Dove Lake Walk, Cradle Mountain: Tasmania's Most Beautiful Nature Walk

Dove Lake Walk in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, is one of Australia's most beautiful nature walks and will forever hold a special place in my heart.

The walk was my first introduction to Tasmania's absolute natural beauty.

It was also where I got the chance to connect with the great outdoors, with myself and share a magical experience with my adult son. Because of these things, I believe it to be the best walk I have ever done.

We were travelling through Australia on a 6-week road trip and were visiting Tasmania on an 8-day road trip.

I had worked a 2-night stay in Cradle Mountain into our itinerary, and the Dove Lake Walk was high on my list of things to do in Tasmania.

Dove Lake Walk is deep inside Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty and a World Heritage Site.

Dove Lake is a 6km loop route, and a walk around Dove Lake will take approximately 2-3 hours to complete.

However, if you keep stopping to admire the view and take photographs, as we do, it may take much longer.

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Helpful Information About Dove Lake

How to Get to Dove Lake

The first part of the journey to Dove Lake starts at the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and Transit Terminal.

A shuttle bus service transports walkers to the Dove Lake car park, helping to protect and preserve the area by limiting the number of vehicles entering the park.

Tickets are free with a valid National Parks Pass, which can be purchased at the visitor centre and is valid for either 24 hours or two months if staying in Tasmania for an extended period.

The park shuttle operates seven days a week at regular intervals, and private vehicles are not permitted into Dove Lake while the shuttle is in operation.

Our Circuit Walk Around Dove Lake

We jumped off the shuttle bus and headed to the left-hand side of the car park, the starting point for the Dove Lake walking route.

No sooner had we started the route than a group of people were huddled together, looking into the bush. Being nosey onlookers, we stopped to see what the commotion was all about.

To our delight, we saw it was an echidna - the long-nosed hedgehog-like creature indigenous to Australia.

Our first encounter with an echidna in Australia had been on Kangaroo Island, and we had marvelled at seeing a creature that, before that moment, we hadn't even known existed.

We had previously been to Kangaroo Island and now felt we were experts on Australian wildlife.

Donning our nature guide caps, we told the onlookers what this spiky, curled-up ball was called - David Attenborough would have been proud of us!

After the excitement of our unscheduled wildlife encounter, we embarked on the Dove Lake trail.

Within minutes, we were mesmerised by the stunning visuals unfurling before us. 

Boarded walkways led us through the rainforest and an ever-changing myriad of flora and fauna, while the sight of Cradle Mountain in the distance and glacial Dove Lake thrilled us.

This must be a national park for the people for all time. It is magnificent, and people must know about it and enjoy it.

Gustav Weindorfer - Tasmanian Botanist

Dove Lake Beaches

Along the way, several gravel beaches tempted us to the water's edge.

But why was the water a strange brown colour?

We discovered that it is due to the tannin in the tree roots that the water runs past, which causes it to turn this colour. It's harmless!

Dove Lake beaches are a great spot to take photographs, but be sure to wear insect repellent, as my ankles became a lunchtime snack for flying insects.

Of course, this was the one afternoon I had forgotten to apply Mosquito Milk to my body, and the result later that night was red, itchy bite marks - you have been warned!

Halfway around Dove Lake, we found ourselves directly in the shadow of the two mighty pinnacles of Cradle Mountain.

This is one of Tasmania's most famous destinations.

The temperature had ramped up, and we were getting pretty hot.

A welcome sight was a bench where we plonked ourselves for a while to enjoy the picnic lunch we had brought.

Discovering the Ballroom Forest

Back on the trail, we came upon the magnificent cool-temperate rainforest known as the Ballroom Forest.

It is home to ancient myrtle trees, and the vivid green moss growing over tree stumps and branches makes this area look and feel quite eerie.

We half expected some strange woodland creature to come lumbering out of the forest.

The last quarter of the walk features moderate elevation changes and a considerable number of steps, which may make it more challenging for some walkers.

We had to assist the ranger with rescuing a gentleman hiking Dove Lake on his 100th birthday.

His legs gave way, and he couldn't make it up the steps at the end of the circuit, so be sure your fitness will allow you to cope. The ranger commandeered a speedboat that raced across the lake.

He gathered up the elderly gentleman and returned him to flatter ground on the opposite shore.

He certainly had the 100th birthday to remember. We thought how marvellous it was that he chose to do the Dove Lake Walk on such a poignant day.

Thankfully, we reached the top of the steps and found a bench waiting for us.  

From this point, there are fantastic views back to Cradle Mountain, towering resplendent above the lake, and this is your reward for completing the Dove Lake walk.

Dove Lake's Iconic Boathouse

The Dove Lake walk finishes in the car park near the iconic Dove Lake boathouse.

The boathouse once stored Huon pine pleasure boats to take passengers around the lake.

It was built in the 1940s by Lionel Connell, the first ranger at Cradle Mountain.

This is now the best vantage point to capture the most beautiful photograph of the boathouse, Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain all in one frame.

If you have ever seen photos of Dove Lake, they were likely taken from this spot. However, don't expect to have it to yourself - we had to wait 10 minutes for our chance to snap away without anyone being in our photograph.

We queued for about 5 minutes in the car park and then returned to the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre on the park shuttle.

We had fallen in love with Dove Lake, and back at the cabin, Dominic said it had been the best walk he had ever done.

And to think that morning, he was questioning whether he even wanted to do it. Mum always knows best!

How to Extend the Dove Lake Walk

If you have reasonable fitness levels and want to make your Dove Lake walk longer, there is an option. You can hike up to the 1200m glacial plateau called Marion's Lookout.

This steep, direct ascent is located towards the end of the Dove Lake Circuit. It offers an elevated view of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake.

We didn't attempt Marion's Lookout as we decided it might be too challenging for us.

Wildlife in Dove Lake

Sadly, apart from the echidna at the start of our walk, we didn't see any more wildlife.

We continually scanned the bush for sightings of a wallaby, wombat, or even a Tasmanian devil, but saw nothing.

Cradle Mountain is jam-packed with wildlife, but it didn't want to show up for us.

We had a few sightings of pademelons near our lodge and on the Enchanted Walk, near Pencil Pine Creek.

Dove Lake Walk Top Tips

Be sure to bring plenty of water and a snack on this walk. The cafe at the Visitor Centre sells provisions for walkers, including energy bars.

The closest drinking water and toilet facilities are in the car park at the start of the walk. 

Don't forget to wear mosquito repellent - they are present around the edge of the water. I didn't think there would be any mosquitoes in Tasmania, but unfortunately, there are!

Layer your clothing to control your body's temperature - it can get hot on the walk.

Wear a hat and sunglasses - protection from the sun's rays.

Always apply sunscreen with at least 30 SPF, even if it’s cloudy, and reapply it throughout the day.

Remember, you are in Tasmania, and the ozone layer in this hemisphere is thinner than in other parts of the world.

Need-To-Know Driving Distances to Cradle Mountain

Devonport to Cradle Mountain takes 1.5 hours

Launceston to Cradle Mountain takes 2 hours

Hobart to Cradle Mountain takes 4 hours

Where to Stay in Cradle Mountain

I can recommend Cradle Mountain Wilderness Lodge. We stayed in a self-catering cabin with a balcony overlooking eucalyptus trees.

We could sit and watch different animals come and go each day, including a resident, a pademelon and Joey.

The Cradle Mountain Hotel is the ideal choice for those seeking modern comfort. We ate dinner on the outside terrace and had a great view of the surroundings.

An outstanding property near the National Park is Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge. It offers exceptional views of the wilderness and a small lake, making it an excellent location for wildlife lovers.

Discovery Parks are the only budget accommodation option in Cradle Mountain.

Other walks in Cradle Mountain

The Visitor Information Centre, located at the park entrance, provides details on Cradle Mountain walks and other visitor activities.

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