A day in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is organised around the shuttle. The road from the visitor centre to Dove Lake is narrow and winding, so visitors leave the car at the visitor centre and ride in, with stops at the Interpretation Centre and Rangers Station, Snake Hill, Ronny Creek and Dove Lake. Private cars can only use the handful of spaces at Dove Lake outside shuttle operating hours. That is the trade-off: while the buses run, you plan around the timetable, not the car.
The shuttle ticket is separate from the park pass. Children under 18 ride free, and adults pay a shuttle fee unless they hold a Cradle Mountain Icon Parks Pass or an Overland Track Pass. If you have walked into the park, you can ride between or leave from Snake Hill, Dove Lake and Ronny Creek without a ticket, although rides in from the visitor centre and ranger station still need one.
Just inside the park entrance, the Interpretation Centre and Rangers Station has informative displays and an art gallery. The Pencil Pine Falls and Rainforest walk is a 10-minute circuit on a flat, even surface with no steps or steep sections, and it is suitable for wheelchair users who have someone to assist them. The shuttle buses are low-floor and wheelchair accessible, and accessible facilities are available at key stops, including the Dove Lake Viewing Shelter. TrailRider all-terrain wheelchairs are also available at Cradle Mountain.
Family FAQ
How much does Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park cost?
Everyone needs a valid national park pass to enter Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
Is there parking at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park?
Park at the visitor centre and take the shuttle in; campervans, motorhomes, caravans and trailers are never allowed on Dove Lake Road.