Hiking & Walking

Yes, if the walk is inside a national park. Buy a pass online before you arrive, at a national park visitor centre or at most Visitor Information Centres. Walks outside national parks don’t need one, including Dip Falls, which sits in a regional reserve. Mole Creek caves are a separate ticket, and you only pay for the tour itself. Walk the tracks above ground in Mole Creek Karst National Park and you’ll need a pass.

Nelson Falls, Enchanted Walk and the Huon Pine Walk each take about 20 minutes. The Nut at Stanley takes one to two hours and Dove Lake at Cradle Mountain takes two to three. All are Great Short Walks. Links to each are in the Pick a walk by time section.

The Dove Lake circuit takes two to three hours and covers 6 km. It is a grade 3 walk with some steep sections, starting from the Dove Lake viewing shelter at Cradle Mountain.

The Enchanted Walk and Weindorfers Forest Walk are the gentlest options. Each takes about 20 minutes and is grade 2. Dove Lake is longer and graded 3.

More than 20 self-guided walks, from a 20 minute forest stroll to the climb to Marions Lookout. Short forest walks and boardwalks start near the visitor centre, the Dove Lake circuit takes 2 to 3 hours, and the climb to Marions Lookout is a full morning out. Longer day walks and the Overland Track start from the same valley. Pick up a map at the visitor centre and choose by how much time and energy you’ve got.

It is graded 3, which is moderate. The climb up is steep, but it is short. Allow one to two hours return. The chairlift is an option if you would rather skip the climb (fees apply).

Dip Falls at Mawbanna, Guide Falls at Ridgley near Burnie, Julius River Falls on the takayna / Tarkine Drive, Philosopher Falls near Waratah and Waratah Falls in Waratah town. Winter and spring, ideally a day or two after decent rain, is when most of them run best. By late summer a few are more of a suggestion.

Not sensibly. The track is 46 km return and most people take three to five days, staying at Lake Vera or Lake Tahune huts. A few trail runners do it in a day, and that is a different sport. The summit is 1446 m, the track is exposed to the weather and a clear day isn’t guaranteed. You’ll also need a parks pass, as it’s in Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

A waterproof jacket, warm layers, water, food and sturdy shoes, even for a short walk. The weather can change quickly, especially at Cradle Mountain. For longer walks, add a map, a first aid kit and a personal locator beacon.

Check the Parks Tasmania website for closures and alerts before you leave, or ask at a Visitor Information Centre. Tracks can close at short notice after storms or in snow.

Yes. Narawntapu National Park is about 40 minutes’ drive east of the ferry terminal. The Bird Hide Walk is 30 minutes return and Grade 1, and Archers Knob is 2 to 2.5 hours return and Grade 2. Closer in, the walk out to Mersey Bluff Lighthouse takes under half an hour and the Don River and Coles Beach loop takes an hour or so. Narawntapu needs a parks pass. Both Devonport walks are free.

Not in the national parks. Dogs aren’t allowed in Tasmania’s national parks, which rules out Cradle Mountain, Narawntapu and the rest, and that includes on a lead. Assistance dogs are the exception. Walks outside the parks are set by whoever manages the land, so check the signs or the council before you head off. A dog in the car on the way through is fine, but it stays in the car.