Mount Donaldson Summit Walk (8.4km)

Mount Donaldson Summit Walk is an 8.4 km, grade 4 return hike in Tasmania’s Pieman River State Reserve, typically taking around three hours to complete. It is a rewarding walk that showcases the changing landscapes of the Tarkine, offering a strong sense of place without feeling overly demanding for walkers with a reasonable level of fitness.

The walk begins near the banks of the Savage River and quickly draws you into cool temperate rainforest. Myrtle and eucalyptus dominate the early sections, with mossy ground and filtered light creating a calm, sheltered feel. The track climbs steadily rather than steeply, which makes the ascent feel achievable, though sections can be muddy or worn into shallow channels after rain, so good footwear is important.

As you gain height, the forest gives way to open button grass moorland and a more expansive sense of space. This transition is one of the highlights of the walk, with long views opening up as the summit approaches. Wildlife is often part of the experience, particularly near the lower sections where burrowing crayfish holes are common, and overhead it is not unusual to see wedge tailed eagles riding the air currents.

The summit of Mount Donaldson delivers wide ranging views across the Pieman and Savage Rivers, the rolling hills of Tasmania’s West Coast, and, on clear days, glimpses of the Southern Ocean in the distance. Conditions here can be exposed, and the track can be slippery in wet or windy weather, so it is worth allowing time to layer up and move carefully on the final approach.

For those looking to extend the experience, Mount Donaldson can be linked with the Huon Pine Walk and the Savage River Walk for a longer return journey of around 17 km. This combined route takes eight to ten hours and connects Corinna with Mount Donaldson via the section locally known as the Link Walk, which runs between the SS Croydon shipwreck area and Norfolk Road. Created following the opening of Corinna Wilderness Village in 2005, this link allows walkers to travel through a wide range of forest types and river environments in a single day, making it a rewarding option for those wanting a deeper immersion in the Tarkine landscape.