Cradle Mountain

Tasmania’s most famous peak

The Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park is situated just 1.5 hours away from River Bend Havens. Accessible by car, you’ll find yourself at the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, from where you’ll be able to select your journey in the park. A shuttle bus services runs frequently on a daily basis and will drop you off from the relevant starting point of your chosen trail. If you arrive in spring, you might be lucky to see native waratahs in full bloom, and you can see furry wombats padding about all year round.

We strongly advise that you prepare well before you embark on an adventure to Cradle Mountain. The Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park does require a Parks Pass, so you’ll need to acquire one of these before you enter (this applies to all of Tassie’s national parks, by the way!).

This is important for two reasons: firstly, the wilderness in Tasmania is known for its fickle nature – especially Cradle Mountain. The weather can change in a matter of hours from sunny skies ahead to a bitter snowstorm. Here’s a good guide to help you prepare.

Secondly, there are a number of trails to suit differing levels of ability and fitness. The Dove Lake Circuit boasts incredible vistas of the Cradle Mountain peaks and will take you a couple of hours to make your way around the lake. You can climb the peaks over about 8 hours on a single day trip – it’ll require some skilful hiking and scrambling to get there. Perhaps you’d like to base yourself at River Bend Havens after completing the six-day Overland Track.

Canyoning at Cradle and horse riding tours that traverse Cradle Country offer a unique experience of Tasmania’s breathtaking wilderness. The possibilities are vast.