The Walls of Jerusalem National Park east of the Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair is a beautiful national park known for its alpine vegetation and wildflower displays. Beware though that it is one of the remotest national parks in Tasmania, far less accessible than its neighbouring Cradle Mountain so you have to be experienced and well prepared. Here is some information about the park, and in the end of the page is a map of the area.
Geology, Alpine Vegetation and Alpine Animals The Walls of Jerusalem is known for its dolerite-peaked mountains and signs of its glacial past, like moraines, tarns and glacier lakes. The alpine vegetation includes snow gums and wildflowers; and there are many species of alpine animals. Many of the animals you can see here like platypus and echidna, wombats and possums also live in warmer climate, while Tasmanian Devil is only found in Tasmania.
Accessibility to Walls of Jerusalem National Park The Walls of Jerusalem National Park is not accessible by road, so you have to walk even just to get to the park. There are no facilities for day visitors and to do the long and remote bushwalks you have to be a very experienced bushwalker. You can get to the park by driving the main road west from Launceston. There is a turnoff to Lake Rowallan after Mole Creek. You have to walk to the park from the car park on the Mersey Forest Road near Lake Rowallan. It’s a marked walking track and takes you about ˝ hour. Herods Gate, where the plateau starts, is another 2hrs away.
Remoteness of Walls of Jerusalem From Herod’s gate, there are walks to Dixons Kingdom and Mt Jerusalem (1459 m). It’s a beautiful wild country that doesn’t feel like anywhere near the modern world. But you really need a compass and navigation skills to find your way here, as the wild weather can reduce the visibility to zero and the help is not near if you get lost.
Facilities in Walls of Jerusalem There are no facilities in the park so you have to be fully self sufficient and carry all your gear, food and water. There is a camping ground with toilet near Herod’s Gate. There are a few old huts in the park, but you cannot rely on them so bring your tent. You should also bring warm clothes, a good map and a compass, and register yourself before you start the walk. Tasmanian weather is always changeable and unpredictable, and it can rain at any time of the year.
Here's a map of Walls of Jerusalem National Park where I have tagged the places that I mentioned on this web page. You can click on the tags to see what places they are, and double-click anywhere on the map to zoom it in and see the places closer. Drag the map to move around, and if you want to see the satellite image with Google Earth, click on "Sat" in the top right hand corner.
NOTE: This website is written in British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all correct in the language used in Australia.
