Visiting Lake Saint Clair in a day. The lake was carved out by glaciers over millions of years, Lake St Clair is Australia’s deepest freshwater lake at 167 meters deep. It located at the southern end of Cradle Mountain and is the end of the Tasmania’s most iconic multi-day walk, the Overland Track. Over six to eight days, bushwalkers, Hike from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair covering 65 km of track through diverse landscape. There are many short walks at Lake St Clair if you aren’t doing the overland track. Check out these other beautiful places in Tasmania Here.
The national park has a diverse of short walks such as the Figure 8 loop, the shore line walk the larmairrenemer tabelti (aboriginal culture walk, Or longer day walks such as the Mt Rufus Circuit, Shadow circuit lake walk or Echo point.
Figure 8 loop walk is 5 km 1.5 hours return walk.
There is many options with this walk we first walked to the left of the track following the larmairrenemer tabelti (aboriginal culture walk which then went to the watersmeet and we followed along to platypus bay where there is plenty of information about platypus along this circuit and if you’re lucky you will spot a platypus. We then returned back along the overland track across the watersmeet to the shoreline track back to the visitors centre. With the short walks at Lake st clair you could pick what you want to do and see and make your own short walk.
The walk along the shoreline is along a sandy beach starting at the visitors information centre to Fergys Paddock. However in winter, extensive rainfall and snowmelt raises the level of the lake which then the beach is often covered by the water.
The bridge at Watersmeet provides great views of the Cuvier and Hugel Rivers as they meet to feed into Lake St. Clair. There is quite a lot of water passing under the bridge gushing over and around some of the large rocks that form the river bed. It is a awesome spot to watch the two rivers meet and rush under the bridge.
Platypus Circuit
On this short 20 minute circuit you will pass platypus section of the track, make sure to be very quiet and keep your eyes out for platypus we did not see any platypus but you could be lucky. As you walk along and keeping your eyes out for the platypus there is lots of information panels about platypus along the way. Continue walking along the trail until you reach a little beach which had the remains of a barge used in the 1930s to construct the pumphouse. The barge was found adrift after a major storm in the 1950s and was dragged ashore at this point which it has remained there ever since.
Longer Hikes at Lake St Clair
Hiking to Mt Rufus is a 19 km 7 hour return Hike. This hike is Grade 4. Click Here for more information on Mt Rufus.
Hiking to Shadow lake circuit is a 12 km 4-5 hour return hike. This hike is a Grade 4. Click Here for more information.
Little Hugel hike is 18km, 6hrs – The first section of this walk follows the Shadow Lake Circuit, but then splits towards Little Hugel once it reaches Shadow Lake. An intermediate walk with some challenging boulder hopping involved.
The other day walk is Echo Point the Hike is a 3-4 hour 11km Hike with a 20 minute ferry ride. The Ferry ride is $50 on way from St Clair Information centre to Echo point. After the ferry ride you will walking back along the trail to Lake st clair Information centre. Click Here for more information.
(picture of the ferry at the jetty)
Accommodation at Lake St Clair
The pumphouse Point
There are two Industrial buildings to choose from “The Pumphouse”, over the water, and “The Shorehouse”, over the land. They once operated as a Hydro-Electric station. Each building have spacious communal lounges, honesty bars, wood fires and have spectacular views.
Pumphouse top Floor rooms are from $840 per night for 2 people. Inclusive of meals, larder, e-bikes and rowboats.
Shore house panorama rooms are from $765 per night for 2 people. inclusive of meals, larder, e-bikes and rowboats.
For more information and room options Click Here
The Lake St Clair Lodge and camping
The lodge is located at the Lake St Clair Visitor centre
Prices start from $270 for a studio cabin. Click Here for more information the lodge has.
The campsite Prices start from $37 for unpowered sites. Prices for powered sites start from $43. They also offer a bunk house for a shared 2 to 4 berth cabin prices start from $61
The camp offers a basic kitchen has a coin operated BBQ. Which is right near the shared toilet and hot shower block. The Hot showers are available at a charge of $1 for six minutes. There are also coin operated laundry facilities located in the shared amenities block. There is powered and unpowered sites available. For booking click Here
Derwent bridge hotel and camping
For camping it is free. The hotel is located 5 km from St Clair Visitor center.
For accommodation at the hotel prices start from $175 for a double Ensuite room including breakfast. The hotel also offers Budget Bushwalker rooms for $45 per head. Groups only.
