Mount Field National Park (Tarn Shelf)

National park · Southern Tasmania

Autumn foliage at Mount Field National Park (Tarn Shelf)
Photo: Mooonrise / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Tasmania's oldest national park, an hour from Hobart, where the alpine bench of the Tarn Shelf above Lake Fenton holds Australia's only cold-climate deciduous tree. Nothofagus gunnii, known locally as fagus, turns from green to gold, orange and red in low twisted thickets before dropping its leaves, usually around Anzac Day, 25 April.

Best for: the one true native fall-color hike in Australia

Don’t miss

  • Nothofagus gunnii, Australia's only deciduous native tree
  • Tarn Shelf alpine walk above Lake Fenton
  • Russell Falls near the park entrance
Typical year

Peak: April 20–April 30

Climatological window from published records — the weather model’s elevation extrapolation isn’t reliable on this terrain, so this is the long-run normal rather than a season-specific forecast.

Source: https://www.discovertasmania.com.au/experiences/stories/fagus-turning/

Mount Field National Park (Tarn Shelf) on the map

More things to do in Southern Tasmania

Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens

Garden

Founded in 1818 on the Queens Domain above the Derwent, Australia's second-oldest botanical garden pairs a colonial-era conservatory and convict-built walls with a large Japanese maple collection that colors through the fall.

Don’t miss: Japanese maple collection · founded 1818, convict-built walls · Derwent River views from the Domain

Huon Valley (Grove)

Orchard

The apple-growing valley southwest of Hobart along the Huon River, its 19th-century orchards still producing Pink Lady, Crofton and Fuji sold from roadside stalls near Grove's Apple and Heritage Museum. Deciduous orchard rows and the valley's oaks and elms color as the harvest wraps up each fall.

Don’t miss: 19th-century apple orchards · Huon Valley Apple and Heritage Museum · roadside fruit stalls through harvest

See all things to do in Southern Tasmania →

Frequently asked

When does Mount Field National Park (Tarn Shelf) peak?
In a typical year, color peaks around April 20–April 30. The weather model's elevation extrapolation isn't reliable on this terrain, so this is a climatological window (source: https://www.discovertasmania.com.au/experiences/stories/fagus-turning/) rather than a season-specific forecast.
What is Mount Field National Park (Tarn Shelf) best for?
The one true native fall-color hike in Australia.
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