Wilderness

No matter where you are in Tasmania you’ll never be far from the wilds. Tasmanian’s World Heritage areas spread over 1.38 million hectares – about 20 per cent of the main island. A further 20 per cent of the state is protected under national reserve.

This wilderness largesse is a haven for wildlife, including platypus, wallabies and the Tasmanian devil, ancient plants (remnants of Gondwana), and vast and pristine landscapes where footprints can still seem something of a novelty.

World Heritage listed parks include the Southwest National Park, the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, and the Hartz Mountains National Park.

There are good access roads to many of the parks. There are also renowned walking tracks, including the Overland Track about Cradle Mountain, that can take you into a park’s heart. But short or long, easy or hard, the different walks will get you close to lakes, rivers, mountains, plateaux and thick rainforests of memorable beauty.

Tasmanian photographer Peter Dombrovskis (1945-1996) perfectly summed up the rejuvenating quality of the Tasmanian wilderness: ‘When you go out there you don’t get away from it all, you get back to it all. You come home to what’s important. You come home to yourself.’

Tasmania's National Parks (* denotes part of World Heritage Wilderness)

Ben Lomond – An alpine park providing downhill skiing in season.

Cradle Mountain* –Tasmania’s most visited national park offers a variety of wilderness experiences. Read more on Cradle Mountain.

Douglas Apsley – One of the few largely uncleared dry sclerophyll forests in Tasmania.

Freycinet – Offering spectacular scenery on Tasmania’s east coast.

Hartz Mountains* – South of Hobart, a park with superb mountain landscapes.

Kent Group – Tasmania’s newest national park, the beautiful and remote Kent Group of Islands.

Lake St Clair* – Offers a wealth of walking opportunities and excellent angling.

Maria Island – Accessible by ferry, this park offers history, walks and abundant wildlife. Read more.

Mole Creek Karst – Some of the finest and most visited cave systems in the state.

Mt Field – Tasmania’s first nature reserve was created here in 1885. Russell Falls is a popular drawcard.

Mt William – Renowned for its long beaches, teeming wildlife and abundant flora.

Narawntapu – Peaceful scenery and abundant wildlife.

Rocky Cape – A park rich with history: Aboriginal heritage, shipwrecks and more.

Savage River – A remote wilderness park in Australia’s largest area of cool temperate rainforest.

South Bruny – Situated at the southern tip of Bruny Island. Read more.

Southwest* – Wild and remote wilderness with World Heritage listing.

Strzelecki – This park protects endemic and rare flora and fauna on Flinders Island.

Tasman – Situated on the Tasman Peninsula, featuring superb coastal scenery.

Walls of Jerusalem* – Excellent alpine walking within World Heritage wilderness.

Wild Rivers* – A region of dramatic mountain peaks, beautiful rainforest, deep river valleys and spectacular gorges. Read more on the Franklin River

Read about Alpine Tasmania