Welcome to your one-stop shop guide for hiking in Tassie! Includes a map with notes, routes and hiking tips, necessary passes and permits, and safety guidance. This guide features our own images and shows you exactly what you can expect at each of these epic hiking spots. 

Bonus content: packing guide with all our must-haves for epic hiking adventures. 

These hikes make up just part of our Tassie adventure, see our full guide here for restaurants, hotels, and where else to explore on the island!

Cradle Mountain TAS, Australia

Mount Wellington, Wellington Park TAS, Australia

Tasmania, Australia

Bay of Fires Conservation Area, The Gardens TAS, Australia

Wineglass Bay, Australia

Freycinet National Park, Coles Bay Rd, Coles Bay TAS, Australia

Epic day hikes in Tasmania

Ever wanted to feel like you were in Lord of the Rings? Well look no further than Mount Wellington where you'll be scrambling over rocks, clambering up steep inclines and traversing open planes of land. 

A pretty intensive straight up straight down 10km hike, this mountain feels never ending with its incline. Many tourists tend to drive to the top where there is ample parking and an accessible walkway across the main viewing platforms. However, those that can brave the hike will see the view across Hobart from different spots, and far away from the crowds. Park up at The Springs Car Park, take Pinnacle Track and Zig Zag Track all the way to the top.  

Typically a 4 day, 3 night hike that takes you 48km from the Port Arthur Historic Site to the edge of the world at The Blade, and all the way around to Cape Huay. This is a challenging hike, but spread across the 4 days it's very manageable with relative fitness.

To preserve the lands and protect natural habitats, Tasmania has limited the number of people that can do the full trek to 48 per day, to complete the official 4 day trek, tickets can be purchased through the Tasmania National Parks Website for $600 per adult. 

The 4 day trek involves staying at a series of sites dotted along the route. Some sites provide rooms and bathrooms, and others are basic campsites so trekkers will need to take all their own gear with them. We were very limited with our time, so decided to do what we could in just one day - for those wanting to do this, look at the next hike!

The main thing to be aware of when hiking in Tassie is that the weather is very changeable, make sure to pack everything from woolly hats and gloves, to swimwear. Many of the hikes have walkways and clear paths, but this is not a guarantee, wear sensible footwear with grip and traction on the soles. All the spots below have car parks right by the start of the walk, and the roads to access each of them are good and signposted. 

For all the below hikes, please remember you are walking in national parks - the areas are home to many incredible species and their natural habitats shouldn't be disturbed. Please be safe with your hikes and be up to date with animal safety - we spotted a few snakes along our route! There are a number of walks in the Southwest National Park and Franklin-Gordon Rivers Park but the roads here are much rougher and harder to get to. 

On our trip to Tasmania, we didn't have enough time to do the full Three Capes Track, instead we crammed as much into one day as we could. While we don't recommend this to all travellers, it was a fun and quick way to see the best spots along the route. We ended up hiking 40km from Fortescue Bay to the Blade and back, setting off at 8am and back down by 4pm. 

Fortescue Bay Car Park --> Cape Pillar --> The Blade --> back

The track is a little tricky to find from the car park - you need to head back down the road you drove in on, and then turn up a small side path into the forest. If you see a little hut that you walk through, you're in the right spot! From there it's a one way path all the way to Cape Pillar and the Blade, but we recommend having your location on just in case.

Accessible by a well trodden path from Freycinet National Park, this route takes you up a path to a viewing platform across the bay and then all the way down to the beach. The route is well signposted, and it's a one way up, one way down kind of path so you can't go wrong. 

Be aware that the terrain changes - parts of it are covered by a walkway, and others are effectively dirt tracks. Make sure to wear hiking shoes as there are areas of steep incline. 

Cradle Mountain is home to the famous summit walk, and a series of other hikes that will test your physical and mental endurance. These walks surround lakes, traipse through forests, and. have you scrambling up sheer rock faces. Ever been hiking in the Alps? Well these walks will make you feel like you're there!  

The walk is relatively easy, with a 1.5km incline path taking you to the viewing platform. Many tourists will stop here at the viewing platform, but for those with a bit more time we highly recommend walking another 1.5km down to Wineglass Bay. This beach is rated one of the top in the world, and with its white sand and crystal clear water, it's easy to see why! Make sure to make enough time for a good couple of hours soaking in the sun and swimming in the beautiful water. 

Please note this is a very challenging hike, and requires high levels of fitness.

There is just one small bathroom on the beach, but no other facilities so be sure to pack enough food and water for your day. 

Another Freycinet National Park hike that takes you to panoramic views across Wineglass Bay. A steep incline but well worth the scenery. Not many do this track so expect to be at one with nature - pack enough food and drink as running water is scarce in the national park. 

The well known Cradle Mountain National Park is home to a series of hikes of varying length and intensity. Park up at the tourist centre and the staff there will be happy to help figure out a route catered to your fitness and time. They may try and get you to buy a bus pass, but if you have your own vehicle there are car parks along the route to park for free - note campervans and motorhomes are not allowed on the roads in the national park. Otherwise, the buses will take you to the start of different walks, and it's just a hop-on-hop-off situation. The buses stop in the afternoon, so if you do opt for this, make sure to plan out your route so you have plenty of time to come back. 

We chose to blend a few different hikes together to maximise what we could see in one day, you can do the same thing, or just do one of each.

Crater Lake --> Cradle Mountain Summit --> Dove Lake

There is a cafe at the Visitor Centre, and large bathroom facilities - this will be your last spot to grab food for your day, although there are some very basic bathrooms dotted around the hiking routes. 

Please note many of the photos and images are our own and are subject to copyright restrictions.

This is another multi-day trek that will test the legs and the soul. Taking you across breathtaking coastline and beautiful conservation areas, you'll learn about local history and culture and will have an off-grid wildlife experience. The trip includes all accomodation, a walking guide and a kayaking adventure - you'll meet like-minded adventurers for a fun packed trip. 

While most of your items will be personal preference, here's a few of our musts for hiking trips:

- Food and snacks with lots of high energy bars

As mentioned, Tassie weather can be very unpredictable, even when we went in February the mornings were very cold, but it heated up considerably by 9 or 10am. We recommend taking a thicker down jacket, hat and gloves for the mornings that you can take off as it heats up. 

A beautiful spot found on Bruny Island, admittedly this is less of a hike and more a short stair case, but the views are still beautiful! If you do this walk at sunset, you may get the chance to see penguins coming onto the beach. 

The first thing to know is that to enter and park across the different spots in Tassie, you need a Parks Pass which can be purchased from the National Park Website at $44 for 24 hours or $89.50 for 2 months. 

National Parks Pass

For any overnight trips, please don't forget to pack your own camping gear, many of the treks are in the forests and there will be no places to stock up on any forgotten items. 

Just note that the National Park is a little tricky to get to, with just one road in and out which is more of a dirt track. Those who are hiring cars and campers should check their terms of rental as with ours we weren't permitted to drive around this area. 

Unsurprisingly, the national park has a host of different tracks to choose, from depending on your fitness and how long you have.

If you're just after a quick walk, we recommend the Nature Trail which is just a short 1km track taking you to the river. 

These stunning water falls can be found just 20 minutes down the end of a boardwalk.

A 2km track taking you up to a lovely viewing spot across the river and forest. 

For those looking for longer, multi-day treks head to Frenchmans Cap or Lake Rhona. 

Just note that the National Park is a little tricky to get to, with just one road in and out which is more of a dirt track. Those who are hiring cars and campers should check their terms of rental as with ours we weren't permitted to drive around this area.

Epic day hikes in Tasmania

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