Cradle Mountain - TAS

Cradle Mountain is the most notable feature of the Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park. The park features rugged peaks and alpine moorlands and is a part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area attracting bush walkers from all over the world. The popular Overland Track links Cradle Valley to Lake St Clair throughout a 4 - 5 day's walk from north to south although there are many short walks from Cradle Valley in the Dove Lake area. Visitors should note the extreme climate, even during the peak summer tourist season.

On average it is cloudy here on 294 days per year. Snow falls here on average 54 days a year. In 1967, it snowed on 105 days. Rain falls an average 275 days per year. And if you are lucky and it's sunny when you visit, you have arrived on one of the 32 sunny days per year. Rain, sleet, snow and driving winds can occur at any time and weather conditions can alter dramatically and quickly. Even in summer a single day can bring both burning sun and freezing cold. All walkers should be skilled and clothed to meet difficult weather conditions.

The best times for visiting the park are in Summer and Autumn when the weather is more reliable, although blizzards can still occur. Summer is ideal for viewing flowering of native plants, whilst Autumn sees berries, colourful late flowering plants, and the golden colours of the deciduous beech (fagus) leaves prior to dropping before the winter snow.

There is no direct road link through the Cradle Mountain- Lake St Clair National Park to join the two ends of the park. Visitors may most easily reach Lake St Clair via the Cradle Link Road (C132) and the Murchison and Lyell Highways (A10).

McDermotts Coaches operates a shuttle bus service on behalf of the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. The shuttle bus service operates between the Cradle Mountain Information Centre at the former airstrip to Dove Lake. The service is aimed at protecting the important values of the World Heritage Area while also preserving the visitor experience. During summer the shuttle service operates seven days a week, however during winter the service does not run. Visitors are encouraged to leave cars at the Cradle Information Centre and take the bus to Lake Dove. Visitors to Cradle Mountain are advised that a fee for the use of the shuttle service at Cradle Mountain will come into effect from the 1st November 2007.

In addition to the Daily Park Pass fee, a charge for the use of the shuttle bus service will apply. Holiday and Annual Park Pass holders will be entitled to continued free shuttle bus service use. The fees will apply subject to the following arrangements:

Park entry fees still apply;
Shuttle fees apply to “daily per vehicle” and “daily per person” passes only;
Private vehicles can access the park within the current maximum vehicle limits that apply for the Dove Lake car park;
Vehicle numbers accessing the park will be controlled by boom gates;
Vehicle weight and size limits will apply within the national park;
Vehicle limits apply to all vehicles and campervans over 5.0 metres in length; and coaches will need to transfer passengers at the Transit Terminal.

Fees for entering the Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park are covered if you have a park pass. For visitors to the State, the "Holiday Pass" (see below) provides entry to all Tasmanian National Parks for up to two months. These are available from:

National Park Visitor Centres, Tasmanian Travel Information Centres, Spirit of Tasmania, Service Tasmania Shops, Online at the Tasmania Parks & Wildlife website .