during big seas.
Maria Island may be best known for history and wildlife, but it also has this challenging walk that offers exhilarating cliff-top and ocean views.The 11km return walk climbs from grassland, through open forest and tall woodland, to the rocky slopes and towering dolerite columns of the summit (620m). These were named Bishop and Clerk because of the resemblance to a bishop, wearing a mitre, being followed by a clergyman.
An astonishing experience and a must-see for all adventurous types. Make sure you are in reasonably good shape before embarking on this hike, there are some sections involving chain rope climbs and rock scrambles as you approach the summit. My friend and I completed the Ronny Creek - Marion's Lookout - Cradle Summit - Hansons Peak - Dove Lake Circuit yesterday and were treated to near-perfect hiking conditions.
What a majestic mountain and must-see Tasmanian attraction! The temperamental weather makes for many adventure opportunities. Over the years I've seen sunshine, rains, winds, snow and more sweep across Cradle. Always come prepared! There are plenty of ways to tailor your walking routes based on the conditions. The Dove Lake circuit is by far the easiest, but I love the view and challenge of Cradle, Marion's Lookout and Hanson's Peak. The last time I visited we were lucky to stay in Scout Hut.