What It’s Like Hiking at Lake St Clair in Tasmania

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Everyone traveling to Tasmania knows of Cradle Mountain, but there’s another awesome highland destination nearby just waiting for hikers. That place is Lake St Clair, the other half of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Covering the park’s southern half, this mountain destination is even more remote and wild than its northern neighbour. Some visit the area as it’s the end point of the Overland Track in Tasmania, but there’s plenty more fun to be found hiking at Lake St Clair.

Doing as many hikes and nature walks in Tasmania was a goal of mine while temporarily living there. So even though it was winter when the opportunity arose for a Lake St Clair hike, I took it. Judging what hikes and landscapes are going to be like before going is always hard. I expected the hikes to be similar to what is available at Cradle Mountain, but I’d argue the two destinations feel quite different. Here’s what it’s like hiking in June (early winter) at wonderful, untamed Lake St Clair.

Lake Saint Clair in Winter

It’s probably worth stating at the outset that I chose a hard time of year to visit Lake St Clair. After all, this national park is way up in the highlands of Tasmania. While I was there too early in the season for snow, it was still winter.  That means that brief patches of clear weather was the best I could hope for, and cold, wet weather was to be expected.

Going in winter even affected which Lake St Clair walk I was able to do. Looking at the information on hikes I’d quite liked the idea of hiking up Mt Rufus. As one of the hardest hikes, it felt like a really good challenge, but I was quickly warned off by staff at the visitor centre. Park staff said that rain and fog would make it relatively dangerous, especially solo, and there could be no visibility at the top.

I don’t feel disappointment really for missing out on Mt Rufus though. There are so many hikes in the park I still want to do, so it just stays on the list. And despite the challenges created by the weather and season, there was one big upshot. Going in winter means there’s no one else around and you feel like you have the park to yourself. It’s a far cry from the Dove Lake Circuit at Cradle Mountain in summer that’s for sure.

Lake St Clair Short Walks

Much like at Cradle Mountain, the main thing to do at Lake St Clair is nature walking. Lake St Clair actually boasts quite a few of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks,  so you know you’re not going to run out of routes to explore. I’m not going to go into all of the possible Lake St Clair walks, just the ones I did. You can find information on other hikes, like the one to Echo Point, on the park’s website.

After arriving in the afternoon at the lake, I wanted to make the most of my visit and stretched my legs. Fortunately, there’s one group of short walks that is perfect for a relatively quick afternoon walk. This route connects three small walks that cover a 5km circuit close to the visitor centre.

From the visitor centre, the route goes out to the shore of Cynthia Bay, then crosses the confluence of two rivers, heads up to Platypus Bay, and comes back via the Larmairremener tabelti Aboriginal cultural walk. On this comfortable walk you get to spend time down by the water, enjoy a viewpoint or two, and follow a boardwalk through rainforest and fern glades.

If you’re looking for a taste of the nature and walks around Lake St Clair this is the perfect place to start. I was in a little race by the end to get back before dark as it may take a little longer than you’d expect. Still, I like it gave me a sense of the area and what I might expect on the next day’s hike.

Hiking the Shadow Lake Circuit

For my day of hiking I chose the Shadow Lake Circuit of Lake St Clair. This is one of the mid-distance hikes available and is considered a moderate hike. The Shadow Lake Circuit covers 11.5 km and is described as a 5 hour return hike, which I thought was pretty accurate. It’s the longer of the two hikes to Shadow Lake, because it follows the paths to Mt Rufus rather than going straight there.

Like most of the hikes here, it starts off easy heading clockwise around the lake. Soon enough you veer off the trail to Echo Point though and you begin your climb into the bush. Much of the early stages of this hike are dirt track, but thankfully the way is well-marked. In general, trails in Tasmania are well-marked and I was never worried about getting lost while here.

The first real milestone of this hike is when you reach the fork dividing the Mt Rufus and Shadow Lake tracks. From there you can easily see Mt Rufus on a clear day and I could even make a little snow near its summit. But I could also see the looming cloud behind it that would later in the day snub it out completely.

Quiet Time on the Trails

Turning away from the Mt Rufus track is when the scenery really starts to change. It’s there that you start to get some highland moors and a bit of breathing room free of the canopy. With the moorland you also get a lot more boardwalk, which honestly makes this is the best stretch for gentle sightseeing. The views were all the more better thanks to the weather holding out against the encroaching clouds.

You’ll know that you’re near your destination of Shadow Lake when the trail starts to even out. Just before reaching Shadow Lake you’ll re-join the Mt Rufus circuit which seems to run along a ridgeline that probably has epic scenery.

Anyway, soon enough you’ll get your first glimpse of Shadow Lake and its glassy, reflective surface. While Lake St Clair feels vast and moody, felt far more intimate, especially with the forest running right into the water.

There’s no question that the secluded calm of the place was enhanced by my total solitude. All day I’d wager I saw fewer than 10 people and I felt like I had this vast swathe of nature all to myself. Is there a greater feeling than that when hiking? I don’t think so.

Beyond Shadow Lake and Back

Upon reaching Shadow Lake after a few hours of hiking, I stopped for lunch at one of its little beaches. With very few options for food, I had bought food from the Lake St Clair Lodge before leaving.

Not quite ready to turn back yet, I decided to explore a little more. At Shadow Lake there’s a minor track that runs along the lakeshore towards Little Hugel, one of the nearby hilltops. I followed the trail as far as the next lake, Forgotten Lake, another blissfully calm lake. Despite Lake St Clair being the largest lake in the area, there are dozens of smaller ones dotting the countryside.

With the track getting increasingly challenging, I stopped there and returned to Shadow Lake. Because the hike to Shadow Lake is a circuit, the trail back to Lake St Clair is quite different. In fact, I’d say this stretch was the hardest part of the entire hike. That’s despite it being the shorter section and on the supposedly gentler trail.

Going from Shadow Lake the route is mostly down hill and with a muddy and water-logged trail in winter, you really can’t take it very fast. Interestingly, walking through the flooded trails here helped me prepare for other hikes in Tasmania, namely when I climbed Mount Roland. I guess that’s the price you pay for hiking out of season though.

Tips for Visiting Lake St Clair Tasmania

Probably the biggest hurdles in visiting this special place in Tasmania are getting there and accommodation. While Cradle is relatively easy to get to from Devonport and Launceston, Lake St Clair is a bit more remote.

Unless you’re coming from the West Coast, it’s a fair drive, with it taking over 2 hours from Hobart or Launceston. Fair warning, the Marlborough Hwy on the route with Launceston is a country dirt road full of potholes. It’s the most difficult stretch when driving north, and I can only imagine how much worse it gets later into winter.

As for Lake St Clair lodging, you have a small handful of options. The most famous Lake St Clair accommodation is Pumphouse Point, a chic boutique hotel with a healthy price tag, that definitely seems the most romantic place to stay. At the other end lies the Derwent Bridge Wilderness Hotel, which has simple rooms and an apparently good restaurant, as well as the Derwent Bridge Chalets & Studios.

However, I went the other main option, the Lake St Clair Lodge. The lodge is right next to the visitor centre by the lake, making it the easiest of the places to hike from. Accommodation, in the form of cabins and bungalows, is somewhat expensive for what amounts to mid-range facilities. But you can’t argue with the cosiness and the serene forest setting by the lake’s edge.

Did you know that Lake St Clair also offered hiking like Cradle Mountain? Have you visited yourself, and if so, where did you stay? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.