Illustrative artwork — an impression of Overland Track, not a literal photograph.
The Overland Track is a roughly 65-kilometer, six-day walk through Tasmania's Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, crossing alpine moorland, rainforest, and glaciated high country between its two ends. Because Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service caps how many walkers can start each day in the booked season, where you sleep is settled before you leave: a string of basic public huts and tent platforms along the route, backed up by your own tent, since none of them can be reserved night to night.
Why hike here
What makes the Overland Track worth six days on foot is the range packed into one route: you leave the jagged profile of Cradle Mountain behind and cross open button-grass moorland where the wind has nothing to slow it down, then drop into pockets of temperate rainforest thick with myrtle and tree ferns before climbing back toward glaciated high country. The public huts along the way double as informal meeting points, where walkers compare notes on the weather before it changes again overnight, because in this park it always does. The trek ends at Lake St Clair, Australia's deepest lake, a still, quiet payoff after days of watching the sky do most of the talking.
Getting there
Tasmania's Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park sits inland from both ends of the island, so most hikers fly into Melbourne or Sydney first, then connect to Launceston or Hobart, Tasmania's two main airports. From there it's a road transfer to Cradle Mountain village, where the Overland Track begins, or to Lake St Clair at the southern end. Because the walk runs one-way, from north to south, most people arrange a shuttle or rental car pickup at the opposite end before they start, so the return trip is sorted before the first day on the track.
Where to stay
The realistic options, closest-to-the-trail first. Book through the official links — we don't list prices or availability because they change all the time.
Illustrative — evokes the setting, not a specific property. For example: Basic first-come Parks huts and tent platforms along the track (carry a tent as backup)
Independent walkers — huts are unbooked, so a tent is essential.
In peak season you book a start date and pay a track fee, and walk north-to-south.
Overland Track booking (Parks Tasmania)For example: Comfortable private huts run by a licensed guided-walk operator
Walkers who prefer a guided trip with catered, heated huts.
The private huts are separate from the public Parks huts.
Licensed guided-walk operatorFor example: Lodges and cabins at the start (Cradle Mountain) and finish (Lake St Clair)
Everyone the night before and after the trek.
Base at Cradle Mountain village before you start.
Nearby lodgingPermits & rules
In the peak booked season you must reserve a start date, pay the Overland Track fee, and walk north-to-south; the public huts are first-come, so always carry a tent. Tasmanian mountain weather is cold and wet in any season — pack for all of it.
Gear you'll want for this trip
Matched to the terrain and conditions here. Real products — check current price on Amazon.
Common questions
Do I need to book a hut on the Overland Track?
No. The public huts and tent platforms run by Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service are first-come, unbooked, so you can't reserve a bunk in advance. That's why carrying a tent as backup is treated as mandatory rather than optional: on a busy night, or if a hut is full when you arrive, the tent platforms are what you fall back on.
What's the difference between the public huts and Cradle Huts?
The public huts are basic, first-come shelters maintained by the park service, with no bookings and no services beyond four walls and a platform to sleep on. Cradle Huts is a separate, licensed guided operation running its own private huts along the same route, offering a more comfortable, supported way to walk the track for hikers who'd rather not self-cater and carry full gear.
When can you hike the Overland Track, and does the direction matter?
During the peak booked season, walkers must reserve a start date, pay the Overland Track fee, and walk north to south, from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair, to keep foot traffic moving one way. Tasmanian mountain weather turns cold and wet at short notice in any season, so check the forecast and pack for conditions well below what's typical lower down.
Complete gearsets for this trip
Full curated kits built for exactly this kind of hike — what to bring, why, and links to similar gear.
Lodging details are compiled from official parks, refuge associations and reservation systems and can change without notice. We publish no prices, availability or ratings — always confirm current information on the official site before booking or setting out. Product links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you; prices and availability are shown on Amazon. See our affiliate disclosure.