Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain's large area extends from the Great Western Tiers in the north to Derwent Bridge on the Lyell Hwy in the south and encompasses Mt Ossa, which is Tasmania's highest peak, and Australia's deepest freshwater lake, Lake St Clair.

See our detailed Cradle Mountain map.

Things to See and Do

Several walking tracks exist in Cradle Valley and Cynthia Bay with the spectacular 80.5 km Overland Track between the two regions standing out in the park and being the primary reason for bushwalkers venturing here.

The Overland Track is truly one of Australia's best bushwalks and during the summer, it is not uncommon for over a hundred people to set off on it in a single day with most trekking from north to south.

While the walking tracks have signs which are easy to follow, visitors are still advised to carry a map which can be purchased at the various visitors centres.

The Cradle Mountain visitors centre at Cradle Valley is located at the park's northern boundary on the edge of the rainforest. Rangers here can provide information on the weather, gear and safety besides scheduling free activities for educating visitors about the park.

The Lake St Clair visitors centre operates in a large building on the southern boundary of the park at Cynthia Bay. Next to it is a travel office where a range of accommodation, ferry seats and dinghies can be booked or hired.

Getting to Cradle Mountain

Bus operators such as TassieLink and Maxwell schedule regular services to Cradle Mountain from cities in Tasmania such as Launceston and Devonport. Additional services are usually run during summer or on demand.

Cradle Mountain Highlights
Nearby Destinations
Hobart	Australia's second-oldest city.
Launceston	Second-oldest city in Tasmania.