The cold comes before the mountains do. Somewhere past the Great Lake, once the road tilts upward and the open paddocks give way to pencil pines growing low against the wind, the temperature drops noticeably even through a car window. That’s when you know the route is working.
The drive from Hobart to Cradle Mountain is one of Australia’s genuinely underrated road trips — not because it’s obscure, but because most visitors take the wrong road and miss the best parts entirely. The default navigation route follows the National Highway via Launceston: fine, functional, and mostly forgettable. The scenic route, via the A5 Lake Highway through Tasmania’s Central Highlands, covers a similar distance — 189 miles (304 km) against the highway’s 205 miles (330 km) — but crosses a completely different world: high-altitude plateau, heritage cave systems, mural-painted towns, and a descent through rainforest into one of Australia’s most visited national parks. Both routes take roughly four hours of driving. This guide is about what to do with the other four to six hours in between.
At a glance
| Scenic route distance | 189 miles (304 km) |
| Drive time (no stops) | ~4 hours |
| Full day with stops | 8–10 hours |
| Key roads | A5 / Lake Highway → B12 → B14 |
| Best season | Nov–Apr (summer). Doable year-round with care. |
| Parks pass required | Yes — buy before or at the Visitor Centre |
| Shuttle bus at Cradle Mountain | Mandatory during operating hours. $15 for 72hr ticket. |
| Last reliable fuel | Sheffield or Deloraine |
| Campervans >5 m | Not permitted beyond Cradle Mountain gate |
What to sort before you leave Hobart
The parks pass question
You’ll need a valid Tasmania Parks Pass to enter Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. The most useful option for most visitors is the Holiday Pass (~$95.50/vehicle), which covers up to eight people in one vehicle across all Tasmanian parks for two months. If Cradle Mountain is your only national park stop, the Cradle Mountain Icon Day Pass (~$29.80/adult) includes shuttle bus access and is available at the Visitor Centre on arrival.
A common trip-up: since November 2023, the shuttle bus is no longer included in the standard parks pass. It’s a separate $15 ticket for a 72-hour shuttle pass, or it’s bundled into the Icon Day Pass. Buy your pass online before you go via the Parks Tasmania portal — it saves time at the gate.
One more thing campervans and motorhomes need to know: vehicles over 5 metres in length are prohibited beyond the Visitor Centre gate. No exceptions.
Check road conditions
The A5 crosses the Central Plateau at around 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) above sea level. Snow, ice, and road closures are possible from late autumn through spring, and not uncommon even in summer during cold snaps. Before you leave, check the Tasmania Police Community Alerts for closures and road conditions. The Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre (03 6492 1110) can also advise on conditions at the park end.
Fill the tank
There are no petrol stations on the A5 between Bothwell and Deloraine, and the small store near Cradle Mountain has extremely limited supplies. Fill up in Hobart, and top up again in Deloraine or Sheffield — the last reliable fuel points before the park.
Two routes, two very different experiences
There are two ways to drive from Hobart to Cradle Mountain, and they genuinely suit different purposes.
The National Highway route (A1 to Launceston, then B14 via Sheffield) covers 205 miles (330 km) and is what Google Maps defaults to. It’s faster in bad weather, passes through historic Midlands towns like Ross and Campbell Town, and is the safer choice if you’re travelling in June, July, or August and haven’t checked conditions. Sheffield makes a good final stop before the mountain.
The A5 / Lake Highway route (the scenic drive) covers 189 miles (304 km) and is the one this guide focuses on. It passes through the Central Plateau Conservation Area, skirts the edge of Australia’s second-largest natural freshwater lake, drops through forest to Deloraine, and swings west through limestone cave country before joining the B14 at Mole Creek or Sheffield. Less traffic, more drama, and the kind of mid-drive plateau crossing that makes passengers put down their phones.
A note from forum-experienced travellers: the A5 has a short unsealed section that’s well-graded and manageable in a standard 2WD rental car under normal conditions, but can be rough after heavy rain. If you’re in a standard hire car during winter, ask the rental company and check conditions the morning you travel.
Leaving Hobart
Leave before 8 a.m. if you want a full day at Cradle Mountain — the shuttle bus starts at 8 a.m. in summer and 9 a.m. in winter, and the best light on Dove Lake is early morning before the wind comes up. Head north out of the city on the A10 Lyell Highway, then pick up the Highland Lakes Road north of Bothwell, which marks the start of the A5 plateau crossing.
If you have an extra 30 minutes, the detour through Richmond — 17 miles (27 km) east of Hobart — is worth it for a coffee stop. Richmond Bridge, built in 1823 by convict labour, is Australia’s oldest intact stone arch bridge and looks best in morning light before the tour buses arrive.
Stop 1: Great Lake and the Central Plateau
~75 miles (120 km) from Hobart · ~2 hours driving
The landscape change happens quietly. You’re climbing the Marlborough Highway through farmland and then, without ceremony, the horizon opens up and you’re on a treeless plateau with nothing between you and the sky except the occasional dolerite outcrop. The Great Lake — at 114 km² (44 square miles), Australia’s second-largest natural freshwater lake — sits at 1,030 metres (3,380 feet) above sea level and feeds the state’s hydroelectric system via a network of canals and aqueducts that you’ll see threading across the plateau.
Stop at Pine Lake, a few kilometres before the main lake. A short boardwalk (Pencil Pine Loop, about 15 minutes) threads through a stand of Athrotaxis cupressoides — Pencil Pines found almost nowhere else on Earth, many of them over 1,000 years old. They grow low and windswept, and up close the bark has a soft, slightly resinous smell that’s difficult to describe and easy to remember.
The Great Lake itself is known for quality trout fishing — brown and rainbow trout — and on still mornings the lake has an uncanny mirror quality that makes it look more like a rendering than a real place. If you’re here in summer, you’ll notice the small fishing shacks clustered at the lake’s edge: a distinctly Tasmanian tradition, their origins dating back to the early hydroelectric era, and they’re a detail that doesn’t appear in any brochure.
A few pull-off points along the road offer views across the water. There are no facilities. Stretch your legs, take the temperature (even in summer it can feel like an English autumn up here), and continue west toward Deloraine.
💡 Local insight: The Central Plateau is part of the UNESCO-listed Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. A standard parks pass is required for walks within the Central Plateau Conservation Area — but you don’t need one just to drive through or stop at roadside viewpoints.
Optional detour: Liffey Falls
~20 min off-route · 45-min return walk
Just past the plateau descent and before you reach Deloraine, a well-signed turn-off leads to Liffey Falls. The 45-minute return walk from the upper car park meanders through wet eucalypt forest with huge tree ferns, and the falls themselves drop in tiers through mossy rock in a way that feels more like New Zealand than mainland Australia. It adds about 90 minutes to your day if you include driving time, and it’s worth it if you have the margin.
Stop 2: Deloraine
~50 miles (80 km) from Great Lake · ~1 hour from the plateau
Deloraine is the kind of town that repays slow attention. The streetscape — Georgian and Victorian sandstone buildings running along the Meander River — is National Trust classified, and on a clear morning the Great Western Tiers mountain range rises dramatically behind the town in a way that makes the main street feel slightly theatrical.
It’s your best lunch stop on the whole route. For something quick and good, Dixie Blue Gelato Cafe (45 Emu Bay Rd) has won consistent praise from road trippers for its homemade gelato, dietary-friendly options, and genuinely attentive staff. For a more substantial sit-down, Deloraine Deli (near the Great Western Tiers Visitor Centre) runs a full day menu of fresh Tasmanian produce with locally roasted Ritual coffee and a licensed menu including local wines and ciders — their picnic hamper option is worth knowing about if you plan to eat at the lake. The Bush Inn Brewhouse on Emu Bay Rd is a 150-year-old pub now serving small-batch craft beer and sourdough pizza made from a 128-year-old starter — a detail you can mention at dinner.
After lunch, the Great Western Tiers Visitor Centre houses Yarns Artwork in Silk — four enormous hand-stitched panels representing each season, the product of over 10,000 hours of community work. It sounds like the sort of thing you’d glance at and leave; people tend to stay considerably longer. The Deloraine & District Folk Museum in an 1856 homestead just around the corner takes another 20 minutes and covers the town’s convict-era agricultural history with specificity rather than pageantry.
One more thing worth knowing: Deloraine hosts the Tasmanian Craft Fair each November — the largest craft fair in Australia, drawing over 30,000 people across four days. If your trip falls then, book accommodation in advance or adjust expectations around parking.
Stop 3: Mole Creek Caves
~22 miles (36 km) from Deloraine · ~30 minutes
Most road trip guides to Cradle Mountain either skip Mole Creek or mention it in a single vague sentence. This is a mistake. The Mole Creek Karst National Park sits on the northern edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and contains over 300 known caves — new ones are still being discovered. Two are open to the public, and they’re substantively different from each other.
Marakoopa Cave has the largest public glow-worm display in Australia. The creatures (technically larvae of a fungus gnat, Arachnocampa tasmaniensis, endemic to Tasmania) line the ceiling of the lower chamber in constellations of cold blue light. The cave temperature is a constant 9°C (48°F) regardless of season — bring a layer. Two guided tours run here: the easier Underground Rivers and Glow Worms tour (all fitness levels, daily at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m.; additional 4 p.m. tour October–April), and the more demanding Great Cathedral and Glow Worms tour (medium fitness required, 250 steps up to the acoustically spectacular Cathedral chamber, daily at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.).
King Solomon’s Cave is about 11 miles (18 km) further — allow 15 minutes driving time between the two. It’s smaller, drier, and more about colour and formation than glow worms: the calcite deposits here have produced formations in amber, white, and deep brown that guides describe as “lavish,” which turns out to be accurate. Tours run every 30 minutes from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Both tours last 45 minutes. No parks pass is required for cave entry — cave admission is a separate ticket purchased at the Mole Creek Caves Visitor Centre at 330 Mayberry Road, Mayberry (about 600 m before Marakoopa). Bookings are recommended and can be made up to 14 days ahead on 03 6363 5182. Photography is allowed everywhere except inside the glow-worm chamber at Marakoopa (no flash permitted at any point in the cave). Tripods are not permitted.
Hidden detail: Several cave species here are endemic to Mole Creek and found nowhere else on Earth, including Tasmanotrechus cockerilli — a beetle that has evolved to be completely eyeless after generations of cave life. Your guide will point them out if you ask.
Stop 4: Sheffield
~28 miles (45 km) from Mole Creek · ~40 minutes
Sheffield is a small agricultural town at the base of Mount Roland (1,233 m / 4,045 ft) that has, since the 1980s, covered nearly every vertical surface in large-scale outdoor murals. There are now more than 140 of them, ranging from straightforward local history panels to technically ambitious works by international artists. A free self-guided audio tour of the main circuit takes under 30 minutes at a decent pace and is worth downloading before you arrive — search “Sheffield mural tour” or pick up a printed map at the visitor information bay on the main street.
Sheffield is practical as well as scenic: it has the last supermarket before Cradle Mountain, a bakery, a cafe or two, and petrol stations. The small store near the national park has basics at premium prices — pick up anything you need here. Sheffield also gives access to Lake Barrington, about 8 miles (13 km) south, an international-standard rowing course (it hosted the 1990 World Rowing Championships) with a pleasant picnic area and calm water that reflects the mountain range behind it.
The annual Festivale Sheffield (formerly SteamFest) and the International Mural Fest painting competition (held over a week each year) are worth timing a visit around if you’re planning ahead. For exact dates, check Sheffield Tasmania’s events calendar.
Stop 5: Cradle Mountain
~34 miles (54 km) from Sheffield · ~45–50 minutes
You’ll smell the buttongrass moorland before you see much else. The road narrows as you descend into Cradle Valley, and the first glimpse of the mountain’s distinctive notched silhouette tends to appear around a bend rather than gradually — it’s more of a reveal than a build.
Park at the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, validate your parks pass, and get your shuttle bus ticket. Private vehicles are not permitted on the road into the park during shuttle operating hours (8 a.m.–6 p.m. summer, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. winter) — if you drive up during these hours and try to go past the gate, a boom gate will stop you. There are only 9 standard parking spaces at Dove Lake.
The Cradle Discoverer shuttle is a fleet of hybrid diesel-electric buses that depart every 10–15 minutes in summer and every 15–20 minutes in winter. The 20-minute ride stops at the Ranger Station/Interpretation Centre, Snake Hill, Ronny Creek (where the Overland Track begins), and Dove Lake. The Interpretation Centre (open 9 a.m.–4 p.m. daily, extended hours in peak season) has useful trail information and an art gallery — worth 15 minutes if you’re deciding which walk to do.
Walks by time and fitness
Enchanted Walk (20 min circuit, easy) departs from Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, threads through a grove of ancient King Billy Pines and pandani — the world’s tallest heath plant, reaching up to 12 m — and is genuinely suitable for any age. The light filters through in a way that earns the name.
King Billy Walk (30 min circuit, easy) also departs from the Lodge and passes through old-growth rainforest. Aim to be here early morning when the birds are noisiest.
Dove Lake Circuit (3 hours, 6 km / 3.7 miles, medium) is the definitive Cradle Mountain walk: a loop around Dove Lake with views of the boatshed and the mountain behind it that appear on every Tasmanian postcard. Best walked clockwise. There are some steps and short inclines, and the track weaves between quartzite beaches and rainforest sections. If time is short, the historic boatshed is a 10-minute walk west from the Dove Lake car park.
Cradle Mountain summit (11 km / 6.8 miles return, ~6–8 hours, difficult) is for hikers who’ve brought appropriate gear, checked the forecast, and have an early start. The route from Ronny Creek passes Marion’s Lookout and Kitchen Hut before a final section of exposed rock scrambling. It’s graded class 5 and should not be attempted in cloud, rain, or strong wind — which can arrive at any time of year at altitude. Start no later than 7 a.m. for a summit attempt.
The Overland Track
If this visit sparks an interest in coming back for longer, the Overland Track departs from Ronny Creek and runs 65 km (40 miles) south to Lake St Clair — Lonely Planet lists it among the world’s best treks. Between October and May, walkers must book in advance (daily quota: 60 departures), travel north-to-south, and pay a permit fee of $295 AUD per adult (which includes the parks pass for the duration of the walk). The booking window opens each year on 1 July and peak season slots sell out quickly. Outside this period (June–September), no booking fee applies, but a parks pass is still required and conditions are significantly more challenging.
Practical tips for the drive
Wildlife on the road
Tasmania has a serious wildlife-strike problem, particularly at dusk and dawn. Wombats, pademelons, wallabies, and Tasmanian devils all use roadsides as feeding corridors. If you’re driving back to a base in Launceston or Deloraine after a late afternoon at the park, take it slowly once the light drops and give yourself extra stopping distance. The stretch of road between the park entrance and Sheffield has significant wildlife activity.
Mobile coverage
Telstra provides the most reliable coverage on the A5 route, but it drops out on the plateau and is absent inside the national park. Download offline maps (Google Maps offline areas work well) before you leave Hobart. If you’re doing the summit walk or the Dove Lake Circuit alone, let someone know your plan and expected return time — the Visitor Centre can also take details for safety purposes.
Weather at Cradle Mountain
Temperatures can range from above 30°C (86°F) on a summer afternoon to below 0°C (32°F) with snow at the summit — sometimes within the same day. The park receives nearly twice as much annual rainfall as the Lake St Clair end of the national park despite having the same number of rainy days. Bring waterproof layers regardless of the forecast. Leave the sandals in the car for anything beyond the Enchanted Walk.
The return route options
You don’t have to drive back the way you came. Two worthwhile alternatives: head north via Devonport (75 miles / 120 km from Cradle Mountain) to catch the Spirit of Tasmania ferry, or loop south to Queenstown and return via Strahan for a full west coast circuit that adds a day but covers very different landscape — mining history, a deeply corroded hillside, and a wild coast. Both options are detailed in our separate Tasmania road trip guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Hobart to Cradle Mountain?
The scenic A5 route is 189 miles (304 km) and takes about four hours of driving without stops. A full day with stops at the Great Lake, Deloraine, Mole Creek Caves, and Sheffield adds another four to six hours. Most people leave Hobart by 7–8 a.m. to arrive at Cradle Mountain with enough time for a walk.
Do I need a 4WD for the A5 route?
No, but a standard 2WD hire car is fine under normal conditions. The unsealed section of the A5 is well-graded but can become rough after rain. During winter, the plateau section can have ice and snow — check road conditions with Tasmania Police before travelling. Some rental car agreements restrict travel on unsealed roads, so check your terms.
Can I do Cradle Mountain as a day trip from Hobart?
Yes, but it’s a long day. If Cradle Mountain is your priority, consider staying overnight closer to the park — Sheffield (34 miles / 54 km), Devonport (75 miles / 120 km), or accommodation at the park itself (Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, Discovery Parks, or the Waldheim Cabins operated by Parks Tasmania). Accommodation near the park books out months in advance in summer.
Is a parks pass included in the shuttle bus ticket?
No — since November 2023 they’re separate. You need both a valid parks pass and a shuttle bus ticket. The exception is the Cradle Mountain Icon Day Pass (~$29.80/adult), which bundles both. Standard shuttle bus tickets are $15 for a 72-hour pass. Buy your parks pass online in advance at passes.parks.tas.gov.au.
Do I need to book Mole Creek Caves in advance?
Bookings are recommended and can be made up to 14 days ahead by calling 03 6363 5182. Walk-ins are accepted if space allows. Tours run daily except Christmas Day. No parks pass is required for cave tours — cave entry is a separate fee paid at the Mole Creek Caves Visitor Centre.
What’s the best walk at Cradle Mountain for non-hikers?
The Enchanted Walk (20 min, easy, from Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge) is suitable for all ages and abilities, and takes you through King Billy Pines and pandani. The historic boatshed at Dove Lake is also accessible in about 10 minutes from the shuttle drop-off and delivers the iconic mountain-over-water view without any significant elevation gain.
When is the best time to visit?
November to April gives the most reliable weather, longer daylight hours, and the full shuttle bus schedule. January and February are warmest (but can be busy). June and July offer snow-dusted peaks and far fewer visitors, but the A5 plateau section requires more caution. The park itself is open and worthwhile year-round.