Cradle Mountain: Your Top 5 Outdoor Activity Guide

Thinking about visiting Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park? You probably want to make the most of its stunning views and trails. Choosing where to start can feel like a lot, that’s almost what this guide is for. Here, we’ll get you clued into the top outdoor activities to help you discover every bit of scenic allure and excitement that makes this place worth talking about.

The park, that’s quite popular for its beautiful scenery, that stretches across a decent area of Tasmania. It really has something special for everyone who steps onto its tracks. From those really into intense hikes to people after an easy wander through nature, Cradle Mountain will greet you with open arms and lots of pure air, which might just be exactly what you need.

Ready to find the activities to get your blood pumping? Let’s go!

1. Conquer the Overland Track

The Overland Track is arguably among Australia’s well known hiking experiences, very often drawing hikers that came all over to soak it up. That nearly 65-kilometer trek, very often taking about six days, runs right through the heart of Tasmania’s pretty wildlands. If that sounds tough, trust me, what you will see and what you will feel more than make it worth every single step. You know?

Most hikers tend to start at Cradle Mountain and finish at Lake St Clair, this choice really providing you with scenery changing every single day, something that makes it feel really magical. You could just see towering mountains turn into serene forests and expansive moors that change quickly as you walk onward. It’s more or less like flipping through the pages of what could be called nature’s greatest storybook.

Preparation is indeed a big deal. Because the trail, as I was saying, can be testing. Packing the right stuff, having plenty of food, and just being generally prepared for rapidly changing weather are musts. I mean it! The Tasmanian wild isn’t your average walk that’s always filled with sunshine, so yeah be prepared!

Did you know? People just keep coming back year after year to take another shot at the Overland Track, simply to relive the moments they experienced while pushing themselves across those trails. You might just find yourself planning the next walk before the first one’s complete, honestly!

Read our full review: Overland Track Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Overland Track)

2. Summit Cradle Mountain

You can’t just think about Cradle Mountain and not have this urge to climb it. Because that peak is basically the heart of the whole park and taking it on truly dishes out views that’ll leave you speechless, basically that.

The hike is, as a matter of fact, tough, calling for a good level of fitness, to be totally honest with you. It involves clambering over huge boulders and sometimes facing pretty sharp winds, but, really, getting to the top? It feels like you have arrived on top of the list of explorers! As far as panoramas go, with these craggy rocks forming a backdrop under typically changing skies, I feel like that’s why photographers seem to like it. It’s perfect.

Set out for the summit very early. You really should, I’m saying, particularly if going in summer because the weather shifts often and quickly up there. Getting back safely is the goal, but doing it while getting to savor as much beauty as possible is the cherry on top, do you know what I mean?

Interestingly enough, Cradle Mountain tends to draw those trying to check off big milestones in their hiking lives. This just isn’t your basic “walk in the park”, really; that’s like something to remember and be proud of.

Read our full review: Cradle Mountain Summit Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Cradle Mountain Summit)

3. Explore Dove Lake Circuit

You need a more chilled out way to see stunning views? A bit shorter but great stroll you know, so try the Dove Lake Circuit. Just imagine gentle, smooth paths and all those reflections on a still lake and tell me you are not so much relaxed. So relaxing!. Really a must-do when at Cradle Mountain.

The path goes about 6 km, very frequently wraps the lake, basically displaying different angles of Cradle Mountain, very nice. You know what else is good? Because it is relatively flat, pretty much all skill levels can handle it, right?

Around the track you may just discover the famed Boat Shed, which looks amazing in pictures, as I was saying, and gives a small glance into what living in that wild country would look like, and maybe was like years ago.

Basically people share that wandering the Dove Lake Circuit just gives them a sense of connection, very intense I feel, which gives perspective on their place within nature, as I was saying, very eye opening in many ways.

Read our full review: Dove Lake Circuit Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Dove Lake Circuit)

4. Canyoning Adventures in Cradle Mountain

How about doing something very different now? Have you ever thought of giving canyoning a try within Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park? If you haven’t already, you can imagine the rush! The idea, I think, is so cool!

Imagine rappelling down tall bluffs, gliding through little pools, and taking on what appears to be nature’s aquatic park. Just a bit, some guides usually are running trips just for folks trying to spice their tour up a notch, too it’s almost why this sort of chance exists to begin with, as a matter of fact!

Of course, these outings, too it’s almost true, all gear and guides will make sure it’s OK, but I have to say, you probably should love small bursts of activity and are alright with going somewhere unknown before trying it, just, right?

Many, when they’re going over rappels and little aquatic paths, feel that there is some part of them turning tougher or that some limitation they set to is suddenly broken and pushed so hard, they simply overcome their fear that once would feel immense or great, basically right? Anyway it’s a fantastic moment of real change and you should embrace it I think!

Read our full review: Canyoning in Cradle Mountain Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Canyoning in Cradle Mountain)

5. Wildlife Spotting

Don’t forget you need to keep the eyeballs very ready because that park is basically the spot if seeing fauna excites you! You could very easily find a wombat taking it so easy or you may catch that fast wallaby heading around, I mean those minutes might add just some spark on those hikes around Cradle Mountain.

Basically Dawn and as the sun comes down could be just gold times that I can suggest! At those times you can, usually, watch Tasmanian devils leaving their dens, or basically go spotting quolls and possums at twilight—it adds almost magic! Maybe remember to grab along one of those long-range binocs for a more detailed look from far far!

So many that just got up there very closely often share stories involving pademelons eating so nonchalantly around open green areas, which sort of emphasizes just how used to, more or less accustomed to that part feels concerning folks getting onto wild turf.

Read our full review: Wildlife Spotting Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Wildlife Spotting)

Read our full review: Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park Full Review and Details