Cradle Mountain

Name: Cradle Mountain
Address: Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park, Cradle Mountain, AU

Watch · 8

Nature reserves & national parks ·Cradle Mountain

4.71.3K

#4Things to do in Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park TasmaniaTravelers' Choice 2026

Visit: 390 min

Make a plan here

Directions Bookmark

About

Cradle Mountain is a mountain in the northern part of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in western Tasmania, Australia.

More photos 11

1 / 11

Why go

The mountain rises above the glacial lakes Dove, Wilks and Crater.
The Overland Track begins here and runs 80.8 kilometres south to Lake St Clair.
Wombats are commonly seen, alongside pademelons, Tasmanian devils and echidnas.

Don't miss

Summit panoramaFrom the summit, walkers have 360-degree views of Dove Lake, Barn Bluff and Mount Ossa.Summit
Alpine vegetationAlpine and sub-alpine vegetation includes deciduous beech and button grass.Mountain area
Valley rainforestThe valleys contain temperate rainforest with myrtle beech, pandani, sassafras and King Billy pine.Valleys

History

Logging, grazing and trapping shaped the area before and during its early protection.

1827Joseph Fossey named Cradle Mountain for its resemblance to a cradle.
1860s–1950sTrappers worked in the area from the 1860s until the fur trade collapsed in the 1950s.
1863–1910sJames Smith found a large stand of King Billy pines in 1863; logging continued until the 1910s.
1910–1930Cattle and sheep grazed in Cradle Valley.
1922–1947The area became a scenic reserve in 1922, a wildlife reserve in 1927, and a national park in 1947.

Show all

1931Bert Nichols marked the Overland Track south from the mountain to Lake St Clair.

Tips for your visit Best time to visit

Tips for your visit

Allow six and a half hours for the strenuous return climb from Dove Lake car park.
The upper rocky section requires scrambling over large boulders for several hundred metres.

Best time to visit

Visitors climb Cradle Mountain throughout the year.

How to get there

CarApproach from the north on Route C132, which ends at Dove Lake.
BusTassielink buses serve Devonport and Queenstown/Strahan; McDermott’s runs to Launceston on some days.
BusA shuttle runs to the visitor centre.
ParkingRonny Creek car park, at the outflow of Lake Dove, is about eight kilometres from the park visitor centre.
BusSome private bus tours stop at the visitor centre.

Shorts

Interesting facts2

1/2

1,545 metres
Cradle Mountain rises 1,545 metres above sea level and is Tasmania’s sixth-highest mountain.
Cradle Mountain - Wikipedia
Its four named summits are Cradle Mountain, Smithies Peak, Weindorfers Tower and Little Horn.
Cradle Mountain - Wikipedia

Sources: Cradle Mountain - Wikipedia · Cradle Mountain - Wikipedia · Mont Cradle - Wikipedia · checked 3 Oct 2026

Where

Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

Where is Ronny Creek car park?

It is about eight kilometres from the park visitor centre.

Do private bus tours stop at the visitor centre?

Some private bus tours stop there.

How did Cradle Mountain get its name?

Joseph Fossey named it in 1827 for its resemblance to a gold-mining cradle.

What is unusual about Cradle Mountain’s deciduous beech?

Nothofagus gunnii is deciduous, whereas most Australian flora is evergreen.

How invme works

See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.

Join free

Reviews on invme

Comment Share