Blazed in the 1930s and now Australia’s best-known alpine walk, the northbound Overland Track crosses Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair from Ronny Creek to the Narcissus ferry jetty.
Book directly through Tasmania Parks. The booking window opens on 1 July each year and covers walks from 1 October to 31 May. Popular departures (especially January) sell out within days.
Check in at Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, then shuttle to Ronny Creek
Walk Narcissus Hut → ferry jetty (0.6 mi); ferry to Cynthia Bay (pre-booked) or walk the 17.5 km lakeshore as an extra day. From Cynthia Bay, most walkers either meet a pre-booked transfer back to Cradle Mountain, use a second car, or arrange pickup there.
The classic line runs Ronny Creek → Waterfall Valley → Windermere → Pelion → Kia Ora → Windy Ridge → Narcissus, finishing with the short walk to the ferry jetty. Six days is standard; seven gives margin for weather and side trips.
Six days is the standard pace, walking Ronny Creek to Narcissus with five overnight stops. Seven days gives more buffer for weather, side trips like Mt Ossa, and a calmer last day before the ferry. Strong walkers occasionally do it in five, but that compresses the longer stages with no margin.
The Tasmania Parks track fee covers your booked departure and park entry for the duration of the walk during the 1 October to 31 May booking season. On top of that, expect to pay for the Cradle Mountain shuttle to Ronny Creek and the Lake St Clair ferry from Narcissus to Cynthia Bay (booked through Lake St Clair Lodge). Outside the booking season there is no track fee, but a parks pass and winter registration still apply.
It is rated very strenuous. The standard line covers about 65 km point-to-point with around 6,500 ft of cumulative gain across exposed alpine terrain. Day 1 out of Ronny Creek and the Pelion Gap traverse are the most demanding sections. Mud, river crossings, and weather above 1,000 m are routine, not exceptional.
Yes. The Overland Track is designed for self-guided independent walkers and the booking, hut network, and signage are built around that. Guided commercial tours exist alongside the public huts but are not required. If it is your first multi-day walk in remote alpine terrain, a guided trip is worth considering for risk margin.
Bookings for the 1 October to 31 May season open on 1 July each year through Tasmania Parks. Popular departures, especially in January, sell out within days. If preferred dates are gone, set a calendar reminder for early July the following year or watch for cancellations through the Tasmania Parks site.
No. The default line ends at the Narcissus ferry jetty because that is the standard booked finish for most walkers. The 17.5 km lakeshore walk to Cynthia Bay is a legitimate extra day but not bundled into the default route.
The ferry only gets you from Narcissus to Cynthia Bay at the south end of Lake St Clair. From there, walkers still need a plan to get back to their car or onward lodging. The usual options are a pre-booked transfer between Cynthia Bay and Cradle Mountain, leaving a second vehicle at one end, or arranging a pickup at Lake St Clair. Many people solve this before the trip by parking where they want to finish and taking the start-day shuttle north.
During the 1 October to 31 May booking season, the Overland Track fee includes park entry for the duration of the walk. Outside that period, a valid parks pass and the relevant winter registration rules still matter.
Planning estimates only. Verify permits, camps, maps, trail conditions, weather, and closures with official sources before travel.
