This is the most famous of Tasmania's National Parks with rugged peaks and alpine moorlands and is a part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area attracting bushwalkers from all over the world. The popular Overland Track links Cradle Valley to Lake St Clair throughout a 4 - 5 day's walk from north to south although there are many short walks from Cradle Valley in the Dove Lake area. Visitors should note the extreme climate, even during the peak summer tourist season.

On average it is cloudy here on 294 days per year. Snow falls here on average 54 days a year. In 1967, it snowed on 105 days. Rain falls an average 275 days per year. And if you are lucky and it's sunny when you visit, you have arrived on one of the 32 sunny days per year. Rain, sleet, snow and driving winds can occur at any time and weather conditions can alter dramatically and quickly. Even in summer a single day can bring both burning sun and freezing cold. All walkers should be skilled and clothed to meet difficult weather conditions.

The best times for visiting the park are in Summer and Autumn when the weather is more reliable, although blizzards can still occur. Summer is ideal for viewing flowering of native plants, whilst Autumn sees berries, colourful late flowering plants, and the golden colours of the deciduous beech (fagus) leaves prior to dropping before the winter snow.

There is no direct road link through the Cradle Mountain- Lake St Clair National Park to join the two ends of the park. Visitors may most easily reach Lake St Clair via the Cradle Link Road (C132) and the Muchison and Lyell Highways (A10).

McDermotts Coaches operates a shuttle bus service on behalf of the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service. The shuttle bus service operates between the Cradle Mountain Information Centre at the former airstrip to Dove Lake. The service is aimed at protecting the important values of the World Heritage Area while also preserving the visitor experience. During summer the shuttle service operates seven days a week, however during winter the service does not run. Visitors are encouraged to leave cars at the Cradle Information Centre and take the bus to Lake Dove. Visitors to Cradle Mountain are advised that a fee for the use of the shuttle service at Cradle Mountain will come into effect from the 1st November 2007.

In addition to the Daily Park Pass fee, a charge for the use of the shuttle bus service of $7.50 per adult, $3.75 per child or $18.75 per Family (2 adults and 3 children under 18 years of age) will apply.

Holiday and Annual Park Pass holders will be entitled to continued free shuttle bus service use.

The fees will apply subject to the following arrangements:

Park entry fees still apply;
Shuttle fees apply to “daily per vehicle” and “daily per person” passes only;
Private vehicles can access the park within the current maximum vehicle limits that apply for the Dove Lake car park;
Vehicle numbers accessing the park will be controlled by boom gates;
Vehicle weight and size limits will apply within the national park;
Vehicle limits apply to all vehicles and campervans over 5.0 metres in length; and coaches will need to transfer passengers at the Transit Terminal.

Fees for entering the Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park as covered if you have a park pass. For visitors to the State, the "Holiday Pass" (see below) provides entry to all Tasmaian National Parks for up to two months. These are available from:

National Park Visitor Centres
Tasmanian Travel Information Centres
Spirit of Tasmania
Service Tasmania Shops
Online at the Tasmania Parks & Wildlife website

Phone: (03) 6233 2621 for more information.

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Closest Weather Station

Temperature	Feels Like	Rel. Humidity	Dew Point	Pressure	Rainfall	Wind Direction	Wind Speed	Gusts
3.7°C	-6.1°C	99%	3.6°C	1004.7hPa	17.4mm	W	44km/h 24knots	65km/h 35knots

Closest Climatic Station

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean Max. °C	19.2	19.3	16.4	12.9	10.2	7.7	7.3	8.2	10.1	12.6	15.1	17.2
Mean Min. °C	6.3	6.1	4.0	2.6	1.5	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.8	2.0	3.3	4.8
Mean Rain mm	109.8	80.7	105.1	137.4	171.4	173.5	205.3	237.9	205.9	182.3	143.8	135.5