Tasmania has a list called “60 Great Short Walks”.
Awesome, I thought. We love to walk and hike but our days of strenuous walking are over for now with having young kids.
One of the most popular short walks is the Dove Lake Circuit beneath Cradle Mountain. We’d already done the other popular walk to Wineglass Bay Lookout without the kids, but today was the four of us enjoying some of the best natural scenery in Tassie.
We were craving some exercise, and some sunny weather, as we’d been eating and drinking our way around Tassie and the weather had been very inconsistent.
Luckily, at four of the most famous places in Tasmania, we had GREAT weather. Our day at the Bay of Fires was warm and sunny, the day of our cruise on the Gordon River was a cracker, and Bruny Island was kind to us too! Cradle Mountain didn’t let us down either.
Cradle Mountain is a mountain in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, and is one of the most famous destinations in Tasmania, thanks to its natural beauty and the area around having over 20 different self guided walking tracks, ranging from 20 minutes to 9 hours.
It’s also the starting point for the world-famous Overland Track, a magnificent 6 day walk that takes you through the heart of some of the finest mountain terrain.
We’d love to come back and take on that walk when the kids are older, but for now, we’ll settle for the pleasant short walks.
Introducing the Dove Lake Circuit, Cradle Mountain
This is a great introductory walk to the park. From the Dove Lake carpark, we took the track towards the left and walked clockwise around the lake.
The 6km track takes you under the shadow of Cradle Mountain, through the tranquil Ballroom Forest and back along the western shore of the lake to your starting point.
The track is a boardwalk for much of the way and a fairly easy grade, which was awesome for us and makes it suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
It was such an easy walk that Kalyra had the breath to talk our ears off for the two hour duration, so much so that the passers by would comment on how chatty she was. Which was great, when the kids are happy exploring it makes for a great family outing.
We stopped for a lunch break on one of the little sandy beaches, and a fellow walker was kind enough to take a family portrait for us.
Towards the southern end of Lake Dove you will enter a magnificent cool temperate rainforest known as the Ballroom Forest nestled against the slopes of the mountain.
One of the best stops along the walk is the most-photographed boatshed in Tasmania, on the northwestern shores of Lake Dove.
There’s a lovely sandy spot to sit and have a drink, the kids can have a play, and the views back over Dove Lake to Cradle Mountain are brilliant.
They recommend it takes 2 hours. But with kids and taking tons of photos we allowed three hours. All up it was a very easy walk, with just one short moderate hill.
Your only challenge on the Dove Lake walk will be getting a sunny day!
Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake walk details
Cradle Mountain is 1 1/2 hours drive from Devonport, or 2 1/2 hours drive from Launceston.
The Visitor Centre at the entrance to the park provides details on walks and other activities in the area. Otherwise, visit the official website for all the details.
We stayed in a small cabin at the nearby Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village. It’s 7k from Dove Lake.
Check out these tips for hiking with kids.
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Amazing landscapes, beautiful flowers and great pictures. I’m wondering what is the weather like there? You are all wearing jackets 🙂 and somehow I thought all countries near Australia are always warm!
Hi AkwaabaGolden,
We were there in November and it was a little cool (for us). Depends on where you come from, but Tassie is not know for it’s warm weather. And the weather can change quickly at Cradle Mountain.
I’m going on such a great journey around Tassie reading all of your stories. It’s quickly moving up my list of places to go now.
Thanks for following along Jen. A few more Tassie posts to come 🙂
Wow, wow, wow….Australia is so incredibly beautiful. I have come to discover its natural beauty only through your blog! I hope to make it to at least some of these places.
Oz is beautiful Renuka, no doubt. Hope we do it justice in our blog 🙂
Wow so pretty! The water looks calming and so beautiful! 🙂
What a beautiful spot you’ve found there. The landscape looks fantastic and walking around a lake is something I find to be very relaxing.
I’ve never been to Tasmania. It is also often under reported so you are doing us a great service by telling us about the place.
I can also see why that boat shed is so popular for photos, it is very picturesque with that background.
Glad we are bringing Tassie to your attention. Our job is done 🙂
Hello! I just found your travel blog site and being disabled I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to be able to see these beautiful places through your eyes. What a beautiful world we live in! Many thanks and God bless you and your precious family.
Thanks Edwina. And welcome. All the best to you!
Looks beautiful. What time of the year did you go to Tasmania? We are planning a trip to Tassie later in the year.
We were there mid Nov- mid Dec. Last year we visited in March and it was lovely. FEb is meant to be the best month
This is bringing back some memories. I did that walk when my parents visited me in Australia. Funny is that I have 2 pictures very similar to yours: the one with the dead tree & the one with the cabin 🙂
Cradle mountains is beautiful, but I must admit us French were a bit disappointed by it.
This photo with both your kids and the cabin is really great! I love the depth of it.
Hi Claire, well I haven’t been to France so can’t compare. But we loved Tasmania.
I love walking, especially with the view like that! It’s great that they have made boardwalk along of some tracks! 🙂
The scene looks too deserted !
Looks beautiful. On our list for next time we’re in Tassie. Do you think you could do it with a pram. We’ve got a giant toddler – getting a bit big for the ergo, but the legs aren’t willing to do all of a walk. 🙂