Oceania · Australia
Overland Track
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Hikes / Oceania / Overland Track
Where these numbers come from
Public sources, official ones first, each numbered and listed under Sources, checked Nov 2026. Anything they don't give is left out.
Relief map
The route
Australia's best-known alpine multi-day walk, running north to south through Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, from Ronny Creek near Cradle Mountain to Narcissus at the head of Lake St Clair. It crosses glacial valleys, rainforest and buttongrass plains, with side trips to summits including Mount Ossa (1617 m), Tasmania's highest.1,2
Route drawn from OpenStreetMap (Overland Track, read Nov 2026). © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED) on AWS. A sketch for planning, not for navigation.
Before you go
The basics
- Finish
- Narcissus Hut at the head of Lake St Clair (ferry, or walk 17.5 km more to the Lake St Clair Visitor Centre at Cynthia Bay)1,2
- Distance
- 65 km one way, Ronny Creek to Narcissus (plus 17.5 km if walking the lakeshore to Cynthia Bay).1,2
- Usual difficulty
- Grade 4 on the Tasmanian scale: bushwalking experience recommended, tracks may be long, rough and very steep. A serious walk for fit walkers with remote alpine experience; not recommended for children under 8.1
- Best time
- The booking (summer) season runs 1 October to 31 May. A winter season runs 1 June to 23 September with free registration; severe cold, wet, windy weather can hit at any time of year.1
- Permits
- From 1 October to 31 May you need a booked Overland Track Pass (A$312 adult, A$272 child or concession), which includes park entry and the Cradle shuttle; up to 34 independent walkers may start each day. Bookings for the season open at 9:00 am AEST on the first Tuesday in July via a randomised online queue. Collect the pass after a walker briefing at Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre. In winter a park pass and registration are needed instead.1,3
- Getting there
- Buses run all year from Hobart, Launceston and Devonport to Cradle Mountain and from Lake St Clair (fewer in winter). From the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre a shuttle goes about 7 km to Ronny Creek. At the end, the privately run ferry from Narcissus to Cynthia Bay must be booked before you start.1,4,3
Bookings and permits
When bookings open, from the sources named under each. Dates move: confirm on the official site.
Overland Track Pass for the booking season (1 October to 31 May)
Bookings for the season open at 9:00 a.m. AEST on the first Tuesday in July, through a randomised online queue; up to 34 independent walkers start each day.
Next: Jul 6, 2027
Book on Tasmania Parks and Wildlife.
Source: Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service: Overland Track (official). Checked November 2026.
Alert me when bookings open
From the sources
Safety
Phone signal
- Parks suggests carrying a Personal Locator Beacon (hire from Service Tasmania shops or the visitor centres). Narcissus Hut has a radio walkers use to reconfirm the ferry.
Insurance
- The UK government says to have travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation; ambulance services and medical evacuations are not covered by the UK-Australia healthcare agreement and are very expensive
Source 5
Bail-out points
- Parks advises being ready to turn back or change plans if weather worsens; log books at each hut record walkers' movements.
Source 4
From the sources below, checked Nov 2026. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
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Typical: 6–7 days (the hike's facts).
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Planning questions about Overland Track, answered only from this page's facts, the creators' versions and hikers' public tracks, with where each answer comes from. When the data doesn't say, the answer says "not given".
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Overland Track?
How long is Overland Track?
When is the best time to hike Overland Track?
Oct–May. The booking (summer) season runs 1 October to 31 May. A winter season runs 1 June to 23 September with free registration; severe cold, wet, windy weather can hit at any time of year.
From Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track (official), checked Nov 2026. [1]
Do you need a permit for Overland Track?
From 1 October to 31 May you need a booked Overland Track Pass (A$312 adult, A$272 child or concession), which includes park entry and the Cradle shuttle; up to 34 independent walkers may start each day. Bookings for the season open at 9:00 am AEST on the first Tuesday in July via a randomised online queue. Collect the pass after a walker briefing at Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre. In winter a park pass and registration are needed instead.
From Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track (official); Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track FAQ (official), checked Nov 2026. [1] [3]
How do you get to Overland Track?
Buses run all year from Hobart, Launceston and Devonport to Cradle Mountain and from Lake St Clair (fewer in winter). From the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre a shuttle goes about 7 km to Ronny Creek. At the end, the privately run ferry from Narcissus to Cynthia Bay must be booked before you start.
From Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track (official); Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track plan your trip (official); Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track FAQ (official), checked Nov 2026. [1] [4] [3]
Where do you sleep on Overland Track?
Huts and tent. Unbookable first-come huts (bunks without mattresses, composting toilets, rainwater tanks) plus tent platforms at each site; walkers must carry a tent in case huts are full.
From Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track (official); Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track FAQ (official), checked Nov 2026. [1] [3]
What's the emergency number on Overland Track?
Emergency: 000 (Australian emergency services, reaches Tasmania Police).
From Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track plan your trip (official), checked Nov 2026. [4]
Sources
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track (official) · official · checked Nov 2026
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track walk notes (official) · official · checked Nov 2026
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track FAQ (official) · official · checked Nov 2026
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Overland Track plan your trip (official) · official · checked Nov 2026
- www.gov.uk · official · checked Nov 2026
Facts are written in our own words from these pages; nothing is copied. Rules, fees and closures change: check the official page before you go.