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Apsley Gorge River & Waterhole Circuit, Douglas-Apsley National Park, Tasmania
The Apsley Gorge Circuit is a scenic bushwalk in Douglas-Apsley National Park, Tasmania. Complete hiking guide, including what to expect on the trail and in the gorge. The Apsley River Waterhole and Gorge Walk is a great short walk in Douglas-Apsley National Park. It is one of the few hiking trails in the park and offers perfect opportunities for swimming and enjoying the tranquility and crystal clear waters of the Apsley River. This loop can be completed as an out-and-back hike to the gorge or as a longer and more difficult circular hike. Unfortunately the full circuit was impossible due to recent flooding during my visit. However, I always...
Apsley Gorge River & Waterhole Circuit, Douglas-Apsley National Park, Tasmania
The Apsley Gorge Circuit is a scenic bushwalk in Douglas-Apsley National Park, Tasmania. Complete hiking guide, including what to expect on the trail and in the gorge.
The Apsley River Waterhole and Gorge Walk is a great short walk in Douglas-Apsley National Park. It is one of the few hiking trails in the park and offers perfect opportunities for swimming and enjoying the tranquility and crystal clear waters of the Apsley River.
This loop can be completed as an out-and-back hike to the gorge or as a longer and more difficult circular hike. Unfortunately the full circuit was impossible due to recent flooding during my visit. However, I have still included detailed information about the hike so you can complete it when conditions permit.
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How to get to Apsley Gorge Walking Track
The Apsley Gorge Circuit is located in the Apsley Gorge car park in Douglas-Apsley National Park. This is just a quick 10-15 minute drive from Bicheno on the east coast of Tasmania.
Below I have included a Google Maps pin with the exact location of the starting point. You can plug “Apsley Waterhole” into Google Maps and it will take you to the same place.
The road to the car park is unpaved for the 8km stretch after turning off the Tasman Highway opposite the golf course. While unsealed, you don't need a four wheel drive to get here as any two wheel drive can handle it.
Apsley Gorge Circuit
The Apley Gorge Circuit starts at the end of the national park car park, where you will also find a sign with details of the walk. Continue through the gates and continue to the signs pointing to the Apsley Gorge waterhole.
This first section is very easy and involves a short, pleasant walk through the dry forest towards the waterhole.
I record all of my hikes on Strava using my Garmin GPS watch. You can find my GPX map and route for this hike here.
Apsley River waterhole
Less than 1 kilometer into the hike and you will already arrive at the watering hole. This waterhole is located in a large clearing on the Apsley River. This is a popular swimming spot and as a result most visitors to the park are here just for a quick dip in the waterhole.
However, we were more interested in seeing the famous gorge further upstream.
This next section involves a river crossing on the northeast side of the waterhole (downstream end). National Park signs and information said this was just a rock fall, 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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Continue towards the gorge
After leaving the river, a steep climb immediately begins. This follows for about 2 kilometers through dry, sparse sclerophyll forest. This section is very easy to follow. There is a fairly wide path and the ground is mostly hard, rocky and rooty.
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Watch out for snakes along the way as we spotted a large tiger snake sunning itself in a sunny spot.
After about two kilometers a short and steep descent begins back to the river. The path appears next to the bench.
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The Apsley Gorge
Apsley Gorge is surrounded on all sides by steep dolerite cliffs. There are deep pools and small cascades all the way down the river.
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As I mentioned earlier in this post, there had been extensive flooding in the area recently as we began the hike through Apsley Gorge. As a result, it was simply impossible to cross the rocky banks to make a loop back to the waterhole. However, we tried to get as far as possible when taking photos. the small cascade further downstream.
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However, if conditions have improved for your visit, this section along the river is said to be very scenic. It involves a bit of climbing and rock hopping, which inevitably takes a lot longer than simply turning around and following the clear path you came in on.
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RELATED POST: Hiking Mount Amos in Tasmania
More hikes and adventure activities in Tasmania
I hope this guide to hiking the Apsley Gorge Circuit was helpful. For more hikes, waterfalls and adventure attractions in Tasmania, check out some of my other guides below.
MY CAMERA AND PHOTO EQUIPMENT
- Spiegellose Kamera: Canon R5
- Drohne: DJI Mavic Pro 2
- 360-Grad-Action-Kamera: Insta360 One X2
- Landschaftsobjektiv: Canon RF 15-35 mm f/2.8L
- Allround-Objektiv: Canon RF 24–105 mm f/4L
- Teleobjektiv: Canon RF 100–500 mm f/f/4,5–7,1 L
- Lange Aktionsstange: Insta360 Invisible Pole (BulletTime)
- Landschaftslinsenfilter: Hoya Circular Polarizer
- Kamerarucksack: F-Stop Tilopa
- Lieblingsfotozubehör: Peak Design Capture Clip
For a list of my recommended photography gear (including what I use and why), check out my Travel Camera Gear Guide.
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