APSLEY Gorge River & Waterhole Circuit, Douglas -apsley-Nationalpark, Tasmania

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The APSLEY Gorge Circuit is a picturesque bush hiking trail in the Douglas-Patre National Park, Tasmania. Full hiking guide, including what you can expect on the way and in the gorge.

The APSLEY River water hiking and gorge hiking trail is a great short walk in the Douglas-Papisal National Park. It is one of the few hiking trails in the park and offers perfect opportunities for swimming and to enjoy the calm and the crystal -clear water of the APSLEY River.

This round can be completed as a back and forth hike to gorge or as a longer and more difficult circular hike. Unfortunately, the complete circuit was impossible due to the recent floods during my visit. However, I still added detailed information about the hike so that you can complete it if the conditions allow this.

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Alt = "Crossing river at APSLEY WATERHOLE">
Alt = “Douglas APSLEY National Park hiking trail Tasmania”>

How to get to APSLEY Gorge Walking Track

The APSLEY Gorge Circuit is located in the APSLEY Gorge parking lot in the Douglas-Patley National Park. This is just a fast 10-15-minute drive from Bicheno on the east coast of Tasmania.

Below I inserted a Google Maps PIN with the exact position of the starting point. You can insert "APSLEY WATERHOLE" in Google Maps and it brings you to the same place.

The street to the parking lot is not paved on the 8 km route after turning from the Tasman Highway opposite the golf course. While you are not sealed, you do not need all -wheel drive to get here because every two -wheel drive can handle it.

APSLEY-GUCHT-GANDENT

Hiking route (back and forth) 8 km if they jump back along the river of rocks
Duration: 2 hours back and forth, apparently 4-5 hours with rock hopping
Height: 315 m total height difference
difficulty (Tasmania Parks Grade 2 or Gradding 3, if you take the tour of the flow)

The Peely Gorge Circuit begins at the end of the national park parking lot, where you can also find a sign with details about the hike. Go further through the gates and further to the signs that indicate the APSLEY Gorge water hole.

This first section is very simple and includes a short, pleasant walk through the dry forest towards the water.

I record all my hikes on Strava with my Garmin GPS watch. You can find my GPX card and route for this hike here.

APSLEY River Wasserloch

less than 1 kilometer on the hike and you will already arrive at the watering point. This water hole is located on a large clearing on the APSLEY River. This is a popular bathing area and consequently most visitors to the park are only here for a short bathroom in the water hole.

However, we were more interested in seeing the famous gorge further up to the river.

This next section includes a river crossing on the northeastern side of the water hole (ending downstream). Signs and information from the national park stated that this was only a rockfall, but the water level must have been very high for us, as we had to cross knee -deep water to get to the APSLEY Gorge Trail on the other side.
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further towards the gorge

After leaving the river, a steep climb immediately begins. This follows about 2 kilometers long through dry, light Hartlaubwald. This section is very easy to follow. There is a fairly wide path and the floor is mostly hard, rocky and rooted.
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Pay attention to snakes on the way because we have discovered a large tiger snake that baskets in a sunny place.

After about two kilometers, a short and steep descent begins back to the river. The path appears next to the bank.
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The APSLEY gorge

The APSLEY gorge is surrounded by steep dolerite cliffs on all sides. There is deep pelvis and small cascades down the whole river.
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As I mentioned in this article, there were recently extensive floods in the area when we started hiking through APSLEY Gorge. As a result, it was simply impossible to cross the rocky shores to form a loop back to the water hole. However, we tried to get as far as possible while taking pictures. the small cascade further downstream.
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However, if the conditions for your visit have improved, this section should be very attractive along the river. It includes a bit of climbing and rocking, which inevitably takes much longer than simply turning up and following the clear path on which they came in.

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Alt = “APSLEY Gorge, Douglas-Patley National Park, Tasmania”>

Related Post: Hike to Mount Amos in Tasmania

Further hikes and adventure activities in Tasmania

I hope this guide for hiking on the APSLEY Gorge Circuit was helpful. Further hikes, waterfalls and adventure attractions in Tasmania can be found in some of my other travel guides below.

My camera and photo equipment

  • Mirrorless camera: Canon R5
  • drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2
  • 360-degree action camera: Insta360 One X2
  • landscape lens: Canon RF 15-35 mm f/2.8l
  • all-round lens: Canon RF 24–105 mm f/4L
  • telephoto lens: Canon RF 100–500 mm f/f/4.5–7.1 l
  • Long action rod: Insta360 Invisible Pole (Bullettime)
  • landscape lens filter: Hoya Circular Polarizer
  • camera backpack: F-stop Tilopa
  • Favorite photo accessories: Peak Design Capture Clip

A list of my recommended photo equipment (including what I use and why) can be found in my guide for camera equipment for the trip.

If you want to use photos on this website, please visit my licensing page to find out how. For high -resolution & commercial use, please contact me directly.
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