The ultimate travel guide toCradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is a four-hour drive from Hobart and a two-hour drive from Launceston. To get to Cradle Mountain itself, you’ll need to park at Dove Lake, Ronny Creek, Waldheim or the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and Transit Terminal and either start the walk from there or take the Dove Lake Shuttle Bus, included in the park entrance fee.

The best time to visit Cradle Mountain is from December to March when the area experiences the least amount of rainfall. The average temperature in summer is roughly 18 degrees Celsius. And while the average temperature is 7 degrees in winter, at night, they can drop to below zero. Snow is common from July to September, particularly at the mountaintops where the chillier temperature means it sticks to the ground.

If you’re craving a holiday spent in the Tasmanian wilderness, there are many things to do in Cradle Mountain that fit the bill. It’s no secret that Cradle Mountain is a bushwalker’s paradise. One of the best features of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is its sheer amount of hikes – there’s one to suit every fitness level. We’ve written a guide to the most incredible walks in Cradle Mountain to help you narrow down your options. Special mention to the Overland Track; the show-stealer takes six days to hike and stretches 65 kilometres from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. With so many ways to experience it, we’ve also got a guide that tells you everything you need to know about the Overland Track.

Not keen on walking trails? Here are the top things to do in Cradle Mountain (that aren’t hiking). Horseback riding, canyoning, and a scenic helicopter ride that takes in the jaw-dropping beauty of Cradle Mountain from the air are just a few of the more adventurous activities that have made our list. There are also many indulgent experiences if you just want to bliss out in nature at a spa. And don’t miss out on the chance to see the endangered Tasmanian devils and their closely related spotted-tail and eastern quolls.

From luxury lodges to quirky hotels and cosy cabins, there’s a Cradle Mountain accommodation to suit every style of travel – you just need to know where to look. With no actual town in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, you’ll find hotels, lodges and cabins scattered in and around it. There are even a number of magical spots to go camping within Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park if you really want to immerse yourself in the remote wilderness of Cradle Mountain. On the other end of the spectrum, find luxury spa retreats and resorts hidden up high and surrounded by towering trees. Find all this and more in our guide to the dreamiest accommodation in Cradle Mountain for you to choose from.

If you’re staying in one of Cradle Mountain’s many self-contained apartments, take advantage of its kitchen facilities by doing a food shop in the towns of Wynyard, Somerset or Devonport beforehand. Most of the dining spots at Cradle Mountain can be found inside the lodges and resorts, but we’ve written about our top Cradle Mountain restaurant picks to give you an easy guide to reference when hunger strikes while visiting this rugged wilderness in northwest Tasmania.

While Cradle Mountain’s walks can be undertaken on your own, many of them can be done on a guided tour. Cradle Mountain Tours has half-day and full-day tours of the park, departing from Launceston. McDermott’s Coaches also has tours leaving from Launceston. Book its two-day Cradle Mountain Experience, which includes its Night Spotting Tour, when you can get up close and personal with the area’s nocturnal wildlife. Cradle Mountain Helicopters, next to Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, organises scenic flights ranging from 10 minutes to 100 and transfer flights to other parts of Tasmania.