Duckhole Lake, Tasmania | Hidden Short Walk
A scenic hidden gem found within Tasmania's Southwest National Park. If you're in the area, take the time to stop by. Plan to bring a picnic or bite to eat, there's a perfect spot to set up at the end of the walk.
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Perhaps the most difficult part of this walk is getting there. You'll never stumble across this by chance. I recommend pairing this with Hastings Caves as you'll unlikely be this far south in Tasmania for much else.
There are two ways to access the walk, from the North and from the South. Both are explained below.
Accessing Duckhole Lake from the North
You'll want to travel south on the Huon Highway (A6) and turn off at Darcy Link Road (see image) and take then take Creekton Road to the walk. Once you hit the turn off and have maps open, you really can't go wrong. Our youtube video has a map from 2min 48seconds in. View that if you want to be confident you know where to go.
Accessing Duckhole Lake from Hastings Caves (South)
If you're visiting Hastings Caves, this is the best way to go, but is only designed for 4WD vehicles. You will drive past the caves information centre and take a right up Creekton Road as shown in the pin above. There is another road called Chestermans Road that is slightly shorter, but I've never travelled this and can't speak to if a 2WD will be okay.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Duckhole Lake walk. You'll walk along forest trails and boardwalk for approximately 2.1km before reaching the lake where you'll be greeted with a bench seat and opening in the trail that is suitable for a picnic.
The walk has a gentle incline, totalling 41m in elevation across the 2.1km, making it suitable for any walker. I was surprised by the variety of trail given how short the walk was. I encountered board walk of various kinds, a wooden bridge, mud, rocks, and dry ground.
Once I arrived, I made sure to take a dip, although after doing so, I wouldn't recommend swimming here. It sounded great in theory, but once I arrived, there really isn't a view of anything from the water. Added to this, the water was full of tadpoles, muddy on entry, and red from the tannin. Next time, I'll stick to the bench seat and enjoy a picnic.
As I've mentioned, this is not a walk to do in isolation. I repeat, do not travel all the way from Hobart (or further) just to do this walk. Pair it with Hastings Caves, a visit to Geeveston, Hartz Peak or anything else you find in the area. The walk itself can be completed quite quickly, in just under an hour, which makes the long drive feel exhausting in comparison. I will mention that the drive is an experience in itself. Windows down summer days sort of vibes.
Overall, would I recommend it? Of course. Just don't do it by itself.
If you'd like to visualise the walk, you can view my Strava route below.
Want to see it for yourself? View it on our Youtube channel!
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Yes you can. Would I recommend it? No. Full of tadpoles, muddy and the reddest water I've ever seen.
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Yes, as you're entering into Tasmania's Southwest National Park, you will need to purchase a parks pass from Parks and Wildlife Tasmania. If you're only travelling for a day, a day pass will be sufficient. If you plan on visiting multiple parks in your holiday, a holiday pass would be more suitable. If you're a local, what are you doing, grab an annual pass already.
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A concise summary of Duckhole Lake, a hidden short walk tucked away in Southern Tasmania. Best paired with a visit to Hastings Caves.