Mount Field is one of the few places in Tasmania where a first visit can move from cool temperate rainforest to exposed alpine country in the same day. The lower park is easy to enter, with Russell Falls only a short walk from the visitor centre. Higher up, the road to Lake Dobson changes the character completely.
If the weather is settled and you have a full day, the Tarn Shelf is the reason to keep climbing. If it is not, the lower waterfall walks are substantial enough to justify the trip on their own.
How to get there
Mount Field National Park is just over an hour north-west of Hobart, travelling through New Norfolk and Westerway. The visitor centre and Russell Falls are at the lower entrance to the park.
Lake Dobson is another 16 km beyond the visitor centre on a winding unsealed road. Allow about 30 minutes for this section. The road can close in snow, chains may be required in winter conditions, and it is not suitable for buses or campervans.
Check the Lake Dobson Road status before committing to an alpine walk. The lower park remains useful even when conditions higher up are poor.
What to see and do
Russell Falls
Russell Falls is the natural first stop. The Grade 1 track is 1.4 km return and takes about 25 minutes, following a sealed path through tall trees and fern-filled forest to the tiered waterfall.
It is one of Tasmania's easiest major waterfalls to reach, but it should be treated as the beginning of Mount Field rather than the entire visit.
Three Falls Circuit
If you have a few hours in the lower park, the Three Falls Circuit is the better walk. The 6 km Grade 3 circuit takes around 2 to 2.5 hours and links Russell Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Lady Barron Falls through rainforest and tall eucalypt forest.
Lake Dobson and the Tarn Shelf
Lake Dobson is the starting point for Mount Field's alpine country. From here, the Tarn Shelf circuit is 12 km and normally takes 5 to 6 hours. It is a Grade 3 walk, but the exposed setting makes weather more important than the grade suggests.
The route crosses a landscape of glacial tarns, snow gums and alpine moorland, with Twilight Tarn and its historic hut along the way. In autumn, Tasmania's deciduous beech, or fagus, can bring patches of gold and orange to the high country.
There is a shorter return option to part of the Tarn Shelf from the ski-field area, but if conditions are good and you have the daylight, the full circuit gives the landscape room to unfold.
How much time to allow
A full day is ideal if you want to experience both halves of Mount Field.
The Tarn Shelf circuit alone takes most of the day once the drive to Lake Dobson is included. If you only have a half day, stay in the lower park and combine Russell Falls with the Three Falls Circuit rather than rushing the alpine section.
Practical notes
- A valid Tasmania parks pass is required.
- The Lake Dobson Road is unsealed, narrow and subject to snow closures.
- The Lake Dobson Road is not suitable for buses or campervans.
- Alpine weather can change quickly. Carry warm and waterproof layers even when the lower park is mild.
- Allow enough daylight for the Tarn Shelf circuit and turn around if conditions deteriorate.
- Check current park alerts and road conditions before leaving the visitor centre.
A suggested plan
Arrive early and walk to Russell Falls first. If the alpine forecast is settled and the Lake Dobson Road is open, drive up and make the Tarn Shelf the main walk of the day.
If conditions are poor higher up, stay in the lower park and walk the Three Falls Circuit instead. Mount Field is one of the rare destinations where the fallback is still a worthwhile day.