20 Best Walks in Tasmania: The Ultimate Hiker’s Guide

Last Updated on 30 July 2026 by Rob

Tasmania crams more world-class walking into a small island than anywhere else in the country. We spent more than 3 months looping the state in our hybrid caravan, unhitching near trailheads from Stanley to Strathgordon, lacing up boots in alpine sleet, dolerite scree and dripping rainforest. This isn’t a list scraped from a search engine. These are 20 of the best walks in Tasmania we actually completed, ranked from a flat boardwalk stroll to a 65 km alpine traverse.

A hiker exploring a lush, moss-draped cool temperate rainforest track, representing the scenic day walks and hikes available across Tasmania.

If you’re planning a Tassie lap and looking for the best day hikes Tasmania has to offer, plus a couple of overnight commitments worth carrying a pack for, this guide is built for boots-on-the-ground decision making. We’ll walk you through the terrain, the time on track, what surprised us and what we’d do differently next time. For an island-wide picture, our Tasmania Road Trip Guide covers how to string these walks together.

At the bottom of the page is an interactive map showing the location of each walk.

Strap in. We’re starting with the easy stuff and finishing six days deep in the Central Highlands.

1. Russell, Horseshoe and Lady Barron Falls (Mount Field National Park)

  • Distance: 6 km loop
  • Time: 2 – 2.5 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Easy. Sealed path, boardwalk and graded gravel with one staircase
A lush, green view of Horseshoe Falls in Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, framed by ancient tree ferns and moss-covered rainforest vegetation.
Horseshoe Falls is a must-see feature in the Mount Field National Park

Our Take and Practical Tip: This is the easiest big-payoff walk on the list and a perfect leg-stretcher after a few days in the rig. We walked the circuit anticlockwise from the visitor centre, hitting Russell Falls first while everyone else was still milling around the car park. The track to Russell is a wheelchair-friendly, sealed path that then pinches up a short staircase to Horseshoe Falls before threading through the Tall Trees and dropping to Lady Barron. Three completely different waterfalls in a single morning, no mud, no scramble. If you’re camped at the Mount Field National Park Campground, you can walk straight from your van. Park pass needed. Take a headlamp if you fancy the glow worms at dusk.

We loved this park so much that it got on our 31 Top Attractions in Tasmania list.

2. Philosopher Falls (West Coast)

  • Distance: 3.4 km return
  • Time: 1.5 – 2 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Easy. Compact dirt track with a metal staircase at the lookout
A vertical view of the multi-tiered Philosopher Falls cascading through dense, lush green rainforest and ancient tree ferns in the Tarkine wilderness, Tasmania.
The magic of Philosopher Falls

Our Take and Practical Tip: Philosopher Falls is down a forestry road at the Waratah end of the Tarkine. We pulled in mid-week and had the entire walk to ourselves. The track is gently graded through moss-coated myrtle and sassafras until you reach the steel viewing platform, which juts from a vertical drop and gives you a side-on look at the falls. The metal stairs are the only thing that lifts the heart rate. We did this on a wet, grey afternoon, and that’s the way to do it: the rainforest comes alive when it’s drizzling.

3. Dove Lake Circuit (Cradle Mountain)

  • Distance: 6 km loop
  • Time: 2 – 3 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Easy. Boardwalk and compact gravel the whole way
Split view of a rainforest boardwalk and a close-up of Fagus leaves turning yellow in Cradle Mountain National Park.
To the left is the Dove Lake Track in the rain forest and on the right a closeup of a Fagus changing colour

Our Take and Practical Tip: The famous reflection shot without the summit pain. The Dove Lake Circuit is engineered well: half boardwalk, half graded gravel and almost completely flat. The view of Cradle Mountain from the boatshed end is the postcard you’ve seen a hundred times, and it earns the hype. We started early to beat the shuttle bus crowd; by 9 am the lakeside boardwalks were busy. You can’t drive a van into Dove Lake (private vehicles aren’t permitted past the visitor centre after 8 am), so park up, take the shuttle and walk. More on the park in our Cradle Mountain National Park guide.

4. The Nut Summit Walk (Stanley)

  • Distance: 2.7 km total (430 m climb up the Zig Zag Track, 2 km loop on top)
  • Time: 1.5 hours, including the loop
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Easy distance, brutal initial climb. Sealed concrete on the Zig Zag, flat gravel and dirt around the rim
A wide-angle landscape view of The Nut, a massive flat-topped volcanic plug, rising above the turquoise waters of Bass Strait on a clear sunny day. The historic village of Stanley sits nestled at its base, viewed from the elevated green pastures near Highfield Historic Site. It is a fitting end of a Launceston or Devonport road trip.
The Nut and Stanley taken from a spot not far from the Highfield Historic Site.

Our Take and Practical Tip: Stanley’s volcanic plug looks innocent from the bakery across the road. The first 15 minutes will test you. The Zig Zag Track is a sealed concrete ramp that climbs the full 143 m at what feels like a 30 percent gradient, no switchbacks worth mentioning, no mercy. Take your time, stop when your calves bark. The reward is the Summit Loop: a flat 2 km circuit hugging the rim of the plateau with four lookout platforms swinging through 360 degrees. We walked it anticlockwise so the Bass Strait views opened up first, then back around past Stanley sitting directly below and the patchwork farmland stretching inland toward Rocky Cape. Short-tailed shearwaters nest in burrows beside the track, so stay on the trail. If your knees aren’t keen on the descent, the chairlift runs most of the year. We did the whole thing in around 90 minutes, including lookout time. We were camped at the Stanley Recreational Campground. For more on this end of the state, see our Launceston to Stanley Road Trip.

5. Wineglass Bay Lookout (Freycinet National Park)

  • Distance: 2.6 km return
  • Time: 1 – 1.5 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Easy to Moderate. Constructed stone steps for the entire climb
The iconic Wineglass Bay lookout view on Tasmania's East Coast, showing the white sand beach and azure ocean during a sunny day on the Great Eastern Drive.
The beautiful Wineglass bay. The walk up from the carpark is well rewarded.

Our Take and Practical Tip: The iconic Freycinet view requires steady stair climbing rather than technical hiking. The track is professionally constructed from start to finish, hundreds of stone steps zig-zagging up the saddle between Mt Amos and Mt Mayson. We knocked it out before breakfast and were back at the van by 9 am, which is the play here: by mid-morning the car park is overflowing and the lookout platform is shoulder-to-shoulder. If you want the full circuit down to the beach, allow 4 – 5 hours return. We camped at Freycinet Golf Club Campground in Coles Bay, ten minutes from the trailhead.

6. South Cape Bay Track

  • Distance: 15.4 km return
  • Time: 4 – 5 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Easy to Moderate due to length. Boardwalk and packed dirt with some boggy patches
The rugged coastline of South Cape Bay at the southern tip of Tasmania, showing the Southern Ocean meeting the cliffs at the end of the South Cape Bay track.
A photo of the southern most tip of Tasmania at the end of the South Cape Bay Track. Unfortunately there are no tracks going to it.

Our Take and Practical Tip: The southernmost mainland walk in Australia and once are there, the only thing between you and Antarctica is open ocean. The track starts at Cockle Creek and is largely flat: long stretches of boardwalk through button grass, then dirt across heathland. The final descent through coastal forest opens to reveal the southern-most part of Tasmania. We’ve never felt further from anything. There’s no shade and no water, so carry at least 2 litres each. The drive in from Hobart is long but sealed, and the campground at Gilliams Beach is rustic and free. This is genuinely remote walking; don’t underestimate it.

7. Labillardiere Circuit (Bruny Island)

  • Distance: 18 km loop
  • Time: 6 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Easy to Moderate due to length. Mostly flat, with sandy and rooty sections
Coastal heath and native vegetation looking out over the blue waters and rugged coastline of the Labillardiere Circuit on Bruny Island, Tasmania.
The view from the Labillardiere Circuit walk

Our Take and Practical Tip: South Bruny’s coastal heath loop is one of the most underrated walks in Tasmania, and we had it almost entirely to ourselves on a sunny weekday in March. The track follows the coastline through low banksia and tea tree, dropping onto small white-sand beaches that you can detour down for a swim. Keep eyes peeled for the elusive white wallaby; we saw one. The track is flat but the kilometres add up, so eat properly before you start. If you camp at Jetty Beach, you can walk from camp. For the wider region, see our Southern Tasmania and Bruny Island guide.

8. Cape Hauy (Tasman National Park)

  • Distance: 9.4 km return
  • Time: 4 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Moderate. Stone steps, lots of them, both ways
A dramatic vertical dolerite sea stack known as the Totem Pole, standing tall in the turquoise ocean at Cape Hauy on the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania.
The Totem Pole at Cape Hauy

Our Take and Practical Tip: Cape Hauy is part of the Three Capes Track, and the stonework is staggering. Thousands of cut steps climb from Fortescue Bay, drop into a saddle, then climb again to the cape itself. Your quads will be smashed on the way in, and your knees on the way back. The payoff is The Totem Pole and The Candlestick: two slender dolerite sea stacks that climbers from around the world come to scale. We sat on the cliff edge eating sandwiches and watching the seabirds wheel below us. Start from Fortescue Bay, where you can also overnight in the rig at the parks campground. The Nubeena Ex-Servicemen’s Club Campground is a solid base if Fortescue is full.

9. Cape Raoul (Tasman National Park)

  • Distance: 14 km return
  • Time: 5 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Moderate. Well-graded dirt with undulating sections
Wide-angle view of the vertical dolerite columns at Cape Raoul, Tasmania, showing the sheer cliffs dropping into the churning blue Southern Ocean under a cloudy sky.
The dolerite cliffs of Cape Raoul.

Our Take and Practical Tip: If Cape Hauy is a stair workout, Cape Raoul is a long, undulating walk through coastal heath with one of the most jaw-dropping payoffs in Tasmania. The track climbs gently, levels out across the plateau, then drops you onto a clifftop overlooking a row of dolerite columns plunging straight into the Southern Ocean from 300 m up. We watched a seal colony lounging on the rocks far below. The track is well graded throughout, and the navigation is straightforward. Take a windproof layer; the cape is exposed, and we’ve been there in 50 km/h gusts that made the cliff edge a serious place to be careful.

10. Bell Mountain (Moina)

  • Distance: 900 m return
  • Time: 1 hour
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Moderate. Rough dirt track with loose rock and tree roots
Looking towards Lake Gairdner from Bell Mountain summit, a scenic stop on the drive to the West Coast Tasmanian wilderness
The view from Bell Mountain. Lake Gairdner can be see to the far left in the middle of the frame

Our Take and Practical Tip: Bell Mountain is the kind of walk you find when you stop chasing the famous tracks. Short, sharp, almost no one on it and the summit gives you a 360-degree view over the Central Highlands. The track is steep, and it can be slippery on the way down. Good boots make this one easier. We hit it on a clear afternoon after a winery lunch, and the views at golden hour made every step worth it.

11. Tarn Shelf (Mount Field National Park)

  • Distance: 12 km return (from Lake Dobson)
  • Time: 5 – 6 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Moderate. Rocky alpine track, fully exposed, boardwalk in the tarn shelf section
A still alpine tarn on the Tarn Shelf in Mount Field National Park, perfectly reflecting the surrounding rocks, vegetation, and the stark skeletons of weathered dead pencil pines.
The Tarn Shelf is a place of incredible stillness when the wind drops. These mirror reflections are common on a clear morning, but the skeletal trees are a reminder of just how wild the alpine weather can get up here.

Our Take and Practical Tip: Drive up the gravel road to Lake Dobson (slow, but car-sized, no caravans), then walk. This is Mount Field’s other half: the alpine half. The track climbs through pandani groves and skeletal snow gums to the Tarn Shelf itself, a string of glacial lakes laid out like polished mirrors. We did it in late April when the fagus was turning gold, and that’s the best time to do it if you can. The weather changes fast up here. We’ve seen sun, sleet and fog in two hours. Take a fleece, a shell, food and a map. Photographers, this one is gold.

12. The Needles (West Coast)

  • Distance: 2.9 km return
  • Time: 2 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Moderate to Hard. Very steep start, rough narrow ridge track
Rugged alpine ridge track and rocky spires on the way up to the summit of The Needles, looking out over the Southwest National Park wilderness in Tasmania.

Our Take and Practical Tip: The Needles starts honestly: what appears to be a near-vertical climb from the road that gets the lungs working hard inside the first ten minutes. Once you crest onto the ridge it eases off, but you’re walking a narrow rough track with drop-offs either side and stunning views into the south-west wilderness. The summit gives you a panorama across some of the most remote country in the state, the kind of view that makes you understand why people fight to keep this wilderness wild. Take poles for the descent; loose dirt and tired legs are a bad combo. We did this on a day trip from Mount Field National Park when visiting the Gordon Dam.

13. Mount Field East (Mount Field National Park)

  • Distance: 10 km loop
  • Time: 4 – 5 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Moderate to Hard. Rocky sections, boulder fields and boggy stretches
Narrow timber duckboard track weaving through low alpine heath and button grass plains toward the summit of Mount Field East in Mount Field National Park, Tasmania.
The track is significantly easier than previously due to duckboard.

Our Take and Practical Tip: While everyone heads for the Tarn Shelf on the western side, we walked east and saw no one all day. The track climbs through pandani forest past Lake Nicholls and onto open moorland. There are boulder fields where the track briefly disappears, marked by cairns: keep your eyes up and don’t lose the line. The duckboard after the summit is a welcome relief. This is the quiet side of Mount Field, and it’s all the better for it.

14. Hartz Peak (Hartz Mountains National Park)

  • Distance: 7.4 km return
  • Time: 3 – 5 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Moderate to Hard. Boardwalk early, rough alpine rock late, scramble at the summit
A woman hiker, Muay, heavily layered in cold-weather gear, walking through the misty and wet wilderness of Hartz Mountains National Park, Tasmania.
In Hartz National Park you can expect bad weather. It was cold (about 4 degrees) when we started walking and this was in January.

Our Take and Practical Tip: Hartz Peak is the closest you’ll get to genuine south-west wilderness on a day walk. The first half is boardwalk across button grass plains; the second half changes character entirely as the track climbs onto alpine rock with a short scramble to the cairn at 1255 m. From the top, you look out across Federation Peak and the Western Arthurs, a country that takes a week of hard walking to reach on foot. We got pinned at the saddle by a fast-moving rain squall and had to wait it out before pushing for the summit. This is real alpine walking; treat the weather seriously. The road in is gravel but suitable for 2WD vehicles.

15. Bishop and Clerk (Maria Island)

  • Distance: 11 km return
  • Time: 4 – 5 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Moderate to Hard. Easy approach, finishes in loose scree and a boulder scramble
Panoramic view from the rocky summit of Bishop and Clerk on Maria Island, looking out over a rugged, forested coastline and the deep blue ocean under a bright, partly cloudy sky. In the foreground, large dolerite columns and boulders overlook a dense canopy of green native vegetation, while the distant coastline curves toward the horizon.
The view over Maria Island from the summit of Bishop and Clerk.

Our Take and Practical Tip: Maria Island is a ferry day-trip from Triabunna and Bishop and Clerk is the headline walk. The first 8 km are easy: forest road past wallabies, wombats and Cape Barren geese that barely look up at you. Then the track tilts skyward through low forest and breaks out into a scree slope of grapefruit-sized rocks. The final scramble is a Class 2 rock scramble between massive boulders before reaching the summit with the Tasman Sea on three sides. Pack lunch; you’ll want to sit up there. Time the ferry carefully; missing the last boat means a night you didn’t plan for. No vehicles on the island, just walkers, cyclists and wildlife.

16. Mount Roland (Sheffield)

  • Distance: 16 km return (Roland Track from O’Neills Road, Gowrie Park)
  • Time: 4 – 6 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Moderate to Hard. Wide access track to start, scramble through the central valley, then rocky alpine track with intermittent boardwalk and a final boulder scramble
Muay showing off the expansive 360-degree views of the Kentish plains and Bass Strait from the summit of Mt Roland, Sheffield, Tasmania.
The view from the top of Mt Roland

Our Take and Practical Tip: Mount Roland looms over Sheffield like a sleeping animal and there are three ways up it. The Face Track from Kings Road is the short, brutal option and Parks Tasmania doesn’t recommend it for good reason. The Roland Track from O’Neills Road at Gowrie Park is the proper way to do this mountain: longer, steadier and properly graded for the most part. The first hour follows a wide access road through eucalypt forest before the track narrows, crosses a small creek and climbs sharply through the central valley to the saddle at around 900 m. From there it’s a different walk entirely: an intermittent duckboard across the back side of the mountain with views opening out to the south, gradually replaced by a rocky trail to the trig point at 1234 m. The final scramble over the Jurassic dolerite boulders is short but uses all four limbs. The summit gives you 360 degrees of payoff: Cradle Mountain, Barn Bluff, Bass Strait and the Western Tiers stretched out below. The drive in finishes on the unsealed O’Neills Road (1 km of gravel after Gowrie Park, fine for any vehicle). Take poles for the descent and don’t underestimate the time. Our base for this one was Sheffield Campground, right under the mountain. For more on the area, see our Sheffield Tasmania guide.

17. Mount Murchison (West Coast)

  • Distance: 6 km return
  • Time: 4 – 6 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Hard. Very steep, hands-and-knees scrambling on exposed rock and roots. This is for experienced walkers only.
Hiking the rugged Mt Murchison track in West Coast Tasmania. The photo shows the steep, rocky terrain and panoramic wilderness views that experienced hikers can expect on this challenging trail.
Muay tackling a rocky ledge on Mt Murchison

Our Take and Practical Tip: Mount Murchison is the highest peak on the west coast at 1275 m and it does not give up the summit easily. The first kilometre lulls you into thinking it’s a normal track. Then the gradient ratchets up and stays vertical for the next three kilometres. There are root climbs, hand-over-hand scrambles up wet rock and a final exposed alpine plateau where the wind hits you sideways. We’ve done plenty of harder mountains on paper, but Murchison kicks above its weight. The west coast weather is brutal; we had hail at the summit in mid-summer. Take wet-weather gear, food, a head torch and don’t start late. We camped at Lake Mackintosh Campground near Tullah, ten minutes from the trailhead. More on this coast in our West Coast Tasmania Road Trip.

18. Cradle Mountain Summit

  • Distance: 12.8 km return (via Marions Lookout)
  • Time: 8 hours
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Hard. Boardwalk and gravel give way to a heavy, exposed boulder field
Hiker celebrating at the summit of Cradle Mountain with arms raised overlooking the Tasmanian Wilderness.
The ultimate reward. Muay at the 1,545-meter summit of Cradle Mountain. It’s a tough scramble to get here, but the 360-degree views are something you’ll never forget.

Our Take and Practical Tip: The image you’ve had on a screensaver for years, earned on foot. The route from Dove Lake climbs to Marion’s Lookout (which alone is a satisfying half-day), traverses Cradle Plateau, then turns serious at the foot of the summit pyramid. The final 500 m is car-sized dolerite boulders, no track, just orange dots painted on rocks. You scramble using all four limbs, and the route-finding matters more than the fitness. We turned back once in 70 km/h winds before nailing it on a calm day a week later. Don’t push it in bad weather; people get into trouble up here every season. Park entry pass required. Allow a full day with daylight to spare.

19. Walls of Jerusalem (Central Highlands)

  • Distance: 23 km circuit (plus side trips)
  • Time: 2 – 3 days minimum
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Hard. Overnight pack, steady rocky ascent, alpine plateau navigation
A bright yellow tent pitched on a raised timber and mesh camping platform at Dixons Kingdom campground, surrounded by ancient pencil pine trees and rugged dolerite peaks in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, Tasmania.
Camping at Dixon Kingdom

Our Take and Practical Tip: The Walls is the first walk on this list that demands an overnight pack, and it’s the reward for stepping up to multi-day. The climb to Trapper’s Hut is the hardest physical workout. Once you are on the plateau, the country opens out into an alpine basin ringed by biblically-named peaks (King Davids Peak, The Temple, Solomons Throne) and dotted with thousand-year-old pencil pines and shimmering tarns. We camped at Wild Dog Creek and took a layover day to summit the surrounding peaks. There’s no fee, no hut booking, no shuttle bus. Just you, a pack, weather that can flip in an hour and one of the most beautiful corners of Australia. Fuel-stove only, no fires above the treeline. You must book for this walk.

20. Overland Track (Central Highlands)

  • Distance: 65 km one way (plus side trips)
  • Time: 6+ days
  • Difficulty Underfoot: Hard. Mud, tree roots, alpine rock and exposed weather across the full length
A hiker viewed from behind, looking out over a vast, sun-drenched alpine landscape on the Overland Track, capturing a rare clear day in Tasmania's wilderness.
Rob admiring the view while on the Overland Track. This was the only sunny day we had on the walk.

Our Take and Practical Tip: Australia’s most famous walk earns its reputation. The Overland runs from Ronny Creek at Cradle Mountain to Narcissus at Lake St Clair, traversing alpine plateau, button grass plains, eucalypt forest and some of the muddiest single-track in the country. The huts are first-come, first-served, and you are required to carry a tent and a GPS. You need a booking via Parks Tasmania for the October to May walking season, and you need to book as soon as possible. A comprehensive multi-day pack is required: stove, tent, sleeping bag rated to zero, four-season wet-weather gear. The 6-day commitment is the point. Coming back to the rig at the end felt like reaching civilisation after an expedition.

Best Walks in Tasmania Map

Before You Lace Up: Practical Notes

A few things we learned the hard way that will save you grief:

  • Park passes: A Tasmania Parks Pass is mandatory for most of these walks. A holiday pass covers all parks for 8 weeks and pays for itself fast.
  • Register on the harder ones: The summit walks, multi-day walks and remote tracks have logbooks at the trailhead. Sign in, sign out. Always.
  • Weather changes fast: Tasmania’s alpine country can throw four seasons at you in a day. Take a shell, a fleece, food and water on every walk above 1000 m, even if it’s sunny at the car park. We had snow on our first day.
  • Leave no trace: Pack out what you pack in, bury waste 100 m from water and stick to the track. The fagus, cushion plants and pencil pines you’re walking past are sometimes a thousand years old.
  • Boots, not runners: Most of these walks have rocky sections that will chew up trail runners. Boots with ankle support and decent tread make a real difference past Walk 10.

Tasmania rewards small-rig nomads with access. While the big caravans circle the same powered sites, you can park a hybrid at a quiet forestry camp and walk straight onto half the tracks on this list. If you’re planning your lap, the Tasmania Road Trip Guide stitches together how we worked these walks into a full state circuit and the Spirit of Tasmania Guide covers getting your rig across Bass Strait.

Get out there. Boots laced, pack on, signed in. The best walks in Tasmania aren’t read about. They’re walked.

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Rob
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Rob

Lead content creator and veteran overlander behind Road Trip Nomads. Having completed a full 47,500-kilometre lap of Australia towing an off-road hybrid caravan, Rob provides first-hand, un-sponsored guides to remote itineraries, off-grid 12V electrical systems, and regional campgrounds. Combining a 20-year technical background in critical industrial sensors with a passion for remote travel and astrophotography, he delivers practical, field-tested advice for self-sufficient regional exploration.

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