31. Crater Lake Circuit
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2 hour circuit |
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Road C132. 1 hour from Sheffield; 1.25 hours from Devonport. See map
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Park entry fees apply. |
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Toilets at Dove Lake and visitor centre. Picnic tables at Ronny Creek. |
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Level 3. |
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Group B items |
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Supervise children , tracks subject to severe weather conditions all year round, weather may change quickly, tracks are difficult to navigate when covered in snow and may be impassable. |
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No pets, firearms or bicycles |
This track is at a lower altitude than many other tracks in the Cradle Mountain area. It’s a better option for days when the higher altitude tracks are being lashed by cold winds and heavy rain.
Highlights
Crater Lake itself, despite its name, is not a crater. It was formed by the action of ice during previous ice ages. In autumn, the steep slopes that surround this beautiful lake are ablaze with the glorious colours of fagus. The dark colour of the water, like so many lakes and streams throughout western Tasmania, is the result of tanins leached from buttongrass and tea tree vegetation.
Boatshed (41º 39' 13" S 145º 56' 40" E)
HSGHHD
Crater Falls (41º 39' 59" S 145º 56' 45" E)
Crater Falls is in a gully filled with species typical of Tasmania's cool temperate rainforests, such as sasafrass and myrtle-beech. The gully is an example of gallery rainforest, where the fire-sensitive trees have managed to avoid being burnt by the fires that have passed across the landscape.