The Mount Eliza Plateau Trail is a Spectacular Tassie Day Hike That Lets You Touch the Clouds

The Eliza Plateau Trail in Southwest National Park is an 11km day hike every bit worth the aching legs, as it delivers expansive views of Lake Pedder below and Mt Anne above.

We Are Explorers acknowledges that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Palawa people who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

Quick Overview

Mount Eliza can be done as an 11km return hike which takes 6-7 hours, ascends 900m in elevation, and is rated Grade 4. There’s an option to camp at the top if you’d like to spend the night, or continue on the challenging 3-5 day Mount Anne circuit.

Hi Mt Anne!

Mount Eliza Facts

Distance: 11km
Duration: 6-7 hours
Elevation gain: 900m
Nearest town: Maydena

About Mount Eliza

Southwest National Park is the ever untamed corner of Tasmania, where the weather groans and whips, and the lakes are larger, the mountains taller, and the villages smaller. I found the nature around me to be totally captivating, and recommend you stay in the area for at least a weekend to experience the beauty from sunrise to sunset.

With minimal development, there are only a few lodges and restaurants in the area, and a few campgrounds dotted throughout.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

Mount Eliza History

The natural history of Mount Eliza begins millions of years ago with volcanic activity creating the hard metamorphic rocks that are now the quartzite centres of these enduring peaks. Receding ancient glaciers slowly carved away the surrounding valleys and lakes, leaving behind the remarkable peaks and plateaus, which are all now a part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Mount Eliza, along with the wider Southwest National Park, are the traditional lands of the Palawa Aboriginal people, with archeological sites and oral histories demonstrating their use of the lower slopes for hunting and gathering. Tread softly and with respect for the spiritual significance of the peaks above.

Traversing to Mount Eliza Plateau took a path along an informal footpad until recent years. Now, the trail is easy to follow over wooden planks and a very, very long set of stairs that guide you up and up the steep ascent.

The area is popular with climbers who nimbly skirt around the summit to popular climbing routes.

How to Get to Mount Eliza

The only way to get to Mount Eliza is by car, or bike if you’re so inclined.

It’s a two hour drive from Hobart through quaint towns and ever-growing mountains that erupt into the sky in dramatic fashion.

From Hobart, head north along the River Derwent, then follow it around west and continue along the B61 to Maydena. Maydena is the last place to get fuel and any other snacks and supplies you may need. Maydena is also a mountain biking Mecca and place to explore on its own merit, so consider stopping if you have time.

Turn off at Scotts Peak Dam Road and continue until you reach the trailhead where there’s space to park and sign the trail register before you begin.

Where to Stay at Mount Eliza

You have the choice to camp at the top of Mount Eliza, on the plateau before the rocky scramble to the summit, or down below like I did.

Spot the tents!

I stayed at the closest campground, which is the free Edgar Dam campground (although it’s temporarily closed) which is small and peaceful with toilets, fire pits, and access to the lake to swim. Which you should do butt naked at sunrise, not speaking from experience or anything.

Not too far up the road is Huon Campground which provides the same facilities bar the lake, and doesn’t require a booking. Though for this one you’ll need a valid Parks Pass.

Camping on the plateau wasn’t something I realised was an option until I arrived at the top, and going back down and up again to collect my gear wasn’t something I was prepared to do. The view is extraordinary, and there’s a small hut for emergencies and a toilet.

If you want to camp at the top you must be prepared as the weather is unforgiving and unpredictable. On my descent, heavy black clouds enveloped the summit and when I awoke the next morning and peered up from below they were still there. It must have been a cold night up above.

Skill Level

Intermediate-Advanced

Mount Eliza is considered an intermediate hike. While the route is easy to follow, the elevation is significant and the scramble at the very top is difficult. As I was alone, I didn’t reach the very top of the scramble, so know your limits and bring a friend if possible.

There’s no water source once you begin so bring all you need, and no matter the weather when you depart, bring warm clothes as conditions can change quickly.

There’s no wheelchair access for Mount Eliza.

Essential Gear for Mount Eliza

• A Tasmanian National Parks Pass
• Hiking boots
• 2L of water
• Lunch and snacks
• First aid kit
• Toilet paper
• PLB
• Extra layers
• Wet weather gear
• Hat and sunscreen

Read more: Overnight Hiking Packing List: 20+ Must-Have Hiking Essentials

What it’s Like to Hike to the Eliza Plateau

My trip to Tasmania was on a whim. I’d planned a hike up Mount Barney in South East Queensland and to my dismay it rained. It was to continue to rain heavily for the next week no matter where I checked the forecast in the state.

What about other states? I mused. I opened the weather forecast map and beaming back at me across the whole of Tasmania were yellow balls of sunlight. I booked my flight for the next morning.

I started my journey doing the free version of the Three Capes track, then drove across into Southwest National Park. In my little rental car totally unequipped for any off-track adventures, I was grateful for the paved road that led all the way to the trailhead of Mount Eliza.

I arrived at the trailhead well after midday, but in summer in Tasmania you’re blessed with sunlight until 9pm, so I wasn’t concerned I’d run out of daylight anytime soon.

The path is fairly straightforward so you don’t need to be concerned about losing your way. My legs were already a shell of themselves after three days of hiking the Capes, but I was taken over by awe at the view unfurling itself before my eyes with each step, and some deep inner force hungry for more hurtled me up the slope.

The trail followed the ridge and exposed rock in between the alpine heath, leading me along the spine of an ancient creature to the sleeping head of jagged rocks at the top.

I reached the campsite just before the scramble up the fragmented stone to the summit begins, and had a break. There’s ample room to have a snack, use the toilet, check out the hut, and importantly, ask others that are coming down where the route to the top is.

It’s quite difficult to find the easiest way up and more than a few times I progressed only to reach impassable sections. There are cairns (rock stacks) marking the way, but they aren’t reliable and blend in with the rest of the loose stone.

I met some Colombian travellers and went with them, as climbing isn’t one of my strong points. They told me about a food festival in Hobart that had the best empanadas they’ve had since leaving home. I went the next day and can confirm, the empanadas were delicious.

We helped each other up the rock ledges and gawked as a rock climber practically glided up the scramble right by us with his heavy pack of ropes. He notified us that we weren’t taking the easy route, but he was gone before we could ask where the easy one was.

In the end we decided to stop on a large rock ledge to take in the view and some photos before heading back down. I could see on my map that we were only a few metres away from the plateau at the top and decided that was near enough.

I intentionally dawdled the whole way back down so I could catch the sunset and it was entirely worth it. The golden light lit up Mount Anne behind me, the tallest peak in the area, and eventually a dark cloud swallowed up the summit and crept down behind me until I hopped back in the car and drove off into the night.

Tips For Hiking Mount Eliza

• The view really steals the show on this trail so I recommend picking a day with clear skies. As the entire trail is very exposed, it’d be a miserable time anyhow in inclement conditions
• Despite the forecast the weather changes rapidly, so be prepared for the worst
• You don’t need to book any campsites in advance unless you’re attempting the Mount Anne Circuit
• The trailhead for Mount Eliza and campsites are remote, so stock up in Maydena or Hobart before you set off

Keep Climbing Those Tassie Mountains

• Is Mt Murchison Tasmania’s Best Day Hike?
• My Climb Up Mt Amos in Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park
• Mt Anne – Summiting The Queen of Tasmania’s Southwest
• My Day Hike to the Top of Tasmania’s Mount Rufus