Spectacular scenery all the way as you climb Tasmania’s iconic Cradle Mountain (1545m), and return via the Face Track and Twisted Lakes.
Climbing Cradle Mountain (1545m) is one of the best day walks in Australia, and making a circuit of it by returning along the Face Track and by the Twisted Lakes maximises your scenery. There are excellent views pretty much the whole way, including views of the mountain from various angles, of numerous lakes, and there are extensive views from the rocky summit over the northern end of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
One potential downside is the unpredictable weather, but on both occasions I’ve done this walk there have been cloudless skies, which is rather unusual in one of Tasmania’s wettest regions. We had more authentic weather a few days earlier climbing Barn Bluff, but that was fun too. The walk is justifiably popular, but not so much as to ruin the experience. The crowds really thinned as well once we set off on the return portion of the walk along the Face Track. Track notes at the end.
Cradle Mountain Circuit: The Scenery
Early-ish morning at Dove Lake, the start of the walk.
Lake Lilla Crater Lake. looking a lot different than a few days earlier when we came in overcast weather to climb Barn Bluff.
Crater Lake
Weindorphers Towers showing themselves.
Cradle Mountain from Marions Lookout.
The summit of the mountain is on the right.
Little Horn and Weindorphers Towers. The route up to the summit, (although we were returning from it here)
The route to/from the summit requires a bit of scrambling, but nothing difficult, at least in dry weather.
En route to the summit. You can just see a person up high to the right. Looking NNE here. Weindorphers Towers and The Horn viewed from behind. Barn Bluff
Distant Peaks in the Pelion Range to the south.
A picture that proved to be popular on Instagram. Barn Bluff in the distance, viewed from the summit of Cradle Mountain. The view west from the summit.
Returning back from the summit.
Sophia looking out over Lake Wilks and Dove Lake from the Face Track.
Lake Wilks and Dove Lake. Lake Wilks is actually about 150m higher than Dove Lake.
Looking back at The Horn from nearby the turn off to the Twisted Lakes.
Some of the Twisted Lakes
A wide angle on some of the Twisted Lakes.
The south-eastern end of Lake Hanson.
Interesting tree roots on the track.
Lake Hanson
Track Notes
The routes to Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff are marked except for the final ascent to Barn Bluff through rocks, but there are cairns to mark the way. The route up past Lake Lilla and Wombat Pool is picturesque, but if you’re walking all the way to Barn Bluff you might like to save some time on the way back by descending from near Marions Lookout. Cradle Mountain is a lot closer so making a circuit of Dove Lake is worthwhile.
All of the major tracks in the area are obvious and well marked, and you can pick up a map from the visitor centre, which is where you park your car and catch a frequent shuttle bus to Dove Lake. Doing a clockwise circuit will take you past Lake Lilla, Wombat Pool (or Wombat Poo as the signs often say), Marions Lookout, and then up to the summit through large boulders. Return back down and turn right at the junction to take the Face Track, and right again later to go past the picturesque Twisted Lakes and Lake Hanson, or else you can take a short cut over Hansons Peak (steeper descent). There’s various information available on the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service website.
