A walker stops to read an interpretation signs along the Franklin Nature Trail track beside the Franklin River
Franklin Nature Trail
60 Great Short Walks

Franklin Nature Trail

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Alerts for Franklin Nature Trail

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Planned burn: Birches River, Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
Applies from 12/6/2025

​Weather permitting, we will be conducting a planned burn at Birches River in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) on 12 June 2025.

Fire is an important part of sustaining the ecology of and protecting values in the TWWHA. 

The total area of the burns is approximately 384 hectares. It is likely to take 1-2 days to complete. Smoke may last for some days after the burn.

During burning operations access to this area will be restricted. Stay well out of the burn site. Please follow directions from staff or any signs.

More information is available by contacting Lake St Clair Visitor Centre on 03 6289 1115​.

View our webpage ​more information about our planned burns program.​

Last reviewed 11/6/2025 04:05 PM


25 minutes return, 1km
Grade 1: No bushwalking experience required. Flat even surface with no steps or steep sections. Suitable for wheelchair users who have someone to assist them.
Supervise children, flowing waters. No fires allowed—Fuel Stove Only Area.
A valid parks pass is required for entry to Tasmania's national parks.
The walk starts off the Lyell Highway (A10), approximately 60km east of Queenstown.

About

​​​​​​This short and easy walk, the perfect rest stop when travelling between east and west, has a big story to tell. A part-boardwalk track takes you through beautiful mossy rainforest. In late summer you may catch the superbly fragrant scent of leatherwood flowers. This track is best walked in an anti-clockwise direction.​ The climax of the short loop track is when you come to the banks of the Franklin River. This wild river was once famous for the controversial dam that would have drowned much of its course. It was saved, and is now a tranquil place to take in the beauty of the wild.

The Franklin is one of the best known of the many rivers that run through the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. This walk along the banks of the Franklin and through an example of the cool temperate rainforest that is widespread throughout the park will give you an idea of the beauty that lies within the heart of this wild river wilderness. Along the walk you ​will find interpretation signs that detail some of the many values of this magnificent region.