Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park

• Dove Lake Loop Walk (one-two hours)
• Cradle Mountain Summit (six-eight hours)
• Crater Lake Circuit (two hours)
• Enchanted Walk (20 minutes)

• Overland Track and its side trips (approximately six days)

• National parks and reserves
• Preparing to walk in the outdoors
• Park entry fee and Overland Track fee
• Booking to do the Overland Track (1 November to 30 April)
• Cradle Shuttle
• Summer Ranger Program

Lake St Clair's scenic beauty is characterised by pretty coves and beaches interspersed among moraines formed by glaciers as they forced debris aside in the process of scooping out the lake bed. In total, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park covers 161,000 hectares (397,840 acres) of Tasmania's highlands.

Key Attractions of Lake St Clair:

The vegetation mix of the area is a legacy of thousands of years of burning by Aboriginal people. Wildlife is prolific, and you are likely to see wallabies and a wide variety of birds at Cynthia Bay. If you're lucky, you'll also catch sight of a platypus, echidna or wombat. In summer, rangers provide walks, talks and slide shows that are a great introduction to the ecology and cultural history of the region.

In addition to offering bushwalks and opportunities for wildlife-watching, Lake St Clair is a popular place to fish for trout. Make sure you have a fishing licence and only fish in-season (generally August to April).

Enjoy a tranquil cruise aboard the small ferry Idaclair which travels 13 kilometres (eight miles) to Narcissus Bay to pick up weary trekkers emerging from the Overland Track. If you're feeling energetic, disembark at Narcissus Bay and walk the last section of the Overland Track yourself, back to Cynthia Bay. (During the Overland Track booking period of November to April you are only permitted to walk the track from north to south.)

The drama of the region's geological history is strikingly told in the Visitor Centre at Cynthia Bay, where you can also trace the interaction between humans and the local environment.

Short Walks at Lake St Clair:

• Lake St Clair (40-90 minutes)
• Shadow Lake (four hours)
• Echo Point (20 minutes by ferry then three hours)
• Mt Rufus (seven hours)

Long Walks at Lake St Clair:

• Overland Track (approximately six days) - please note that Lake St Clair is the southern end of the Overland Track, which should be walked from north to south.

Lake St Clair Accommodation:

In addition to camp sites along the Overland Track, you can camp or stay in a hostel at Cynthia Bay. Powered sites and alpine-style huts are also available. Phone (03) 6289 1137. More accommodation, including backpacker accommodation, is available at Derwent Bridge, just outside the park boundary.

What is Near Lake St Clair:

Beyond the turnoff to Lake St Clair on the A10 from Hobart are a number of fine short walks - the Franklin River Nature Trail, Donaghys Lookout and the Nelson Falls Nature Trail.

How to Get to Lake St Clair:

There is no direct road between Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair. From Hobart, travel west along the A10 (Lyell Highway) for approximately 2.5 hours before turning right at Derwent Bridge onto the 5.5-kilometre (3.5-mile) access road to the lake. From Queenstown, Lake St Clair is a 90-minute drive along a winding section of the A10, most of it through World Heritage Area.

Related Links:

• National parks and reserves
• Preparing to walk in the outdoors
• Park entry fee and Overland Track fee
• Booking to do the Overland Track (1 November to 30 April)

Phone: 61 (0) 3 6289 1172
Fax: 61 (0) 3 6289 1227

Hobart Visitor Information Centre
20 Davey Street
Hobart
Phone: 61 (0) 3 6230 8233
Email: tasbookings@tasvisinfo.com.au

West Coast Visitor Information Centre
The Esplanade
Strahan
Phone: 61 (0) 3 6471 7622
Email: wcvibcs@westcoast.tas.gov.au