Duckhole Lake Walk is a 4.4km, grade 2 hike located in the Southwest National Park, Tasmania. The hike should take around 1.5 hrs to complete.

Length: 4.4km

Duration: 1.5 hrs

Grade: 2

Style: Return

Start: Coal Hill Road

End: Coal Hill Road

Location: Southwest National Park

Closest town: Southport

Tasmania

From state capital: 110km

Longitude: 146.89198136329654

Latitude: -43.373182372610806

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Hike overview

The feature of this short and easy there-and-back walk is the idyllic Duckhole Lake. The 4.2km track, most of which is boardwalk, follows a stream through regrowth forest to the lake.

Lying within the Southwest National Park the delightfully tranquil lake is actually a flooded sinkhole. It is part of the extensive regional cave and karst system that includes Hastings Caves. The lake is a peaceful place to sit and listen to the birds and frogs while you have a picnic.

The track follows a late 19th century sawmill tramway for much of the way, and remnants of the tramway can be seen.

This walk is co-managed by Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service and Sustainable Timber Tasmania.

Highlights

This walk makes an enjoyable addition to a visit to the Hastings Caves or a drive along Forestry Tasmania's Arve River Forest Drive.

The walk takes you through a forest of stringybarks and rainforest species such as sassafras and myrtle, and sections of tea tree swamp. The track follows a late 19th century sawmill tramway for much of the way, and remnants of the tramway can be seen.

For more information about this hiking trail please visit Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania

Route and GPX file

Total distance: 4397 m
Max elevation: 159 m
Min elevation: 124 m
Total climbing: 74 m
Total descent: -74 m

Download file: Duckhole-Lake-Walk.gpx

Tips

Park entry fees apply.

Picnic table at lake. Toilets, cafe, picnic and barbecue facilities and thermal swimming pool are located at Hastings Caves State Reserve approximately 7.5km from Duckhole Lake car park.

Level track suitable for all age groups.

Supervise children, water in creeks and lakes.

No pets, firearms or bicycles.

Trail location

Getting there

Duckhole Lake is located south of Dover. From here, continue south on the Huon Highway (A6) for 7.5km to the township of Strathblane. Once you reach the Esperance River bridge continue for a further 2.9km, then turn right at the intersection on the Darcy Link. Keep left via Creekton Road for a total of 8km until you reach the carpark opposite the track head.

An alternative access is via the Hastings Caves Road and Chestermans Road. This route is only accessible with a 4 Wheel Drive vehicle. It is narrow with steep side slopes and can be slippery at times.

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Gallery

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About the region

Tasmania’s largest expanse of wilderness is located in Southwest National Park – a remote and rugged landscape in the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Home to majestic Huon pine, sassafras, celery top and myrtle, the region is awash with the distinctive fragrances of the Tasmanian forest.

The Gordon River Road is a narrow ribbon through the largely untracked region of forests, imposing mountain ranges and buttongrass plains, providing access to the vast expanses of Lake Pedder and Lake Gordon.

In Southwest National Park, you’ll find one of Tasmania’s most challenging wilderness walks, the multi-day South Coast Track. There are also endless shorter walks to take you up and over mountains and out to the coast. For a real ‘ends-of-the-Earth’ experience, travel to Australia’s southernmost point accessible by road, Cockle Creek, where a day walk to South Cape Bay allows walkers to immerse themselves in the raw power of this wilderness landscape.

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