Hike Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

Cradle Mountain stands at 1545m high, making it the 5th tallest mountain in Tasmania. It is roughly a 2.5 hour drive west from Launceston and situated in the Central Highlands.

The hike can be done on the well-known Overland Track (65km, 5-6 days), or as a day trip from Dove Lake. The day trip gives the options of multiple starting and ending points, with different routes rated at different levels to take to the mountain.

To see a map of the different routes, please refer to this pdf: http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=34557.

Below focuses on a day trip from Ronny Creek (GPS: 41°38′9.45″S 145°56′56.79″E) to the summit of the mountain via Marions Lookout, then taking the Lake Rodway Track along the shelf down to Dove Lake (GPS:41°39′1.76″S 145°57′40.55″E. All up it is around an 7-8 hour trip.

Starting the trip at 870m from Ronny Creek, you make your way through stunning scenery of grasslands, walk alongside Crater Falls and upwards till you reach Marions Lookout. The lookout stands at 1200m and is just spectacular, peering over glassy Crater Lake.

From there, you make your way to the base of the mountain which starts at 1260m, then vertically climb on dolerite columns all the way to the top!! It is a steep climb and a serious workout, but well worth it.

The views from the top are magnificent and beyond compare. Even during summer you might witness some leftover snow!

On the return, be sure to take the Lake Rodway Track along the shelf overlooking Dove Lake. It can be steep at times, but the scenery won't let you down.

At the base of Dove Lake, you are able to catch the shuttle bus back to where you started.

The shuttle timetable can be found here: http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=19115.

Many people come in the hope to climb the beast, but the weather makes it tricky and some only manage to climb it third time lucky! So be sure to always check the forecast. Be warned, It can also be very windy at times.