Mt Rufus Cynthia Bay Walk
- September 16, 2026
A challenging full-day circuit from Cynthia Bay to the summit of Mount Rufus, with wide views over Lake St Clair.
The Lake St Clair Short Walks Circuit is one of the best ways to experience the forests, rivers and lakeshore around Cynthia Bay without committing to one of Lake St Clair’s longer day walks. Combining the Watersmeet Walk, Platypus Bay Walk and Larmairremener tabelti, the approximately 4.7-kilometre figure-eight circuit explores cool-temperate rainforest, the meeting of the Cuvier and Hugel rivers, the shoreline of Australia’s deepest lake and the Aboriginal cultural landscape of leeawuleena / Lake St Clair. The three walks can be completed individually, but combining them creates a varied circuit of around 1.5 hours that begins and finishes near the Lake St Clair Visitor Centre at Cynthia Bay.
Location: Cynthia Bay, Lake St Clair, Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park, Central Highlands Tasmania
Distance: Approximately 4.7 km combined circuit
Time: Approximately 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate – Grade 2 and Grade 3 sections
Track Type: Figure-eight circuit combining three short walks
Walks: Watersmeet, Platypus Bay and Larmairremener tabelti
Track Surface: Formed forest tracks, boardwalk and natural surfaces with occasional roots, steps and damp sections
Best Time: Year-round; particularly attractive in calm weather when Lake St Clair reflects the surrounding mountains
The Lake St Clair Short Walks Circuit begins near the Lake St Clair Visitor Centre at Cynthia Bay. Rather than being a single named trail, the circuit combines three interconnected short walks into an approximately 4.7-kilometre figure-eight route. The walks explore different parts of the landscape around the southern end of Lake St Clair, ranging from dense rainforest and rushing rivers to peaceful lakeshore and Aboriginal cultural interpretation. Because the tracks interconnect, you can easily shorten the outing if the weather changes or if you’re travelling with younger children. For the full experience, combine Watersmeet, Platypus Bay and Larmairremener tabelti before returning to Cynthia Bay.
Watersmeet is the easiest of the three walks and provides an excellent introduction to the rainforest surrounding Lake St Clair. The track leaves Cynthia Bay and winds beneath a canopy of native forest towards the junction of the Cuvier and Hugel rivers. At Watersmeet, the two waterways come together beneath the forest before continuing towards Lake St Clair. The cool, damp environment supports ferns, mosses and rainforest vegetation, while the sound of flowing water accompanies much of the walk. Watersmeet is officially classified Grade 2, making it suitable for most walkers and families.
From the Watersmeet area, continue towards Platypus Bay on the shore of Lake St Clair. The track follows the river and forest before eventually reaching the lake, where the enclosed rainforest gives way to open views across the water. Platypus Bay is a peaceful spot to stop for a break and enjoy the mountain scenery surrounding Lake St Clair. As its name suggests, the waterways around this part of the park provide suitable habitat for platypus. Sightings are never guaranteed, but patient walkers have the best chance around quieter waterways during the early morning or late afternoon. The Platypus Bay section is classified Grade 3.
The third component of the circuit is Larmairremener tabelti, an Aboriginal cultural walk that adds an important human story to the natural landscape surrounding Lake St Clair. The name means “the path of the larmairremener people” and the walk introduces visitors to the long Aboriginal connection with the Lake St Clair area. Interpretive information along the route provides insight into how Aboriginal people lived within, travelled through and understood this landscape long before the creation of the national park. The track passes through forest and forms part of the interconnected walking network around Cynthia Bay. Larmairremener tabelti is classified Grade 3.
The meeting of the Cuvier and Hugel rivers is one of the highlights of the circuit. Both rivers drain the mountainous country surrounding Lake St Clair before joining beneath the rainforest canopy. The combination of flowing water, moss-covered forest and large ferns creates a classic Tasmanian rainforest scene. After heavy rain, the rivers become particularly impressive, although the walking tracks may also be wetter and muddier.
Reaching Platypus Bay provides a complete change of scenery. The forest opens onto the shoreline of Lake St Clair, revealing views across the water towards the surrounding mountains. On calm days, the lake can become almost perfectly still, creating beautiful reflections of the forest and mountains. The bay is a good place to pause before continuing around the circuit.
Lake St Clair is known to Tasmanian Aboriginal people as leeawuleena – “sleeping water”. At approximately 167 metres deep, it is Australia’s deepest lake and one of the defining natural features of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The lake occupies an enormous basin carved by glaciers during previous Ice Ages. Those glaciers shaped the valleys, mountains and moraines that can still be seen throughout the Lake St Clair landscape today.
The landscape around Lake St Clair has a human history extending back thousands of years. The larmairremener people travelled through and lived within the Central Highlands, developing an intimate knowledge of its mountains, waterways, plants and animals. Larmairremener tabelti provides visitors with an opportunity to consider Lake St Clair not simply as a wilderness destination but as an Aboriginal cultural landscape with a long history of occupation and connection. Take time to read the interpretive information along the track rather than treating this section simply as another route through the forest.
Much of the circuit passes through cool, damp forest typical of the Lake St Clair region. Mosses, lichens and ferns thrive beneath the canopy, while fallen logs and tree trunks support miniature gardens of rainforest plants. The sheltered environment around the Cuvier and Hugel rivers can feel particularly lush after rain. Fungi can also be abundant during the cooler and wetter months, adding splashes of colour to the forest floor.
The Lake St Clair Short Walks Circuit combines Grade 2 and Grade 3 walking tracks. Most of the route is straightforward, although the Grade 3 sections can contain natural obstacles and rougher surfaces.
Expect:
There are no substantial climbs or exposed alpine sections, making this considerably easier than Shadow Lake or Mount Rufus.
The forests, rivers and lakeshore around Cynthia Bay provide excellent habitat for native Tasmanian wildlife. Bennetts wallabies and Tasmanian pademelons are frequently encountered around the visitor area and forest margins. Wombats, echidnas and quolls also occur within the national park. The waterways provide habitat for platypus, while a variety of native birds can be heard and seen throughout the forest. Early morning and late afternoon generally provide the best opportunities for wildlife watching.
The Lake St Clair Short Walks Circuit begins at Cynthia Bay at the southern end of Lake St Clair. From Hobart, follow the A10 Lyell Highway through the Central Highlands towards Derwent Bridge. At Derwent Bridge, turn onto Lake St Clair Road (C193) and continue to the Lake St Clair Visitor Centre. The drive from Hobart takes approximately 2.5 hours. From Launceston, Lake St Clair can be reached via the Midlands and Central Highlands, with driving time also around 2.5 hours depending on the route and conditions. Parking is available at Cynthia Bay near the visitor centre.
Cynthia Bay is one of Tasmania’s better-equipped national park walking destinations.
A valid Tasmania Parks Pass is required to enter Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park.
Yes. The Lake St Clair Short Walks Circuit is one of the better family walking options in the national park. Families with younger children can simply complete the Grade 2 Watersmeet Walk, while older or more active children can continue around the complete 4.7-kilometre circuit. The rivers, rainforest, lake and chance of spotting wildlife provide plenty of interest along the way.
Cynthia Bay is the starting point for several excellent Lake St Clair walks, ranging from easy lakeside strolls to demanding mountain circuits.
The Frankland Beaches Walk is an easy 6 km return, approximately 2-hour Grade 2 walk following the eastern shoreline of Lake St Clair. The track passes through glacial moraines before reaching peaceful beaches with views towards Mount Rufus, Mount Hugel, Little Hugel, Mount Olympus and the Travellers Range.
The Echo Point Ferry & Walk combines a cruise across Lake St Clair with an approximately 11 km one-way walk back to Cynthia Bay. The Grade 3 walk takes around 3–4 hours and follows the lake through beautiful rainforest.
The Shadow Lake Circuit provides a more substantial day walk into the mountains above Lake St Clair. The 13 km, 4–5 hour Grade 4 circuit climbs around 320 metres through forest and subalpine vegetation to Shadow Lake beneath Little Hugel.
The Mount Rufus Circuit is one of the major day walks at Lake St Clair. The challenging 19 km, approximately 7-hour Grade 4 circuit climbs to the 1,416-metre summit of Mount Rufus, with extensive mountain views in clear conditions.
The famous Overland Track finishes at Cynthia Bay after crossing the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area from Cradle Mountain. The short walks around Lake St Clair provide an easy way to experience part of the landscape associated with Tasmania’s best-known multi-day bushwalk.
If you have less than an hour, Watersmeet provides the easiest introduction to the forest and rivers around Cynthia Bay. If you have around 1.5 hours, complete the entire Lake St Clair Short Walks Circuit to include Watersmeet, Platypus Bay and Larmairremener tabelti. If you have around two hours and prefer lakeside scenery, the Frankland Beaches Walk is another excellent easy option. For a longer half-day adventure, consider Echo Point or Shadow Lake.
The Lake St Clair Short Walks Circuit packs an impressive amount of variety into just 4.7 kilometres. In around 1.5 hours you can walk beneath cool rainforest, stand where the Cuvier and Hugel rivers meet, reach the shoreline of Australia’s deepest lake and learn about the long Aboriginal connection with leeawuleena and the surrounding Central Highlands. The combination of easy access, wildlife, cultural interpretation and varied scenery makes this one of the best introductions to Cradle Mountain –Lake St Clair National Park. For visitors who only have a short time at Cynthia Bay, this figure-eight circuit provides an excellent taste of what makes Lake St Clair such a special part of Tasmania.
A challenging full-day circuit from Cynthia Bay to the summit of Mount Rufus, with wide views over Lake St Clair.
A quiet lakeside walk from Cynthia Bay to a string of secluded beaches along Lake St Clair's old glacial moraines.
A half-day alpine circuit from Cynthia Bay climbing through rainforest and moorland to Shadow Lake beneath Mount Hugel.
Combine a scenic ferry ride with a rainforest walk back to Cynthia Bay along the shore of Lake St Clair.
