14 Fantastic Nature Walks in Tasmania Up North

Time and time again, I say that nature in Tasmania is the best thing about it. It’s hard not to love its dense wilderness and the sheer variety of environments it contains. Occasionally, you may experience this nature while driving or while cruising on a boat. Most of the time, though, the best way to see Tasmania at its best is with a good old-fashioned walk. And it’s certainly not hard to find incredible nature walks in Tasmania, especially in the state’s north.

Just to be clear, we’re not talking about big hikes in Tasmania, where you spend hours dragging your body around mountains. These are more places where you can go bushwalking in Tasmania and enjoy the lush nature at your own pace.

To show you what I mean, I’ve put together over a dozen of my favourites as a useful starting point. Quite a few of the below are mentioned in the iconic list of 60 Great Short Walks of Tasmania, which I’d recommend to locals and tourists alike, and many are from northwest Tasmania, where I’ve spent more time. So, let’s see them, shall we?

Cradle Mountain

No one should be surprised by the inclusion of Cradle Mountain when we’re talking about walking trails in Tasmania.

It is one of the state’s most popular attractions after all. But while so many people who visit Cradle Mountain spend their time doing its longer hikes, there are some shorter walks to be enjoyed here as well.

Both the Dove Lake and Crater Lake Circuits may not be overly taxing, but they do take a few hours to complete. Shorter alternatives at Cradle Mountain include the boardwalk at Ronny Creek with its wombats, the Enchanted Forest Walk, and the walks to both Knyvet Falls and Pencil Pine Falls.

For most of these, you can just turn around when you feel like it and do them in under an hour.

Related: A Day in Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania

Leven Canyon

Despite how well this natural attraction is signposted, Leven Canyon isn’t especially well-known among interstate and international visitors.

This plunging canyon along the Leven River is covered in thick forest and features several trails with fantastic landscape views. Just a word of warning: don’t tackle the Canyon Floor Track if you’re after an easy walk, because it isn’t easy.

It’s often regarded as one of the great walks of Tasmania, particularly thanks to the massive staircase that joins the paths to the Cruickshanks and Edge Lookouts. While the views are better along the top path of its loop, the lower path is submerged within giant ferns that create a cool atmosphere.

In total, the main loop should take you just under an hour if you start with the top path, because that way you go down its staircase and not up.

Related: A Nature Walk With a View at Leven Canyon, Tasmania

Fern Glade

A nice little place that’s great for the whole family is Fern Glade Reserve. This peaceful spot is found just on the outskirts of Burnie, along the slow-moving Emu River. Fern Glade really lives up to its name, with giant ferns lining both sides of the water. The path here is very level as it follows the river, but there is a circuit you can go do that takes up to an hour. Even the short 15 minute path is nice though, especially as there’s a chance to spot platypus in the water.

Warrawee Forest Reserve

A new favourite of mine for a gentle short walk in Tasmania is the peaceful Warrawee Forest Reserve.

Found just outside the town of Latrobe near Devonport, this little-known spot is absolutely enchanting. Warrawee is actually an emerging mountain biking destination, with a range of tracks through the bush here. However, it’s the flat and comfortable path along the banks of the Mersey River that walkers will be following.

Views along the river here feel like they’ve been pulled from a landscape painting. There’s also a decent chance of spotting some wildlife, from pademelons in the undergrowth to the occasional platypus paddling about in calm sections of the river. The basic walk takes you from the car park over to a makeshift bridge and back, and generally takes about 30-40 minutes return.

Dooleys Hill

Almost hidden in plain sight, the forest walk of Dooleys Hill behind Latrobe is a convenient but overlooked walk.

I’ve been to Latrobe countless times, but it took me forever to finally see what Dooleys Hill is like. Wide open trails form a figure 8 across the forested hillside here, and it’s hard to believe you’re a stone’s throw from the town when looking around its beautiful forest. 

Multiple access points lead into Dooleys Hill, but likely the most useful is the one at the end of Victor St.

Walks range from gentle 20-minute strolls to a full hour of hill walking, depending on how far you explore. With both, though, you have a good chance of spotting pademelons here in the dozens.

Kimberley’s Lookout

One of the best walks in Tasmania, I had never heard of and only learned about recently, was the Kimberley’s Lookout trail near Sheffield.

Dry bushland covers this steep and rocky range of hills north of Sheffield, with meandering trails leading to a bunch of different lookouts. The main track leads up the reasonably steep hill to the trig point at Kimberley’s Lookout, taking around 45 minutes to reach the top.

Just beyond it lies another lookout with what I’d argue is a superior view, looking towards Mount Roland rather than up to the coast, although all the views here are really quite special. Take the trail north towards Tim’s Lookout, and you’ll find various branch trails to other lookouts. I spent roughly 2.5 hours exploring here and didn’t cover everywhere.

Hiking’s not the only way to explore this area, with sections of the Wild Mersey Mountain Bike Trails passing through on their way to Sheffield from Railton.

Cataract Gorge

Those who visit Launceston are unlikely to miss Cataract Gorge, as it’s one of the city’s most popular attractions.

While it has a Victorian garden and a swimming pool, I do think the nicest thing to do there is go for a wander. The gorge sits along the South Esk River and features some decent cliffs surrounded by plenty of nature.

Because of just how close it is to the centre of town, it may seem strange to call it a day trip from Launceston, but there are enough walks here to keep you plenty busy. Many start with the Zig Zag Trail that takes you from the First Basin towards the city, but there are also walks to Eagles Eyrie Lookout and Sentinel Lookout that are steeper/longer, respectively.

Related: 6 Easy Day Trips from Launceston, Tasmania

Narawntapu National Park

It wasn’t until my second visit to Narawntapu National Park that I really appreciated how interesting a place this is.

The national park sits along the coast between Devonport and the Tamar Valley, and offers a combination of beach and wetlands. Visitors have a choice of paths, from the gentle walk out to the bird hide on the water, to trails that take you to its wide-open beach.

The real selling point of going to Narawntapu National Park is the wildlife, though. Here, there are loads of pademelons in the undergrowth, plus kangaroos, wallabies, snakes, and birds. There are also some longer walks that I’ve yet to do, such as the walk up to Archers Knob. As for hikes, the journey from Narawntapu all the way to Badger Beach Lookout looks like a real challenge that I hope to complete one day.

Related: Why You Should Visit Narawntapu National Park in Tasmania

Alum Cliffs

Quite similar to Leven Canyon and found much closer to Deloraine and Launceston are the scenic Alum Cliffs. Well-maintained forest trails take you from its rural carpark up onto its lofty cliffs, where you can enjoy impressive views of the Mersey River and the hillside.

Unfortunately, you only get a side-on view of the cliffs from its main viewpoint, but the walk is still worth it. There’s even a chance to spot birds of prey here if you’re lucky. A return walk to the cliffs and back takes less than an hour and is easy despite a slight incline.

Trowutta Arch

It may be one of the shortest walks on this list, but the forest trail to the Trowutta Arch definitely is not to be missed. The Trowutta Arch is a remarkable stone archway that has oversized ferns on one side of it and a series of collapsed caves on the other.

Getting down to this attraction in the Trowutta Caves State Reserve probably only takes 15-20 minutes at a gentle pace, but there’s some fun clambering around to be had behind the arch if you’re feeling adventurous. To me, though, it’s the huge concentration of giant ferns here that you so often find around the island that cements this as one of the most enjoyable short Tasmania walks.

Round Mountain

When exploring the central area of Tasmania’s north, there’s one landmark that’s almost always within view – Mount Roland.

While tackling Mount Roland involves a seriously steep hike, there is a gentler alternative over at Round Mountain. This lookout point at the western end of Mount Roland has a wonderful panorama that most stop here for.

However, there are also a handful of gentle trails that lead from Round Mountain over towards the rest of Mount Roland. The trails do involve quite a lot of uphill walking towards Mount Claude, but it’s nowhere near the difficulty of the full trek up Mount Roland. This may be one of the toughest walks on this list, but the views are definitely worth it.

Devils Gullet

Another of the great walks in Tasmania not to miss is the highland trail to the cliffs at Devil’s Gullet.

The remote location of this spot at the northern edge of the Central Highlands means few find their way here. But those who do are in for a memorable time, as you pass through a forest of burnt trees to reach its viewpoint.

The track here has a few stairs but is not too challenging, with plenty of scenery to distract you along the way. Any doubts about this walk will fade once you reach the eroded cliffs of Devil’s Gullet, because there’s nowhere else quite like it that I’ve seen in Tasmania.

Related: The Wicked Views at Devil’s Gullet in Tasmania

Halls Falls

Many of the best waterfalls in north Tasmania require at least a short walk to reach, but I think the most enjoyable waterfall walk is at Halls Falls.

Sitting close to the east coast and the Bay of Fires, this secluded spot is bursting with natural beauty. The rainforest walk down to the waterfalls sits a little off the Great Eastern Drive and first brings you to a viewpoint over the falls.

Most of the time, the path is comfortably flat except for when it descends to the bottom of the falls. There’s something about the remoteness of this walk that makes it feel special. Of course, there’s also the reward of waterfalls at the end. All told, I think the walk is roughly an hour, but that can easily draw out once you spend time above and below Halls Falls.

Related: Best Waterfalls in North Tasmania to Seek Out

Table Cape

Finally, we have a walk that I came across completely by accident during a recent trip along the Cradle Coast. Table Cape is one of many interesting coastal destinations between Burnie and Stanley, best known for its historic lighthouse.

When I went to visit the Table Cape Lighthouse, I noticed a path and a gate off to the right of the lighthouse. It turns out this trail takes you along the clifftop coastline over to the sweeping panorama of the Table Cape Lookout.

The walk from the lighthouse to the lookout is just under one kilometre in each direction. I had planned to drive between the two originally, but found the undulating trail a more enjoyable alternative. What’s nice is that you get a nice mix of coastal views, rural countryside, and a bit of bush along the trail here. It’s a change of pace from the many forest and waterfall tracks I’ve mentioned.

Do you prefer easy nature walks or more serious hikes when you travel? What are your favourite walks in Tasmania, either up north or anywhere on the island? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.