Wild Rivers, Rainforest and Glaciated Peaks in Tasmania’s West

Overview

Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park sits in the heart of western Tasmania, within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, about an hour from Strahan and roughly 175 kilometres north-west of Hobart. It is a big, rugged landscape shaped by water, with the Franklin and Gordon rivers cutting through deep valleys, rocky gorges and dense forest.

Much of the park is remote country, but even from the Lyell Highway you get a strong sense of what makes it special. Tannin-dark water, steep mountain country and thick rainforest all come together here, and the change from river flats to alpine country gives the park an unusually broad range of scenery in one place.

Highlights

The park’s character is defined by its wild river systems. The Franklin and Gordon are the best known, but the smaller creeks and tributaries matter just as much, feeding cascades, carving rock and keeping water as a constant presence across the landscape.

Scenically, this is a park of strong contrasts. Along the highway there are views into glaciated country, including the unmistakable bulk of Frenchmans Cap, while deeper inside the park the Denison Range and places like Lake Rhona show a quieter alpine side. On the lower Gordon, the broad dark river, still water reflections and stands of ancient conifers give the landscape a very different feel again.

Best Time to Visit

Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park can be visited at any time of year, but the best season depends on what you want from the landscape. Warmer months usually bring longer daylight and clearer conditions for seeing the park’s mountains, rivers and forest in full. Cooler months can be especially atmospheric on the Gordon, with mist sitting low over the water and the rainforest looking at its richest.

This is western Tasmania, so conditions can shift quickly in any season. For many people, spring through autumn is the easiest time to appreciate the park’s variety, from river valleys and waterfalls to the more exposed alpine country.

Plants and Animals

The park supports a striking mix of vegetation, including extensive wet temperate rainforest, buttongrass moorland and eucalypt forest. That spread of habitats is part of what gives the place its distinct look, from closed, mossy forest beside the rivers to open moorland and higher mountain country.

Ancient conifers are part of the park’s botanical story, especially along the Gordon River where Huon pines are a well-known feature. The lower Gordon also supports a rich riparian flora, including a number of Tasmanian endemic plant species. Animal life includes species such as the azure kingfisher and Tasmanian pademelon, both associated with the river country.

Culture and Heritage

This park forms part of a broader Aboriginal cultural landscape within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, where Aboriginal people have lived in, used, managed and modified the landscape for at least 35,000 years. That long connection is reflected in the history of burning that helped shape buttongrass moorlands, as well as the use of caves and rock shelters in this part of Tasmania.

The Gordon and Franklin country also carries more recent heritage tied to Tasmania’s conservation history. The lower Gordon has long been recognised for its natural and cultural significance, and the wider Franklin-Gordon area became central to the conflict over hydro-electric development in the late twentieth century.