23. Donaghys Lookout
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40 minute return (1.1km one way)
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Located on the Lyell Highway (A10) between the Franklin and Collingwood rivers. See map.
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Park entry fees apply. (Lake St Clair or Queenstown are the closest places to obtain a pass.) |
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Picnic and toilet facilities located at the Franklin River 9km away |
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Level 2 |
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Group B items, plus lunch and water |
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Supervise children, unprotected track edges |
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No pets, firearms or bicycles |
Enjoy wilderness views of mountain tops and the Franklin River after this short walk. The track climbs a small hill at an easy grade and lands you perched and protected on a rocky lookout point.
Highlights
Donaghys Lookout offers a spectacular window into the wilderness of the Wild Rivers National Park. Dominating the skyline is the quartzite half dome of Frenchmans Cap, a challenging bushwalk. Below is the junction of the Collingwood and Franklin Rivers.
Frenchmans Cap
The magnificent white quartzite dome of Frenchmans Cap (1446 m) is the most prominent mountain peak in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. The silvery Precambrian quartzite is some of Australia’s oldest exposed rock.
The summit can be reached by a walking track that passes through buttongrass plains, unusual rainforest where Huon pine grows alongside King Billy pine, and spectacular glacial valleys, up to Lake Tahune, perched under the huge and spectacular cliff face of Frenchmans Cap. The track is considerably more arduous than many other Tasmanian walks, including the Overland Track. To do the summit climb you must have good weather and a good head for heights and exposure. Most walkers spend between 3 and 5 days completing the return trip, a distance of about 23 km each way.