Bishop and Clerk is a 14.5km, grade 4 hike located in Maria Island National Park, Tasmania. The hike should take around 5 hours to complete.
Hike overview
Located in the Maria Island National Park, this challenging walk offers exhilarating cliff-top and ocean views. It is for the physically fit, and involves an up and downhill walk, through an extensive field of rock boulders.
Highlights
These towering dolerite columns are so named because of the resemblance to a bishop, wearing a mitre, being followed by a clergyman. The walk takes you from grasslands, through open forest and tall woodland, to the rocky slopes and finally the summit.
The summit is often cloaked in a layer of cloud. Remarkably, species commonly found in the wet rainforests of the west also occur in tiny pockets on the summit due to the microclimatic conditions.
Needless to say, the views from the summit are magnificent, as our Virtual Visit Panorama shows.
Route and GPX file
Max elevation: 583 m
Min elevation: 3 m
Total climbing: 873 m
Total descent: -873 m
For more information about this hiking trail please visit Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania
Tips
Park entry fees apply, ferry charges and camping fees apply.
Picnic, toilet and gas barbecue facilities. There are no shops on the island. Basic hut and camping accommodation (own bedding, stove and food required).
Steep and difficult.
Supervise children, hazardous cliffs, unprotected track edges, rock screed scramble.
Pets or firearms not allowed. Bicycles are permitted to the point where the Bishop and Clerk track departs from the Fossil Cliffs track.
Trail location
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Gallery
If you have any photos from this hike and are happy to share them, please upload your .jpg files here.
Please note: Uploading photos does not transfer ownership of copyright away from you. If requested, you will be credited for any photos you provide and can ask they be deleted at any time.
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Explore Safe
While planning your hike, it’s important to check official government sources for updated information, temporary closures and trail access requirements. Before hitting the trail, check local weather and bushfire advice for planned burns and bushfire warnings and let someone know before you go. Plan ahead and hike safely.
Let someone know
Adventure with peace of mind: Fill out your trip intentions form. Before you hit the trail, fill out an online form to privately send important details about your hike to your family or friends. If you don’t return on time, they can easily alert emergency services, preventing worry and ensuring a swift response. Hike with peace of mind and enjoy your outdoor adventure to the fullest. Be smart, be safe: Register your plans here.
Gear to consider
My free planning, food and packing checklists provide an introduction to things your could consider (as well as the Ten Essentials) on your day, overnight and multi-day adventures. Customise your kit according to your personal needs, always considering safety first.Â
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Acknowledgement of Country
Trail Hiking Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we hike and pay respects to their Elders, past and present, and we acknowledge the First Nations people of other communities who may be here today.
3 Reviews on “Bishop & Clerk Hike (14.5km)”
Logan Humphrey