The Cradle Mountain is a mountain in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. The mountain is situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
At 1,545 metres above sea level, it is the fifth highest mountain in Tasmania, and is one of the principal tourist sites in Tasmania, owing to its natural beauty. The Cradle Mountain is composed of dolerite columns, similar to many of the other mountains in the area.
The area around the mountain has a large number of day walks, as well as being one terminus of the Overland Track. The Overland Track winds through a variety of landscapes to its opposite end – 80.8 kilometres to the south – at Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest lake.
You can even do the overland track - a 5 day walk from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Claire. However we just stuck to day walks.
The mountain is climbed by walkers virtually year round. It is a strenuous return hike from the Dove Lake car park with a recommended allotted time of 6.5 hours. The climb up the rocky part of the mountain involves scrambling over large boulders for several hundred meters. The entire climb is exposed to any bad weather that may arrive quickly, while climbing the upper slopes in winter can be dangerous due to slick ice on the rocks and heavy snow covering holes and other hazards. From the summit, there is a spectacular view, encompassing Dove Lake, Barn Bluff and Mount Ossa.
The mountain rises above the glacially formed Dove Lake (934 metres), Lake Wilks, and Crater Lake.
The mountain has four named summits. In order of height they are Cradle Mountain (1,545 m); Smithies Peak (1,527 m); Weindorfers Tower (1,459 metres); and Little Horn (1,355 m).
The mountain itself is named after its resemblance to a gold mining cradle.
