Lake St Clair, Derwent Bridge
Sitting at the southern end of the Cradle Mountain—Lake St Clair National Park, Lake St Clair is Australia’s deepest natural freshwater lake, carved out by glaciers and ringed by ancient rainforest and highland peaks. Most visitors know it as the finishing point of the six-day Overland Track, but you don’t need multiple days off work to enjoy it — the Cynthia Bay area at the lake’s southern tip has a genuinely good spread of short and half-day walks, from a flat 45-minute stroll to a solid full-day climb with sweeping alpine views.
It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from Hobart or Launceston, and roughly the same from Strahan on the west coast, which makes it an easy stop if you’re doing a loop of the state. Throw in Nelson Falls on the drive in from the west and you’ve got a full day of walking without needing to touch the Overland Track proper.
1. Lake St Clair Circuit (Larmairremener tabelti, Watersmeet & Platypus Bay) — Cynthia Bay
This is really three linked short walks in one, starting from the Lake St Clair Visitor Centre. The Larmairremener tabelti section tells the Aboriginal history of the area, Watersmeet follows the confluence of the Cuvier and Hugel rivers through cool temperate rainforest, and the loop out to Platypus Bay gives you a good chance of spotting — you guessed it — a platypus at dawn or dusk. All flat, well-formed track, and a good option if you’re short on time or travelling with kids.
Distance: 4.7 km loop • Time: 45 min – 1.5 hours • Difficulty: Easy (Grade 2) • Dogs: Not permitted (national park)
Nearest campground: Lake St Clair Tourist Park, Cynthia Bay — a few minutes’ walk from the trailhead.
2. Shadow Lake Circuit — Cynthia Bay
A proper day walk that climbs away from the lake through three distinct forest types — highland eucalypt, sub-alpine moorland and rainforest — before reaching Shadow Lake itself, a quiet tarn tucked below the surrounding peaks. The climbing is gradual (around 270 m of elevation gain spread over the whole loop) but the distance and changeable weather up top mean it’s a bigger undertaking than the lakeside walks. Good boots and a rain jacket are worth carrying regardless of the forecast.
Distance: 13 km loop • Time: 4–5 hours • Difficulty: Moderate–hard (Grade 3–4) • Dogs: Not permitted (national park)
Nearest campground: Lake St Clair Tourist Park, Cynthia Bay.
3. Mt Rufus Walk Cynthia Bay
The pick of the walks here if you want real alpine views without joining the Overland Track. The track climbs steadily to open, exposed country with panoramas across Lake St Clair to Mt Olympus, Frenchmans Cap and the headwaters of the Franklin River. It’s a long day, so many walkers turn it into a loop by returning via the Shadow Lake junction. Weather on the exposed sections can turn quickly, even in summer, so check conditions at the visitor centre before setting out.
Distance: Up to 20 km return (loop via Shadow Lake) • Time: 6–7 hours • Difficulty: Hard (Grade 4) • Dogs: Not permitted (national park)
Nearest campground: Lake St Clair Tourist Park, Cynthia Bay.
4. Echo Point Walk — Cynthia Bay
A gentler alternative to Mt Rufus that still gets you well away from the crowds at the visitor centre. The track hugs the lake shore through rainforest and stands of horizontal scrub, with Echo Point itself a nice spot for a break before turning back. Some walkers arrange a return trip on the passenger ferry that runs across the lake, which turns it into a one-way walk rather than an there-and-back — worth booking ahead at the visitor centre if you want that option.
Distance: 11 km one way (22 km return if not using the ferry) • Time: 3–4 hours one way • Difficulty: Moderate • Dogs: Not permitted (national park)
Nearest campground: Lake St Clair Tourist Park, Cynthia Bay.
5. Nelson Falls — Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
Not technically at Lake St Clair, but close enough (about 45 minutes west along the Lyell Highway towards Queenstown) that it’s worth folding into the same trip. A short, flat, wheelchair-accessible track through moss-draped myrtle and sassafras rainforest leads to a tall, reliable waterfall — a good leg-stretch if you’re driving the Lyell Highway between the west coast and Derwent Bridge.
Distance: 1.4 km return • Time: 20–45 minutes • Difficulty: Easy (Grade 2) • Dogs: Not permitted (national park)
Nearest campground: Lake Burbury Caming Ground, about 20 minutes east of Queenstown on the Lyell Highway.
Planning Your Trip
All of these walks fall inside a national park (Cradle Mountain—Lake St Clair or Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers), so you’ll need a valid Tasmania Parks Pass for your vehicle — day passes and holiday passes are available online at parks.tas.gov.au or at the visitor centre. Dogs are not permitted on any of these tracks, even on lead, as is standard across Tasmania’s national parks; leave them at home or with the campground rather than in the car. Weather at Lake St Clair can shift fast, especially once you climb above the lake on the Shadow Lake or Mt Rufus tracks — pack a warm layer and rain shell even on a clear morning, and check the forecast and track conditions at the Lake St Clair Visitor Centre before heading out. If you’re catching the ferry for the Echo Point walk, confirm timetables in advance as services can be limited outside peak season.
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.
Lake St Clair Walks Circuit
- September 15, 2026
Three short, easy walks from Cynthia Bay exploring Aboriginal culture, rivers and platypus habitat at Lake St Clair.
Frankland Beaches Walk
- September 14, 2026
A quiet lakeside walk from Cynthia Bay to a string of secluded beaches along Lake St Clair's old glacial moraines.
Shadow Lake Circuit
- September 12, 2026
A half-day alpine circuit from Cynthia Bay climbing through rainforest and moorland to Shadow Lake beneath Mount Hugel.
Echo Point Ferry and Walk
- September 11, 2026
Combine a scenic ferry ride with a rainforest walk back to Cynthia Bay along the shore of Lake St Clair.
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