Cradle Mountain day walks: Dove Lake and beyond

Cradle Mountain day walks include an 8 to 10 minute boardwalk and a 6 to 8 hour summit walk. Our advice is to start with the Dove Lake circuit. The 60 Great Short Walks brochure from Discover Tasmania calls it a 6 km track and gives 2 hours of walking time. It grades the circuit Level 2, an easy walk for most fitness levels.

Fitter walkers can try Marions Lookout, which Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge (the Lodge) grades medium to hard, with some steep sections. The brochure grades the summit Level 3, the hardest grade, and warns that snow, heavy rain and cold can occur there in any month. The brochure dates from September 2009, so this guide also uses pages from Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania (PWS Tasmania, the Service).

Sources for this section: 60 Great Short Walks brochure; PWS Tasmania, Activities; Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, Walks.

The walks at a glance

The brochure grades walks from Level 1 to Level 3. Level 3 needs bush walking skill and a good level of fitness. Its tracks are likely to be steep and rough.

The brochure's times are for an unhurried but steady pace, walking only. The Lodge grades its walks easy, medium or hard, and its 3 hours is for a guided walk.

Sources for this section: 60 Great Short Walks brochure; PWS Tasmania, Activities; Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, Walks.

Easy walks for most fitness levels

The Visitor Centre Rainforest Walk is a short boardwalk through a patch of cool temperate rainforest, with views of Pencil Pine Falls. The Weindorfers Forest Walk leaves from Waldheim chalet. The Enchanted Walk starts near the road bridge over Pencil Pine Creek and passes waterfalls, pools, moorland and rainforest. The Service says the Enchanted Walk is mostly dry underfoot.

The Dove Lake circuit is longer. Start at the Dove Lake car park, take the track on the eastern (left) side of the lake and walk clockwise. It passes under Cradle Mountain and through Ballroom Forest, then returns along the western shore. The brochure notes one moderate hill, and the Service, which names the circuit the Dove Lake Loop Track, calls it a great introductory walk.

Sources for this section: PWS Tasmania, Activities; 60 Great Short Walks brochure.

Harder walks: Crater Lake, Marions Lookout, summit

The brochure grades the Crater Lake circuit Level 3, at 5.7 km and 2 hours. The circuit sits lower than many tracks around Cradle Mountain, but the brochure warns that sections can be icy and slippery, particularly in winter.

The Lodge says a reasonable degree of fitness is desirable for Marions Lookout. On a clear day, it says, the walk offers views of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake.

The summit is the longest of the brochure's four Cradle walks. The brochure says the track starts at 900 m and climbs to 1,545 m elevation. It says the route crosses large rocks and that walkers can choose from several tracks. It says to weigh the time of day, the weather and your party's fitness when you choose, and to ask visitor centre staff if in doubt.

Sources for this section: 60 Great Short Walks brochure; Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, Walks.

Pick a walk by the weather

The Service says Tasmania's alpine weather can turn from hot and sunny to sudden storms, heavy rain, sleet and snow very quickly. The brochure adds that you should carry clothing for cold and wet weather on any mountain walk of more than a 15 minute return trip.

• Clear day: our advice is to walk the Dove Lake circuit. The Service calls the view across the lake to Cradle Mountain a highlight for many visitors.
• Cloud on the mountain: the Service says highland weather often shrouds the peak in cloud. Our advice is to pick a forest walk and save the lake for a clearer day.
• Cold wind and heavy rain: the brochure calls the Crater Lake circuit a better option than the higher tracks. If you planned the summit, our advice is to switch.
• Snow or ice: the brochure says ice and snow regularly cover the summit track in winter and spring. Our advice is to leave the summit to experienced, well equipped walkers.

Check the Bureau of Meteorology forecast first.

Sources for this section: PWS Tasmania, Bushwalker's Weather; PWS Tasmania, Highlights; 60 Great Short Walks brochure.

Getting there and what to carry

The Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre is 2 km before the park entrance and opens daily from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. It sells park passes and gives information on walks. A shuttle bus runs from the centre to Dove Lake seven days a week. The Service says there is no mobile phone service in the Cradle Mountain area.

The Service's passes page, updated on 21 May 2015, lists a Cradle Mountain pass for up to 24 hours, shuttle included. The pass costs A$16.50 for an adult and A$8.25 for a child aged 5 to 17, and children under 5 go free.

The brochure sorts kit into three groups and says to carry enough water on every walk. Group A, for the Enchanted Walk, is sturdy shoes or boots, a sun hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and clothes for the weather. Group B, for the Dove Lake and Crater Lake circuits, adds a raincoat, a woollen jumper or fibrepile (fleece) jacket, and snack food and drink. Group C, for the summit, adds thermal leggings or shorts in place of cotton trousers or jeans. It also adds a warm hat and gloves, waterproof trousers, gaiters (leg covers) if you have them, lunch, a drink and a map. The Service says its short walks, including the Enchanted Walk and Dove Lake circuit, need boots, preferably gaiters, and a good map.

The brochure also says to tell a reliable person your plans and when you are safely back. It says to use the log book where there is one, to help searchers find you. Be ready, it says, to turn back or change your plans if the weather worsens or the walk is harder than expected.

Sources for this section: PWS Tasmania, Facilities; PWS Tasmania, Access; PWS Tasmania, National Parks Passes; 60 Great Short Walks brochure; PWS Tasmania, Activities.