Are you planning a Tasmania West Coast Road Trip? The West Coast of Tasmania is one of the most remote, ruggedly beautiful areas in the entire country. Whether it’s wild nature, dense rainforests, waterfalls, or the rich history here, a road trip through Tasmania’s Wild West Coast has something for everyone.
We did a six week Tasmania Road trip with our campervan in early 2024. The wild west coast was some of our favourite country in the whole state.
In this post you’ll learn all the best things to see and do on Tasmania’s West Coast, where to stay, and we’ll also let you know about a couple of detours you might like to add onto your itinerary.
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Getting to Tasmania’s West Coast
We begin this journey in Stanley, which is in the North Western corner of Tasmania.
This blog post outlines a Stanley to Hobart road trip, as that is the way we drove. If you’ve come over to Tassie on the Spirit of Tasmania, you’ll have already visited the North Coast. Like us, you might be planning an anti-clockwise lap of Tasmania.
If you are flying into Hobart, you can rent a car there. We recommend DiscoverCars.com as a great comparison site to find the best available (and best priced) rental car.
You then have two options to visit the wild west coast. You can drive this itinerary in reverse, or, you could drive up the middle of Tasmania to Stanley and then loop back along the west coast. This would allow you to visit Cradle Mountain on the way up.
Best time for a Tasmania West Coast Road Trip
The best time to visit Tasmania is in the summer. Even then you can’t be guaranteed warm weather! We visited Tasmania in January/February and had several nights (and days) that were quite chilly.
Having said that, All of January and the first week of February is school holidays, and this is the busiest time of year. The west coast of Tasmania definitely sees less visitors than the east, but you may still find some accommodations and attractions heavily booked.
Accommodation on West Coast Tasmania
If you want to know the where to stay on the West Coast of Tasmania, remember that this is a remote region, you won’t find a lot of big hotels here. Instead, you’ll find homestays, historic cottages and other unique and interesting accommodation. You can check availability and pricing on booking.com
Free Camping West Coast Tasmania
If you’re travelling with a campervan or caravan and want West Coast Tasmania camping sites, there are plenty of great (often free) places to stay, and we will let you know where we stayed in each place. We used the WikiCamps App to find the best places to park up with our campervan.
Tasmania West Coast Road Trip Itinerary
Day 1 – Stanley
Stanley is one of the prettiest towns in Tasmania, and is dominated by The Nut, an ancient volcanic plug. You can take a chairlift to the top of the Nut and walk out to several lookouts for views over the town and along the north coast.
You don’t want to miss the Stanley Penguins! The best place to see penguins in Stanley is at the Godfreys Beach Penguin Viewing Platform. Head down just after dusk, and make sure to only use red lights, as white light harms the penguins eyes. The viewing platform has built-in red lights and also lighting along the walkway, so if you don’t have your own this is a great way to spot the penguins.
Where to stay in Stanley
You won’t need to look hard for where to stay in Stanley – the town has many historic cottages that have been converted to BnBs.
We camped at the Stanley Recreation Reserve, which was pretty crowded and does not have toilets or showers. You can fill your water tank here and dump your toilet. Camping cost $10 per van. There is also a caravan park in town.
Day 2 – Stanley to Arthur River via Tarkine Drive
Distance: 212km, Driving Time: 3.5 hours
Leaving Stanley head south to Arthur River via the Tarkine Drive. This purpose built road through the ancient Tarkine rainforest was designed to allow visitors to get up close with the rugged nature of this region. At 47,000 sq kilometres, the Tarkine Rainforest is one of the largest cool temperate rainforests on earth.
The Tarkine Rainforest is also an area of historic and cultural significance to the Palawa Indigenous people. If you’re lucky you might even spot some of Tasmania’s rare, unique wildlife, like spotted quolls and the elusive Tasmanian Devil. In fact, this is one of the only areas in the state where the Tassie Devil population is still free of the devastating facial tumour disease.
Hiking in the Tarkine Rainforest
There are plenty of opportunities to hike in the Tarkine. The most popular hike in the Tarkine Rainforest is probably the Trowutta Arch. This geological marvel was created when a cave collapsed, forming a large sinkhole that has now filled with water.
We can also recommend Julius River as some of the best short hikes we did. It really is like hiking in another world, as you make your way through the moss-covered trees, hundreds of years old ferns, and along small rivers. The hikes leave from the Julius River Picnic Area, which has toilets, BBQs and picnic tables.
We stayed at the small campsite at Julius River. There is only enough room for 4 or 5 vans here and you’ll need to be fully self-contained.
Arthur River
The Rainforest is only one half of the Tarkine – this area is also renowned for its wild coastline. The small town of Arthur River is right on the coast where the river flows into the sea.
Make sure you visit The Edge of The World to look out along this wild coast. We were amazed at the size of some of the logs and driftwood that had washed up here (or had they washed down the river?).
We can also recommend a drive out to Nelson Bay, where you can see some ancient Aboriginal middens and rock carvings.
Day 3 – Arthur River to Corinna via the Western Explorer Highway
Distance: 108km, Driving Time: 2 hours (depending on road conditions)
The most direct route from Arthur River south to Corinna is along the Western Explorer Highway. This is not, in fact, a highway, but a 75km unsealed road.
When we drove along here in January 2024 the road condition was fine but we have spoken to other people who said it was very rough. We find chatting to locals or other travellers is the best way to get up to date road condition information. Several sections of this road are very steep, and these sections have been sealed.
The scenery along the Western Explorer Highway is amazing, and even though it was raining the whole way, the mountains were spectacular. You’ll find several lookouts along the way where you can stop for photos.
We camped at one of the pull offs along this road (it is marked on WikiCamps – about 10km before Corinna). This spot was high up on a ridge, and we even had phone reception there.
Corinna
This once bustling gold mining town is now a popular eco-tourism destination. Located on the banks of the Pieman River, Corinna offers visitors a chance to get up close with the untouched nature of the Tarkine Region.
You can do one of the many rainforest walks here, hire a canoe, or take a cruise on the Pieman River in the only Huon Pine river cruiser still operating in the world. The 4.5 hour cruise goes out to the heads, and includes lunch and the opportunity to walk in the rainforest. Cruises operate daily during the summer (December to March) season, and irregularly during the rest of the year. An adult ticket costs $110.73
Where to stay in Corinna
There is plenty of options for accommodation in Corinna at the Corinna Wilderness Village, from renovated miner’s cottages, camping and the old pub.
Day 4 – Corinna to Strahan
Distance: 91km, Driving time: 1.5 hours
You have two options to drive from Corinna to Strahan. Either via the Fatman Barge and Zeehan, or, directly by road via Warratah.
The Fatman Barge is the only cable barge still operating in Tasmania. This short journey across the Pieman River is only available from 9am – 7pm (daylight saving hours) or 9am – 5pm for the rest of the year.
There is a maximum weight limit of 6 Tonnes and overall wheel-base of 9m. If you’re towing a large caravan you probably won’t be able to take the barge.
The barge costs $30 for regular vehicles, and $35 for cars towing trailers. You can pay cash on board, or with card at the reception of the hotel.
Alternative Route via Warratah
If your rig is too large to take the Fatman Barge, return to the north of Corinna and turn right up the C247 to Warratah and then down the A10.
Warratah is an old tin-mining town, and worth a stop to see the waterfall that is close to the centre of town.
OPTIONAL DETOUR: Lake Rosebery and Montezuma Falls
(allow a full day to walk to the falls and relax at the lakeside free camp)
Montezuma Falls is the tallest waterfall in Tasmania, and definitely one of the most spectacular we’ve ever visited. The hike out to the waterfall is long (it’s a 10km return hike), but its fairly flat the whole way, so quite easy.
Just before you arrive at the waterfall, you can walk out onto a suspension bridge which gives you uninterrupted views of the falls.
The Montezuma Falls hike follows an old mining railway, and you can see some of the old sleepers, bridges and even walk into part of an old mine shaft on the way. This is one of the 60 best short walks in Tasmania.
Lake Rosebery is perhaps best known for it’s excellent free camp, which is right on the shore of the lake. This is definitely a Van Life Tasmania Bucket List stop! You’ll need to arrive early to get a spot here. We ended up staying two days, and the second day we were able to move down and get the primo position right on the lake.
The views from Lake Rosebery are epic as you look over to Mt Murchison. We thought this was definitely worth the detour.
Zeehan
Zeehan is a small historic mining town and your first opportunity to get food and fuel since leaving Arthur River. There is a small IGA supermarket here, but not a lot of fresh food. We were able to fill our water tanks at the petrol station. Even though we filled our diesel tank, we were charged $15 for water, which is the most expensive water we bought on our entire lap of Australia!
Day 5 – Strahan
Strahan is the main town of Tasmania’s West Coast and has a lot to offer tourists. The rich history in the Strahan area includes stories from the convict times.
Although Strahan didn’t become a town until the 1870s, a penal colony was established in Macquarie Harbour in the 1820s. The penal colony at Sarah Island was supposed to be even more brutal than Port Arthur!
The colony was established to build ships for the colony due to the abundance of Huon Pine – a lightweight, borer-resistant timber ideal for shipbuilding.
Huon Pines are the oldest tree species in Australia, living for over 3,000 years. Huon Pine trees have been protected since the 1970s, so there is no more logging in the area. You can learn more about the Huon Pine and the logging history at one of the old sawmills in town.
More recently, in the 1980s Strahan was the centre of the successful conservation fight to stop the Gordon below Franklin River dam. The entire area was proclaimed a National Park in 1983.
Things to do in Strahan
One of the most popular things to do in Strahan is the half-day Gordon River Cruise, which takes visitors through “Hell’s Gates” at Macquarie Heads and up the Gordon River to see this World Heritage Wilderness up close. The cruise also includes a guided walk on Sarah Island to learn about the convict history here.
While tickets for the cruise are pricey (from $150 per person), it was one of our favourite things we did our entire time in Tasmania.
Australia’s longest running play, “The Ship that Never Was” tells the story of a daring escape from Sarah Island. In our view, its better to see the play AFTER visiting Sarah Island on the cruise.
We are not big theatre goers, but this play is hilarious, with plenty of audience participation. The play is well worth the $30 admission, and you can bring your own drinks and snacks! The play takes place daily at 5:30pm from September to May. During June and July performances are sporadic – check the website for dates. We bought our tickets at the Strahan Visitor Centre.
Where to stay in Strahan
As the centre of the West Coast Wilderness, there are plenty of options for accommodation in Strahan. We stayed at the Golf Club campsite, which costs $15 per night. There is a toilet here but no showers. There is a water tap here to fill your water tank, and a dump point on the outskirts of town.
Day 6 – Strahan to Derwent Bridge/Lake St Clair
Distance: 126km, Driving time: 2 hours
You will absolutely love the scenery today! The drive from Strahan to Lake St Clair takes you over the mountains, and through a section of road known as the 99 Bends.
Of course, where there’s mountains there’s waterfalls, and you will see some beautiful falls today, with short walks to get to them.
Hogarth Falls
The walk to Hogarth Falls leaves from the People’s Park, which is just outside Strahan. You’ll find toilets in the carpark and an undercover BBQ area.
The Hogarth Falls Walk is a short 2km return hike along a mostly flat, easy path. Along the way you’ll see a lot of the “Manferns” which can be hundreds of years old.
There is a viewing platform at around half the height of the falls, or you can walk down some stairs to the base. You can also take a small path to the top of the falls if you’re feeling sure footed!
You will see signboards along the track that have been created by local school children. Through art and writing, they tell you about the different plants and trees along the walk.
If you’re lucky, you might spot platypus at Hogarth Falls, however, we weren’t so lucky. Perhaps because we were there in the middle of the day, rather than at dawn or dusk when they usually come out.
Queenstown
After an hour or so you will arrive in Queenstown. Queenstown is an old mining town which was founded in 1897 when gold, silver and copper were found in nearby Mt Lyell. Mining was halted in 2014, following a number of fatalities in the mine, but there is talk of reviving work in the mines.
The landscape around Queenstown is quite unique for Tasmania, as the combined results of mining and logging (and fire!) have rendered the mountainsides quite barren. The hills look quite orange and it’s so different to the pristine wilderness we had become used to on the rest of the west coast.
There is a lot of mining history in this town, with a mining museum and mine tours.
West Coast Wilderness Railway
The most popular attraction is the West Coast Wilderness Railway, an old steam train that makes the journey through the mountains to Strahan. The railroad was originally built to carry the minerals from the mines down to the port at Strahan. Three of the five original locomotives (dating from the 19th century!) are still in operation.
The train takes you through the remote wilderness, giving you access to places that are otherwise inaccessible. You’ll stop several times on the way at viewpoints to enjoy the views.
There are several options on this train journey including the Heritage carriage, and Wilderness carriage, which have different levels of comfort and catering.
*NOTE* Sadly the full journey between Queenstown and Strahan is currently unavailable as work is continuing on the middle of the line. A shorter journey between Queenstown and Rinadeena is available
Tickets are available from the website, or at the Queenstown Railway Station.
We decided not to do this train ride as we felt the price tag was expensive for the shortened trip. We hope will be able to enjoy the full experience next time. As of February 2026, it is still uncertain when the full line will be re-opened. Watch this space!
Iron Blow Lookout
Just outside of Queenstown is one of the most visible reminders of the town’s mining past. The Iron Blow is a mining pit which left a large hole in the ground that has filled with water. We found this sight fascinating and a bit disturbing when we considered mankind’s impact on the beautiful wilderness.
Horsetail Falls
Horsetail Falls is a seasonal waterfall, on the side of Mount Owen. When we were there it was barely a trickle, but some Instagram friends visited a couple of weeks later after rain and it was thundering!
The Horsetail Falls Walk takes you along a steel boardwalk on the side of the bare mountain. The walk is just over 1km and there are a few stairs on the way. As the falls weren’t running when we visited, we definitely felt this was a case of “journey being better than the destination”.
Nelson Falls
Nelson Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls we have ever seen. You can reach the falls by a short walk down a well-formed gravel path, mixed with boardwalk. The path follows the creek and along the way there are several places to stop and look at the creek. There is a viewing platform halfway along the creek.
The path forks with the left continuing along a boardwalk and the right being a slightly rougher gravel track. The two tracks meet up again after 25 metres or so.
You will arrive at the viewing platform at the base of the falls and stare up in wonder. There is a small gap in the fence you can sneak through to get closer, if you want to take a photo of the falls with a person in it. I loved this perspective.
This walk is only around 1km and takes around 20 minutes, plus time for photos. You’ll also see an interesting information shelter at the beginning of the walk, telling you all about the plant life in the area, and also the history of the area.
Derwent Bridge & Lake Saint Clair
Lake Saint Clair and the neighbouring town of Derwent Bridge is almost slap-bang in the centre of Tasmania. The lake is the deepest lake in Australia, and forms the southern boundary of the Cradle Mountain – Lake Saint Clair National Park.
Lake St Clair is popular with outdoor adventurers and there are many hikes in this area. Derwent Bridge is only a small settlement, with a visitor centre and a pub. There is accommodation here if you’d like to break up your journey. We stayed at the free camp at Lake King William – which was absolutely stunning.
Day 7 – Lake St Clair to Mt Field National Park
Distance: 118km, Driving Time: 1 hr 45 min
Heading south east from Derwent Bridge you’ll drive back into civilization, as farmland and small settlements come into view. You’ll pass through the town of Ouse, where you can get fuel, and there is a small IGA supermarket here.
I asked the lady in the IGA how to pronounce the name of the town, expecting her to say It was like house without the H. But no. It is actually pronounced Ooze.
Mt Field National Park
Mt Field National Park is only a short drive from Hobart, and very popular with local visitors, especially on weekends. The park is famous for it’s waterfalls (particularly Russell Falls) and the incredibly tall trees.
We did the Three Falls Circuit walk, which is a 6km loop taking in Russell Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Lady Baron Falls. While Russell Falls is definitely the highlight of this hike, we loved walking through the rainforest and especially marvelling at the incredibly tall trees along the way. You can take an optional detour through the Tall Trees Link Track to get even closer to some of these amazing giants.
If you do this walk anti-clockwise you will start with Russell Falls, then pass Horseshoe Falls and finally Lady Barron Falls. If you walk anti-clockwise, you will also need to walk up the two sets of steps, both are over 200 steps.
Walking clockwise will allow you to save the best for last, and walk down the sets of steps. If you’re like me, and have bad knees, you might prefer to walk up the steps.
Where to stay in Mt Field National Park
There are several options for accommodation around Mt Field National Park (there is a small town called National Park nearby). There is a Parks campsite just near the visitor centre, which has toilets but no showers. Sites here are $20 a night.
Even if you’re not staying in the campsite, there is a water tap in the day use area if you need to fill your water tanks.
We preferred to stay at the National Park Hotel campsite. Sites here are $25 but that is redeemable at the pub – either food or drinks. That’s a Win-Win in our books!
Day 8 – Mt Field National Park to Hobart via Gordon Dam
Distance: 265km, Driving Time: 4 hours
If you’re pushed for time today you can head straight to Hobart. This drive is 73km and will take you around an hour. However, that would mean missing out on the Gordon Dam, which was one of our favourite things to see in Tasmania.
The drive from Mt Field National Park to Gordon Dam is around 100km and is one of the most spectacular drives in the state. On the way you’ll pass through the town of Maydena and then head into the mountains.
The Needles Hike
The Needles Hike trail departs from a small carpark by the highest point of the road sign. Look out for the small trail leading up from the road, opposite the carpark.
This trail is rough and narrow, and goes through the button grass. You will pass the walker registration post and continue uphill. The trail is very steep until you reach the first set of “needles”, large rocky outcrops. We thought this was the top but we had a lot more climbing to do!
Arriving at the top is incredible, and you’ll have full 360 degree views across the mountains and down to Lake Gordon. There is a stone cairn at the top, but please don’t disturb the natural environment by adding to it.
If you’re here in late spring or summertime, you’ll see many beautiful wildflowers along this section of the hike.
This was probably our favourite hike in all of Tasmania, and there was hardly anyone else on the trail.
Gordon Dam
The Gordon Dam was built in 1972-74 and is an engineering masterpiece, being a double curved dam (curved side to side and vertically). The water capacity in the dam catchment is equivalent to 5 million Olympic swimming pools, or 3 times Sydney Harbour.
You can access the dam wall and walk across for a great perspective of both the dam and also the gorge that existed before the dam was built. Access is down 196 steel steps. You can see right through the steps, so this might not be ideal if you’re scared of heights.
As you climb down the stairs you can see the small cable car that is used to transport workers down to the bottom of the dam wall. It reminded us of a roller-coaster at a theme park!
We loved the views of the dam from the top and the experience of walking along the dam wall couldn’t be beaten. In the past it was possible to abseil down the dam wall, but this activity isn’t offered now.With a visit to the Gordon Dam, your West Coast Tasmania Wilderness experience is complete.
Ted’s Beach at Lake Pedder
If you have the time, we can recommend camping at Ted’s Beach. This free camp was one of our favourites in Tasmania. It is possible to park up and camp right on the shore of the lake (although it was a little crowded here!)
You’ll find toilets and dish washing facilities here, but no showers.
Day 9 – In Hobart
Spend the day checking out some of the sights of Hobart, including Salamanca Market, MONA or perhaps take up trip up Mt Wellington.
Or, if you’re like us, you’ll spend this day restocking groceries and doing laundry before you continue your Lap of Tasmania road trip!
Essential Information for your West Coast Tasmania Road Trip
Permits and Passes
As you drive through Tasmania’s Wild West, you will want to visit several of the beautiful National Parks. You will require a valid Parks pass. You can purchase a day pass, 2 month holiday pass or an annual pass.
Fuel
If your vehicle only has a small fuel tank, you may need to plan ahead on the West Coast of Tasmania. There are no fuel stations between Smithton and Zeehan. If you are planning to drive down the Western Explorer Highway, make sure you fill up at Smithton before you leave.
Food and Water
You’ll find IGA supermarkets at Stanley, Smithton, Zeehan, Strahan, Queenstown and Ouse as you travel this West Coast Tasmania Road Trip. We did a big shop at Burnie before we headed down the West Coast, and then again in Hobart at the end.
Even though Tasmania experiences a lot of rain, we were surprised at how difficult it was to get water. We filled up at the beginning in Stanley, and then the next available water was in Zeehan. We paid $15 to fill our tank here, which is the most expensive water we bought on our entire Australia Road Trip.
Phone and Internet
The West Coast of Tasmania is wild and remote! You won’t find much phone connectivity as you drive along this route. We suggest you plan ahead and make sure you download maps before heading off.
You can download maps on Google Maps, and you can also download each state’s maps on the WikiCamps app.
FAQs
Why is South West Tasmania uninhabited?
If you look at our West Coast Tasmania Road Trip Map, you’ll notice that apart from the road into the Gordon Dam, the South West quarter of Tasmania is almost empty. This area is very mountainous with high ridges and deep valleys, making it rather inhospitable.
Can you drive along the West Coast of Tasmania?
Unlike the North and East coasts where the road hugs the coast in places, there are very few places where you can see the ocean as you drive on the West coast. However, there are some places where you can drive onto the beach. At Macquarie Heads just outside of Strahan we parked up near Hell’s Gates right on the sand.
Do you need a 4wd to drive around Tasmania?
You can do a Tasmania Road Trip in a conventional 2wd car. You may choose not to drive the Western Explorer Highway (a 75km unsealed road). Instead you can drive from the Stanley and the Tarkine along the north coast to Wynyard and down the A10 to Queenstown and Strahan.
Is Tasmania Good for Van Life?
We think Tasmania is one of the best places for Van Life we’ve ever visited! With an abundance of Free Camping, short travel distances, and plenty of opportunities to get out into nature, Tassie is a vanlife dream!
West Coast Tasmania Travel Films
We produced several travel films during our time in Tasmania’s Western Wilderness. You can click on each image to open the film in YouTube.
Final Thoughts
If you’re planning a road trip around Tasmania you’re in luck. Tasmania is one of the best places to travel in a campervan that we’ve ever been. The distances are short, the driving is scenic, there is rugged beauty, history and unique wildlife. Add to that an abundance of free camps, and you have a recipe for a great road trip.
We hope you enjoy your West Coast Tasmania Road Trip as much as we did! If you’d like help planning your Tasmania Itinerary, get in touch! We’d love to chat about how we can help you.
Where to next?
After Hobart, continue your Lap of Tasmania with a visit to Bruny Island, or, head up the East Coast. Got more time? Check out our complete 14 day Tasmania Itinerary.
Thanks Sue and Nigel. I watch all of your videos and I am subscribed to your channel. All of the work you have done on your website saves me doing the research. I trust you guys and your research. I can’t wait to get to Tassy in my campervan in November for six weeks.
Thanks so much Brenda! We appreciate the support. Hope you enjoy Tassie as much as we did. Six weeks is a good amount of time there.