Hartz Peak is close enough to Hobart for a day trip, but the final section feels much further away. The forest falls behind, glacial tarns appear beside the track and the view opens towards the mountains of Tasmania's south-west.
The summit is the obvious objective, but the useful thing about Hartz Mountains National Park is that you can shorten the day without wasting the drive. Lake Esperance and Hartz Pass are worthwhile turnarounds when cloud, wind or snow makes the peak a poor decision.
How to get there
Hartz Mountains National Park is about 1.5 hours south-west of Hobart via Geeveston. From Geeveston, follow Arve Road for about 13 km to the signed Hartz Mountains junction, then continue another 13 km on an unsealed road into the park.
The Hartz Peak walk begins from the large car park at the end of the road. Conditions at the trailhead can be very different from Geeveston, so use the drive in as a weather check rather than assuming the forecast below will match the plateau.
What to see and do
Waratah Lookout
The five-minute, 300 m return walk to Waratah Lookout is the quickest introduction to the park. It is useful before the main walk because it gives you a first look at the surrounding country and the cloud sitting over it.
Lake Esperance
Lake Esperance is 3.4 km return and normally takes 1.5 to 2 hours. The Grade 3 track passes through alpine vegetation to a glacial lake beneath the higher ridges.
If conditions are marginal, this is a sensible destination in its own right rather than a consolation prize.
The route starts on formed alpine track and boardwalk before reaching the dark glacial lake. It is a useful point to assess cloud level, wind and footing before committing to the exposed climb towards the pass.
Hartz Pass
Hartz Pass is 6 km return and takes about 3.5 hours. The track steepens beyond Ladies Tarn before reaching the pass, where the route divides towards Hartz Peak and Hartz Lake.
This is another good decision point. If visibility is disappearing or the wind is building, the pass is the place to turn around.
Beyond Lake Esperance, the track passes Ladies Tarn and climbs more steeply towards the pass. The terrain becomes rockier and more exposed, and the pass is the last obvious place to turn around before the final summit section.
Hartz Peak
The full Hartz Peak walk is 7.4 km return, with about 400 m of climbing, and normally takes 3 to 5 hours. It is Grade 4 and finishes at 1,254 m.
In clear weather the summit looks across the south-west wilderness towards peaks including Federation Peak and Precipitous Bluff. The final section is exposed and should only be treated as the objective when the weather allows it.
The summit itself is less than a kilometre beyond the pass, but that final distance includes the roughest part of the route. Expect rock hopping and a short scramble rather than a maintained summit path all the way to the top.
How much time to allow
Allow half a day for the Hartz Peak walk itself and closer to a full day from Hobart once the drive, short lookouts and weather stops are included.
Do not build a tight schedule around a summit time. The value of Hartz is that Lake Esperance and Hartz Pass give you natural alternatives if the mountain closes in.
Practical notes
- A valid Tasmania parks pass is required.
- The final 13 km road into the park is unsealed.
- Hartz Peak is a Grade 4 alpine walk and severe weather can occur at any time of year.
- Snow can cover the track and make navigation difficult or the route impassable.
- Carry warm and waterproof layers even when conditions are mild in Geeveston.
- Record your walking intentions and be prepared to turn back.
- The route becomes progressively more exposed beyond Lake Esperance. Reassess conditions at Hartz Pass rather than treating reaching the summit as automatic.
- Snow can cover track markers and make navigation difficult even when the distance is modest.
A suggested plan
Drive in early and make the quick stop at Waratah Lookout. Continue to the road-end car park and walk through Lake Esperance towards Hartz Pass.
Make the summit decision at the pass. In settled conditions, continue to Hartz Peak. If the weather has deteriorated, turn around there and keep the day as a strong alpine walk rather than forcing the final climb.