My Day Hike to the Top of Tasmania’s Mount Rufus

This seven-hour day hike starting from Lake St Clair provides stunning views of the surrounding Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park and left Kayne questioning why he hadn’t done it sooner.

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

Quick Overview

The Mount Rufus track is a 19.2km circuit which starts and finishes at Lake St Clair Visitor Centre in central Tasmania. The challenging – but rewarding – hike takes roughly seven hours with a hefty climb of 792m to reach the summit at 1416m.

Mount Rufus Quick Facts

Distance: 19.2km
Duration: 7 hours
Elevation gain: 792m
Nearest town: Derwent Bridge

About Mount Rufus

Mount Rufus is one of those places that has it all. The 19.2km circuit may sound like a lofty endeavour for the average day hiker but boy it’s worth it.

The 792m climb will have you clambering through forest and scrambling up rocks before opening up to give ridiculous views of central and western Tasmania. Just standard Tassie stuff really.

But the buck doesn’t stop there. On the way back down you’ll pass some impressive dolerite formations, meander through a beautiful valley, wind through a perfectly green rainforest, and pass mirror-like lakes. As far as circuits go, this is a good one.

Lake St Clair History

Chances are you’ve only heard about Lake St Clair because it’s the finish line of the world famous Overland Track. But it’s so much more than that. The walks to the surrounding alpine lakes, ancient rainforests, and challenging peaks (including Mount Rufus) warrant trips of their own.

Heck, even just grabbing a coffee from the award winning visitor centre and hanging out by the lake is worth the 2.5 hour drive from Hobart.

Originally known as Leeawulena (meaning ‘sleeping water’) to the local Palawa people, Lake St Clair is Australia’s deepest freshwater lake. Good things take time, and the millions of years it took moving glaciers to carve out the lake were well worth the while.

How to Get to Mount Rufus

Getting to the trailhead at Lake St Claire is simple. In fact, it’s one of those places that makes its way onto the road signs a good hour before you even reach it. A similar distance from both of Tasmania’s major cities, Hobart (2.5 hours) or Launceston (2 hours and 25 minutes), you have the option of driving yourself or taking a pre-booked tour bus or shuttle (of which there are many).

Both routes will involve travelling through the spectacularly scenic Central Tasmania on the way to Derwent Bridge, the small town at the turn-off to Lake St Clair.

Just after the Hungry Wombat Cafe and just before the Derwent Bridge Wilderness Hotel you’ll take a right off the Lyell Highway onto Lake St Clair Rd. You’ll reach the visitor centre car park ten minutes later.

Where to Stay Near Mount Rufus

While you could commit to a long day trip from Hobart or Launceston, I’d highly recommend making this a weekender.

The most convenient place to stay is the Lake St Clair Lodge, which has a variety of rooms available but is on the pricier end of the scale. A more affordable option is the Lake St Clair Park Centre, which has both powered and non-powered sites as well as a bunkhouse, which you’ll need to bring your own bedding for. Both have access to coin-operated amenities (camp kitchen, toilets, showers, and washing machines).

There are also great options in and around Derwent Bridge with plenty of free or low-cost campgrounds around Lake King William and further up the Lyell Highway.

My favourite option is to stay at the Derwent Bridge Wilderness Hotel. This awesome old-style lodge has both hotel-type rooms, as well as more budget-friendly basic-bushwalker rooms. Both options include a full continental breakfast buffet. You can also free camp in the car park if you have a self-contained camper. Enjoying a beer, a hearty feed, and chats with other hikers beside the huge fire at the adjoining pub is the perfect ending to a day outdoors.

Skill Level

Intermediate

It’s quite the climb and you’ll need to be comfortable dealing with some potentially slippery sections. The route is mostly clear but be prepared to not have any reception once you leave the visitor centre – it’s always a good idea to take a map.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

Essential Gear for Mount Rufus

• Trail runners/hiking boots
• Hat/beanie
• Warm gear 
• Rain jacket
• Swimmers (there are ample opportunities to use them!)
• Water bottle
• First aid kit
• Snacks
• PLB

What It’s Like to Hike Mount Rufus

After making use of the offer to camp for free in the Derwent Bridge Hotel car park – self-contained campers only – we were ready for an early start. With hopes of getting a decent sunrise, we took off at 6am from the Lake St Clair Visitor Center with our coffees and head torches.

Getting to Mount Rufus

We had a quick look at the morning mist over the lake (definitely recommend) before heading to the start of the Mount Rufus Track, roughly ten minutes away from the visitor centre.

The hike started with a comforting stroll through level forest. This was short-lived however and we quickly remembered, ‘Oh shit, that’s right, this is a mountain’, as the track began to steadily incline ahead of us. Climbing up through shrubby bush, we reached the turn-off for the Shadow Lake Loop, which we’d walked a few months back.

This time we had our sights firmly set on the top so we ignored the right-hand turn and headed towards the peak we could see in the distance.

Like every time we’ve climbed a mountain, we called it too early and thought the peak before us was Mount Rufus. We soon realised this was not the case as we clambered up a steep but easy rock scramble to the faux summit. The view from here was pretty spectacular and offered us the perfect spot to brew another coffee as the sunrise started hitting Lake St Clair.

Summiting Mount Rufus

With the gusto of a second coffee and a clearer view of the actual summit, we set off again.

Being surrounded by the remnants of recent snowfall reminded us just how high up we were (1416m to be exact). The astonishing views of the entire surrounding area added to the ‘top of the world’ feeling and we were happy taking our time to the summit.

Once we hit the huge (somewhat problematic if you’re a stickler for the Leave No Trace ethos) cairn at the top of the ridge, we knew we’d made it. And it did not disappoint. The whole Southwest National Park was in full view with all of its impressive peaks and mountain ranges. The view really had it all and we weren’t sure why no one had told us about it sooner.

Heading Back to the Visitor Centre

We soon met some dodgy old duckboard stairs that required equal amounts of concentration and coordination to manoeuvre, but we were rewarded at the bottom with some pretty spectacular and unexpected dolerite formations.

Further on we relived our childhoods and delighted in smashing away ice on the rocks we needed to pass over, as we continued down into a small valley. Its size didn’t take away from its beauty as it funnelled us into a lush green rainforest, complete with ferns, creeks, and mossy logs.

We were then spat out into a flat plain of low-lying dry shrubbery and were thankful for a bit of flat boardwalk after a few hours of constant downhill. The boardwalk met back up with the Shadow Lake track before taking us past Shadow Lake itself (funny that). The lake provided many photo opportunities and a killer lunch spot before our final hour of downhill of the day.

We crossed the bridge where you can take one of the many tracks back to the visitor centre including; Watersmeet Track (straight back to the visitor centre), Platypus Bay (must involve platypus) or the Larmairremener Tabelti (an Aboriginal cultural walk). All well worth it.

Tips For Hiking Mount Rufus

• Don’t forget your swimmers! Taking a dip at any of the alpine lakes around the region, including both Lake St Clair and Shadow Lake, is a great way to start, end, or break up a day on the trails
• Take some loo paper and a trowel. You’ll be out for a full seven or more hours and there are no toilets on the mountain. Remember Leave No Trace guidelines and do your business at least 100 big steps away from any water source – and bury the evidence
• Make sure to pack something warm to make the most of the summit. You’ll be 1416m above sea level and, as with any mountain in Tassie, the weather conditions can change rapidly so you need to be prepared for anything

Read more: How To Poo in The Bush

FAQs Mount Rufus

How long is the Mount Rufus circuit?

The Mount Rufus circuit hike is 19.2km in length.

How high is Mount Rufus?

Mount Rufus is 1416m tall. The hike involves an ascent of 792m to reach the summit.

What other day hikes can you do in Tasmania?

There are heaps of awesome day hikes in Tasmania. Hit up the Tarn Shelf Hike in Mount Field National Park, the Mount Eliza Walk in Southwest National Park, the Mount Roland Hike near Launceston, Bruny Island’s Cape Queen Elizabeth Track, or the Cape Raoul Hike on the Tasman Peninsula.

What are the best multi-day hikes in Tasmania?

There are so many great multi-day hike options in Tassie. Start with the three-day Freycinet Peninsula Circuit, tackle the Three Capes Walk, test yourself at Frenchmans Cap, explore the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, and enjoy the variety of the Overland Track.