Top Things to do in Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park
Top Hotels in Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park
Top 10 Things to do in Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park, Tasmania
Discover the best top things to do in Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park, Australia including Cradle Mountain, Marion's Lookout Walk, The Overland Track, Lake St. Clair, Dove Lake Circuit, Devils @ Cradle, Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery, Pencil Pine Falls and Knyvet Falls, Crater Lake Circuit, Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre.
Restaurants in Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park
1. Cradle Mountain
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,196 reviews
Reviewed By DeSignBoard_P - Melbourne, Australia
One of the most beautiful national parks in Tasmania, the Cradle Mountain National Park offers breath-taking views of the surrounding areas from numerous hiking trails spread throughout the national park. These hiking trails range from a couple of hours to a couple of days, depending on how adventurous you want to be. The most popular is the hike from Dove Lake to Marion's Lookout and back, which takes about 5 to 6 hours and includes a few difficult places to navigate. The park incurs entrance fees, either per person or per vehicle if you purchase a 24 hour or a 60 day parks pass. The 60 day parks pass would be the most economical if you are planning on visiting multiple national parks in Tasmania.
2. Marion's Lookout Walk
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 235 reviews
Reviewed By 264lynnea - Anchorage, United States
We actually stopped at Marion's lookout as part of the Overland track but the lookout hike makes a wonderful day hike as well. We started from Ronny creek in drizzle and by the time we reached Marion's lookout the sky was clearing and we got stunning views of Cradle Mtn, Dove Lake and vicinity. It's a great rest stop or place for a picnic. Families with young children can do the hike and we even witnessed a birthday party for a youngster while eating our lunch. You need a park pass but the day hike is free. Be sure to go prepared for all kinds of weather as we witnessed rapid changing weather.
3. The Overland Track
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 122 reviews
Reviewed By tessablazey - Melbourne, Australia
I just completed the guided, catered version of overland track (overnight hut accomodation) with The Tasmanian Walking Company and 12 members of my extended family including my 75 year old parents, my 15 year old teenage daughter and her 5 year old cousin, my siblings and their families. It was incredible! The landscape was wild and beautiful. Each day we experienced such interesting and diverse landscapes that varied from fog on the moors and high lakes to bright sunshine whilst swimming in local waterholes or heading up to the summit of Mt Doris through the "Japanese gardens" and up Mt Ossa. We were very grateful to be walking in the company of of three fantastically good humoured, professional and thoughtful guides, Silas, Carla and Mikael. It was a very memorable and meaningful family holiday that reconnected us and reminded us all for how precious and wonderful the natural world is.
4. Lake St. Clair
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 392 reviews
Reviewed By YoungWebster - Innisfail, Australia
We arrived in mid September to this wondrous location, missing out on witnessing snow by mere days! Nonetheless, the area is spectacular, the mountain itself (Cradle Mountain) did have traces of snow on its slopes, adding to the majesty of the place. The lake is like a mirror, reflecting Cradle Mountain in its surface.Other attractions in the area included: The Tasmanian Devil Experience, where you can witness these little fur balls of terror, being fed at nightfall in a controlled environment, the Granddaughter loved this immensely!
5. Dove Lake Circuit
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,062 reviews
Is the picturesque lake that has Cradle Mountain in the back ground, part of the Tasmanian World Heritage Wilderness Area in Tasmania.
Reviewed By Archaeobuff - Sydney, Australia
We took the shuttle to the Dove Lake Car Park and then walked 5 minutes down to the lake and around for a bit just to take in the stupendous view on a sunny day of the lake beneath craggy Cradle Mountain. They are building a huge lookout at the end of the car park which should give an even better view.
6. Devils @ Cradle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 928 reviews
Devils@Cradle is a unique Tasmanian conservation sanctuary located at the entrance to the spectacular World Heritage listed Cradle Mountain National Park. Whilst we concentrate primarily on the Tasmanian devil, the sanctuary is also home to the closely related Spotted-tail and Eastern quolls. Tasmania’s three largest carnivorous marsupials are all now threatened in one way or another in the wild. Visitors to the sanctuary can view these animals from the comfort of the visitor centre, wander through the sanctuary at their leisure, or join a personalised guided tour which ensures a close up encounter with our animals. Your visit will provide an insight into the daily operation of a working conservation facility for one of the world’s iconic animals, knowing your ticket fee is contributing to our conservation of these species.
Reviewed By Kangaroo_Tom
If you are travelling through the Cradle Mountain Area, you are most likely interested in nature and wildlife anyway, so a visit at the Devils should be on your list, too. Even if you are (like me) lucky enough to have seen some devils in the wild before, there is a lot to see and to learn about them here. And of course some Devils to watch. This is more like a breeding centre, where visitors are allowed to watch and learn. Breeding-centre in terms of establishing an insurance population of the Devils, which are critically endangered by DFTD. Do not expect free roaming roos or Pademelons roaming around to feed, or a kids playground or anything like that. What you can see (and learn about) are mostly Tasmanian Devils. There are also some quolls (both eastern and spotted tail) and Wombats around, but that´s about it regarding wildlife diversity here. As its name is telling: it´s a Devils centre. I can highly recommend the guided tours here: You will have a video-introduction followed by a keeper-guided tour where you will be able to see Devils and Quolls up-close, and the experienced keepers will teach you interesting facts about feeding, breeding, and social behaviour. Of course they will also patiently answer all your questions. What i liked most is, that the Devils live in very accurate enclosures, that are really very close to their natural environment and very reasonable in size as well. But that also means, that they might be hiding or roaming around in these big enclosures, so bring a little patience. But you will hear them all the time, that´s for sure..:). The enclosures have diffrent occupants, mating-couples here, youngsters there, and so on, to keep the level of aggressive-interacting as low as possible. There is also a little souvenir-shop where you can support the Devils when you leave. Ôverall, this was a very informative visit which i can recommend to everyone who likes to know "more" about the endangered species.
7. Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
The Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery is an immersive 12-room gallery on the fringe of the UNESCO Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Including exhibitions, a kids room, displays, film and large art installations, and extensive gift shop. It is not to be missed during a visit to Tasmania's spectacular Cradle Mountain region.
Reviewed By amitv1111 - Sydney, Australia
Some of the exhibits surprised us. We did not know there was a Tasmanian tiger exhibit and much more. Pleasantly surprised. Not to be missed if you are here.
8. Pencil Pine Falls and Knyvet Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
Reviewed By beezee2010 - Brisbane, Australia
Lovely, gentle walk. One of the easiest tracks in the park and surprisingly beautiful. We did this in conjunction with the Enchanted walk (which starts just across the road) and much preferred this component. The rainforest is simply stunning. There are parts of this walk that reminded me of a fairytale book!! This was the last walk we fit in at Cradle Mountain after doing 20km of longer trails already that day. I'm so glad we decided to make the effort!
9. Crater Lake Circuit
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By StephenSue - Canberra, Australia
Crater Lake is the other great walk at Cradle Mountain that most visitors will be easily able to manage. It’s a 3 hour circuit from Ronny Creek, though it best to cut the last section across open grassland short, and finish at Dove Lake and get the bus back from there. The track climbs steadily up to crater lake through grasslands, rainforest, past a lovely waterfall, and then peaks at the saddle above Dove and Crater Lakes. From here you ca wind back down to Dove lake, or divert up to Marions. This diversion is steep and involves a bit of a rock scramble, but is well worth it if the weather is clear. If it’s clouded in , don’t bother. Beware, there are no facilities anywhere on this walk until the Dove Lake bus drop off.
10. Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 320 reviews
Reviewed By sallyhG7591QH
The visitor information centre is huge and has a booking ticket section and then a gift shop section. The lady at the booking office was very friendly and helpful with all the different walks you could do at cradle mountain, you do have to book to get on the bus which takes you to dove lake at cradle mountain, if you have a parks pass it's free. Our bus driver TW on the way up was very informative and funny telling stories and making the bus laugh espicially his joke regarding the black bands on the white reflector poles that it was a sign of respect as one got knocked over last week ???????????????? my 10 year old son is still laughing about it.
