The Overland Track runs roughly 65 km through the Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania, from Ronny Creek in the north to Lake St Clair in the south. Most walkers take six days. It is the best-supported multi-day walk in Australia, and also one of the most weather-exposed — the buttongrass plateaus sit high enough that snow is possible in any month.
The route at a glance
| Distance | ~65 km one way, plus side trips |
| Direction | North to south during the booking season |
| Typical trip | 6 days / 5 nights |
| Huts | Unbooked public huts at each stage; tent platforms alongside |
| Booking | Required through Tasmania Parks during the peak season |
Booking and the season rule
During the main walking season the track is one-way north to south, numbers are capped per day, and you book a start date and pay a track fee in addition to a park pass. Places open well ahead and popular dates fill quickly. Outside that window the track is free-direction and unbooked, but conditions are genuinely wintry and the crossings on the Cynthia Bay end can be miserable. Check current dates, fees, and quota with Tasmania Parks and Wildlife before booking flights.
Stage by stage
Day 1 — Ronny Creek to Waterfall Valley (~10.7 km). Climb past Crater Lake to Marions Lookout, then across the exposed plateau under Cradle Mountain. The hardest day for most people, and the most weather-dependent. The Cradle summit side trip adds several hours and should be skipped in wind.
Day 2 — Waterfall Valley to Windermere (~7.8 km). Short and gentle. Good day for the Barn Bluff side trip if the weather holds.
Day 3 — Windermere to New Pelion (~16.8 km). The longest day. Long buttongrass sections, then forest into the Pelion plains.
Day 4 — New Pelion to Kia Ora (~8.6 km). Over Pelion Gap. Mount Ossa, Tasmania's highest peak, branches off here — a serious side trip, best attempted with a light pack and a clear morning.
Day 5 — Kia Ora to Windy Ridge / Bert Nichols (~9.6 km). Waterfall side trips — D'Alton, Fergusson, Hartnett — are the highlight of the walk for many people.
Day 6 — Windy Ridge to Narcissus (~9 km), then the ferry across Lake St Clair, or walk the additional ~17.5 km lakeside track to Cynthia Bay. Book the ferry in advance; it is not a walk-up service.
Huts, platforms, and etiquette
Huts cannot be reserved and cannot be relied on. Carry a tent that stands up to sustained wind and pitches on a wooden platform — that means guy points and a way to anchor without pegs into soil. Huts are for cooking, drying, and shelter; the platform is where you sleep when the hut is full, which in season is often.
Weather and what it demands
Four seasons in a day is a cliché in Tasmania because it is accurate. Plan for rain most days, wind on the plateaus, and at least one cold snap.
- A hard shell that survives sustained rain, not a packable emergency layer — see best rain jackets.
- A sleep system with real margin; run your numbers through the sleeping bag temperature calculator.
- Boots that drain and dry, because the mud sections are unavoidable — hiking boots.
- Dry bags for everything, including your sleeping bag. Duckboard falls happen.
- Six days of food, a fuel stove, and no resupply. Size the load with the pack weight budget planner.
Fuel, food, and water
No food drops, no shops. Tank and creek water is available at every hut; treat it. Gas canisters cannot be flown into Tasmania, so buy fuel in Launceston or Hobart.
Getting there and back
Most walkers fly to Launceston, shuttle to Cradle Mountain, and shuttle back from Lake St Clair to Hobart or Launceston. Book both transfers with your start date — the shuttle schedule, not the walking, is what usually dictates the itinerary.
More route planning: browse the destination hub or build a day-by-day plan in the trip planner.