Snapshot
| Where | Central Plateau, northern Tasmania — About 1 hour 40 minutes (120km) from Launceston · About 1.5 hours from Devonport · About 3 hours 34 minutes from Hobart |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Sealed road via Mole Creek and Mersey Forest Road (C171) to Lake Rowallan, then left onto 1.5km of gravel road after the Fish River crossing to the Walls of Jerusalem car park · The gravel is generally fine for 2WD in dry conditions, though some tour operators recommend 4WD · There are no roads inside the park and no public transport — commercial transfers run from Launceston, Deloraine, Sheffield and Devonport |
| Best time | November–March — the high plateau is usually snow free in these months, the days are long enough for the summit side trips, scoparia blooms crimson, pink, orange, gold and white in spring and the mountain rockets turn red in summer |
| Worst time | June to August — the coldest, wettest months, with the plateau often frozen and low cloud cutting visibility to a few metres; Parks and Wildlife warns that snow and blizzards can occur in any month, even in summer |
| Time needed | 3 days for the 23km circuit, which Parks and Wildlife notes is flexible and is also broken into a 4-day itinerary in its walk notes; 2 days for an out-and-back to Wild Dog Creek; a day walk is possible to Trappers Hut |
| Cost | Parks Pass required — 24-hour person, 24-hour vehicle (up to 7 passengers), 8-week and yearly or two-yearly options, prices on the PWS park passes page · Overnight walker camping at Wild Dog Creek, Dixons Kingdom and Lake Adelaide is free · Guided 4-day walks from $2,295 per person · Trailhead transfers from $110 per person |
| Facilities | Full-capture toilets at Wild Dog Creek, Dixons Kingdom and Lake Adelaide · Untreated creek water at Wild Dog Creek and 1000-litre tanks at Dixons Kingdom and Lake Adelaide — treat everything before drinking and expect supplies to freeze or run dry · Fuel stove only, no fires ever · No fuel, no shops and no reliable mobile coverage |
| Best for | Experienced multi-day bushwalkers, alpine campers, and photographers chasing pencil pine groves and dolerite peaks |
| Difficulty |
4 of 5 — Demanding
Parks and Wildlife grades the circuit 4: tracks may be long, rough and very steep with limited directional signage, the first 3km climbs 600 metres with a full pack, and side trips are untracked scrambles over boulders and scrub. Snow is possible in any month, and the park is for self-sufficient, well-equipped and experienced walkers. |
Walls of Jerusalem National Park protects a raised block of Tasmania's Central Plateau, roughly 100 metres higher than the country around it, where Jurassic dolerite pushed up through Permian sediments laid down in an ancient shallow sea. Glaciation did the rest: fluted peaks, moraines and tarns. Early European visitors gave the landmarks biblical names, among them Herods Gate, Solomons Throne and the Temple. There are no roads inside the park at all. Every visit begins at the Walls of Jerusalem car park and continues on foot, past Trappers Hut and the Solomons Jewels tarns, to the pencil pine groves and tent platforms of the high basins. The park lies within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
At European arrival this was Big River nation country, and Aboriginal heritage sites are found throughout the park, with today's community continuing to connect with this cultural landscape. Grazing licences were awarded in 1819 and within a decade Aboriginal occupation of the highlands was destroyed; summer cattle grazing and winter possum and wallaby trapping followed from the 1850s. Trapper Reg Dixon built the hut at Dixons Kingdom from local pencil pine in the 1930s, and he and his wife Elsie lived there from 1946.
Go if…
- You are an experienced bushwalker who wants a multi-day alpine circuit where you carry everything and camp on tent platforms
- You want pencil pine groves, tarns and dolerite peaks rather than forest or coast
- You are comfortable with a map and compass on untracked side trips — signage is limited and ironstone can affect compass readings
- You are happy to be self-sufficient: fuel stove, treated water, full weather kit, no phone signal
Skip it if…
- You want a day-trip national park — the nearest short walk is hours of driving and a steep climb away, and there is no visitor centre or cafe
- You are new to overnight walking or uncomfortable navigating in low cloud — Parks and Wildlife grades the walk 4 and requires bushwalking experience
- You need to keep to formed tracks and facilities — beyond the main circuit the tracks are rudimentary and the facilities non-existent
- You are unwilling to carry full winter kit in summer — snow and blizzards can occur in any month and deaths have occurred here in cold, wet and windy weather
What to expect
Reviewed
You drive in from Mole Creek on the Mersey Forest Road (C171) to Lake Rowallan, cross the Fish River and turn left onto 1.5 kilometres of gravel that ends at the Walls of Jerusalem car park. There is no gate and no kiosk: the walking track starts at a registration booth, and this is where you sign in and leave the car. The first three kilometres are the hardest part of the walk, climbing 600 metres of steep track through snow gum forest to Trappers Hut, a small shelter kept for emergency use only. From the hut the gradient eases and the country opens out — you cross the plateau past the Solomons Jewels tarns to Wild Dog Creek, 6.1 kilometres from the car park and two and a half to three hours of walking. Parks and Wildlife grades the walk 4 and warns that beyond the main circuit the tracks are rudimentary and the facilities non-existent.
Wild Dog Creek sits at the base of King David's Peak, with 19 double-person tents on raised platforms spread across three levels and joined by boardwalks and stone walkways. There are full-capture toilets and running creek water at each level, but the water is untreated and can stop running in dry periods or when the pipes freeze, so carry treatment and a spare capacity. Camping anywhere else in the Central Walls — the basin between Herods Gate and Damascus Gate — is discouraged, and you may not camp within 15 metres of Dixons Kingdom or Trappers Hut or anywhere under the mature pencil pines. Use the formal camps as bases: the alpine vegetation erodes easily and grows slowly, which is why the platforms are there.
From Wild Dog Creek the walking is short but spectacular: 3.7 kilometres and one to one and a half hours through Herods Gate and Damascus Gate to Dixons Kingdom. The Pool of Bethesda is a 200 metre, 30 minutes return side trip from the route — swimming and camping are both prohibited there. Beyond the gates the side trips are steep scrambles: Solomons Throne (1470 metres) is 750 metres one way from Damascus Gate, ascending 140 metres in about 20 minutes, and gives exceptional 360 degree views; The Temple (1446 metres) is 750 metres one way on the other side. Both must be climbed only by the track from Damascus Gate — the West Wall and Solomons Throne are off limits to any other route, and camping is not allowed on any of the summits.
Dixons Kingdom sits in a pencil pine grove 300 metres southwest of the hut Reg Dixon built, with 16 double-person tents on raised platforms, a double pedestal full-capture toilet and two 1000-litre water tanks. Conifers replace snow gums at about 1000 metres, and the pencil pines are the reason the camping rules here are so tight — many groves of thousand-year-old trees have already been destroyed by fire, and you may not camp in or around the hut or under mature pines. Water is untreated everywhere: tanks at Dixons Kingdom and Lake Adelaide, creek water at Wild Dog Creek, and lake or stream water further out, all of it needing treatment before drinking. Around camp, wombats, wallabies, pademelons, possums, quolls and echidnas work the scrub at dusk, and the tarns hold platypus, galaxiids and burrowing crayfish.
The weather is the third character in this walk. Snow and blizzards can occur at any time of year, even in summer, the change can come within a few hours, and low cloud can cut visibility to several metres on the tops where the tracks are faint. Parks and Wildlife states plainly that deaths have occurred when people were caught unprepared in cold, wet and windy weather, and its minimum kit list reads like a winter kit list: a seam-sealed waterproof jacket with hood and storm front, waterproof over-trousers, sturdy boots, a fleece or woollen jumper, thermal base layers, hat and gloves. The park is a fuel stove only area — no fires, ever — and Leave No Trace applies, with no washing in or near waterways and everything you carry in carried out.
Where to stay
There is no accommodation in the park — everyone camps or books a guided walk. Mole Creek, at the foot of the Mersey Forest Road, is the practical base for the drive in; Deloraine, Sheffield and the Cradle Mountain lodges are the fallbacks.
When bookings open: Individual walkers register through the Parks and Wildlife Service overnight walker registration system, which shows how many walker places are available each day; PWS publishes no booking window. Groups of 7 to 16 must book group camping areas in advance through the Tracks Team on 03 6165 4254. Official booking page. Checked 29 October 2026. Booking dates for every state.
| Stay | Guest rating | Best for | Distance | Style | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Dog Creek Campsite (PWS) | Not rated | The first night on the circuit, at the base of King David's Peak | 6.1km from the car park, 2.5–3 hours on foot | 19 double-person tents on raised platforms across three levels, full-capture toilets and untreated creek water at each level · free, registration required | Book now |
| Dixons Kingdom & Lake Adelaide Campsites (PWS) | Not rated | The pencil pine grove at Dixons Kingdom, or the quieter grassed sites at Lake Adelaide | 3.7km from Wild Dog Creek to Dixons Kingdom; Lake Adelaide campsite 350m north of the lake | 16 double-person tents on platforms at Dixons Kingdom with two 1000-litre tanks; grassed sites with a single toilet and one tank at Lake Adelaide · free, registration required | Book now |
| Mole Creek Hotel | 8.4 / 10 (hotels.hey-australia.com) | A pub base the night before the walk, with meals on site | 90 Pioneer Drive, Mole Creek — the gateway township on the road to Lake Rowallan | Country hotel with bar and restaurant, the last real stop before the Mersey Forest Road | Check rates |
| Mole Creek Cabins | Not rated | Self-contained cabins for sorting gear before or after the circuit | Mole Creek, at the foot of the Mersey Forest Road | Cabins with cooking facilities and free on-site parking | Check rates |
| Old WesleyDale Heritage Accommodation | Not rated | A quiet heritage stay near Mole Creek before an early start | Mole Creek | Heritage property with gardens, set up for a slower night either side of a walk | Check rates |
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What to do here
7 walks & sights
The Walls of Jerusalem circuit
The full loop through the heart of the park: a steep 3km climb with 600 metres of gain to Trappers Hut, then 3km past the Solomons Jewels tarns to Wild Dog Creek (6.1km and 2.5–3 hours from the car park), 3.7km on through Herods Gate and Damascus Gate to the pencil pine grove at Dixons Kingdom (1–1.5 hours), 5km across scree and exposed myrtle roots near Lake Ball to Lake Adelaide (2–2.5 hours), and 7.9km back to the car park via the Junction Lake Track and Trappers Hut (4 hours). Parks and Wildlife grades it 4 and lays out the walk as four days in its notes, so three days is a fit schedule rather than a stroll. You camp only at Wild Dog Creek, Dixons Kingdom and Lake Adelaide, carry everything including a fuel stove and water treatment, and sign in at the registration booth at the car park before you start. This is the walk the park exists for — dolerite walls on every horizon and thousand-year-old pencil pines around camp.
The climb to Trappers Hut and Solomons Jewels
The opening leg of the circuit and the park's classic day walk. It climbs steeply through snow gum forest to Trappers Hut, then eases across the plateau past the Solomons Jewels tarns. In summer there may be no water between the Fish River and Solomons Jewels — about 3.5km — so fill up before you leave the car park.
Herods Gate, Damascus Gate and Dixons Kingdom
The shortest and best day on the circuit: from Wild Dog Creek through two narrow notches in the dolerite walls into the central basin, arriving at a pencil pine grove with tent platforms, full-capture toilets and two 1000-litre water tanks. Dixons Kingdom hut, built by trapper Reg Dixon from local pencil pine, stands 300 metres away and is for emergency use only.
Pool of Bethesda
A short side trip from the main route to a small alpine pool below the walls. Swimming and camping are both prohibited here, and the surrounding vegetation is fragile, so stay on the track and treat it as a look-only stop.
Solomons Throne
The best viewpoint in the park: a steep 750 metre scramble from Damascus Gate to a 1470 metre dolerite top with exceptional 360 degree views over the walls, the tarns and the lake country beyond. Climb it only by the marked track from Damascus Gate — the West Wall and every other approach are closed — and do not attempt it in low cloud, when the route and the rocks both disappear. One patch of the summit escaped glaciation and still carries irregular scree piles coloured red with lichen, a detail worth looking for once you are up there. Camping is not allowed on the summit, so this is a pack-free side trip from a base at Wild Dog Creek or Dixons Kingdom.
The Temple
A steep 750 metre, 15 minute climb from Damascus Gate to the 1446 metre summit on the opposite side of the basin. The Temple is fragmented dolerite sitting over Triassic sandstone, almost completely mantled by periglacial and glacial deposits — the geology is the reason to stand on it. No camping on top, and no approach other than the track from Damascus Gate.
Mount Jerusalem
From Dixons Kingdom, an occasional steep 1.2 kilometre climb to the 1459 metre summit, taking 1–1.5 hours one way and gaining 200 metres. The reward is the view Parks and Wildlife describes as an endless sea of lakes and tarns — the reason the plateau is called lake country. Carry a map and compass for the return in cloud, and leave the summit for a clear window.
Walls of Jerusalem itineraries: 1, 2 or 3 days
3 plans
One day: Trappers Hut and the edge of the plateau
- Early morning. Drive to the Walls of Jerusalem car park — 1 hour 40 minutes (120km) from Launceston, about 1.5 hours from Devonport, or about 3 hours 34 minutes from Hobart. The track starts at the registration booth at the car park; sign in there before you walk.
- Morning to afternoon. Climb the steep 3km with 600 metres of elevation gain to Trappers Hut, a small emergency shelter on the edge of the plateau. Out to Wild Dog Creek the leg is 6.1km and takes 2.5–3 hours, passing the Solomons Jewels tarns, so turn around at the hut or at the tarns depending on the clock.
About 6km of walking to Trappers Hut and back, or about 12km if you go out to Wild Dog Creek and back. No nights. Base at Mole Creek or Deloraine and allow 1 hour 40 minutes of driving each way from Launceston. A Parks Pass is required (24-hour, 8-week and 2-year options), and there may be no water between the Fish River and Solomons Jewels — about 3.5km — so carry what you need.
Two days: Wild Dog Creek and the Central Walls
- Day 1. Walk in 6.1km to Wild Dog Creek (2.5–3 hours), climbing the steep 3km to Trappers Hut and continuing past the Solomons Jewels tarns. Camp on the raised platforms — 19 double-person tents across three levels, full-capture toilets and untreated creek water.
- Day 2, morning. Continue 3.7km through Herods Gate and Damascus Gate to Dixons Kingdom (1–1.5 hours), with the 200m, 30 minutes return side trip to the Pool of Bethesda on the way. Swimming and camping are both prohibited there.
- Day 2, afternoon. Return the same way to the car park — 3.7km back to Wild Dog Creek and 6.1km on, about 9.8km of walking, with the steep descent to the Fish River at the end.
About 16km of walking in total — 6.1km in on day 1 and about 9.8km on day 2 — with one night at Wild Dog Creek. Camping is free and registration is compulsory for the overnight walk; groups of 7 to 16 must book group camping areas through the Parks and Wildlife Service Tracks Team (03 6165 4254). It is a fuel stove only area, all water must be treated, and there is no fuel or shelter between the car park and the camp.
Three days: the full Walls of Jerusalem circuit
- Day 1. The 6.1km climb to Wild Dog Creek (2.5–3 hours) with a full pack, over the steep 3km to Trappers Hut and on past the Solomons Jewels tarns. Camp at Wild Dog Creek on the tent platforms.
- Day 2. 3.7km through Herods Gate and Damascus Gate to the pencil pine grove at Dixons Kingdom (1–1.5 hours), then the side trips: Pool of Bethesda (200m, 30 minutes return), Solomons Throne from Damascus Gate (750m one way, 20 minutes, ascending 140m), The Temple (750m one way, 15 minutes, ascending 116m) or Mount Jerusalem from Dixons Kingdom (1.2km one way, 1–1.5 hours, ascending 200m).
- Day 3. 5km across the scree and exposed myrtle roots near Lake Ball to Lake Adelaide (2–2.5 hours), then 7.9km on to the car park (4 hours) via the Junction Lake Track and Trappers Hut — about 13km of walking to finish.
23km in total, Grade 4, over three flexible days and two nights at Wild Dog Creek and Dixons Kingdom. Camping is free at both, registration is compulsory, and the park is a fuel stove only area — no fires at any time. A Parks Pass is required, all water must be treated, and Parks and Wildlife grades the walk as one for experienced, self-sufficient bushwalkers with map and compass skills.
Suggested gear for Walls of Jerusalem
18 items
- Water bottles or a hydration bladder Carry at least 2 litres per person on the walks.
- Water treatment tablets or a filter Treat creek and camping-area water before drinking.
- Sun hat, sunscreen (SPF 50+) and sunglasses
- Sturdy, broken-in walking shoes or boots
- Day pack (20–30 L)
- First aid kit, including blister care
- Insect repellent
- Head torch with spare batteries
- Lightweight rain jacket
- Personal locator beacon Mobile coverage is unreliable in remote parks.
- Waterproof over-trousers Parks and Wildlife lists them as minimum kit for this park, where snow and blizzards can occur in any month and the change can come within a few hours.
- Gaiters The plateau crossing is boggy sphagnum and shallow pools, and the leg near Lake Ball crosses scree and exposed myrtle roots that shred socks and shins.
- Thermal base layers plus a fleece or woollen jumper Both are on the park's minimum kit list: this is a 1000-metre-plus alpine environment where nights freeze even in the walking season.
- Warm hat and gloves, even in January Snow falls here in summer, walkers report sub-zero nights and 50km/h winds in early January, and the exposed tops add wind chill.
- Fuel stove with a full canister The park is a fuel stove only area and fires are banned at any time — the pencil pines it protects are killed by fire and take a thousand years to replace.
- Map and compass, plus the skill to use them Directional signage may be limited, the side trips are untracked scrambles over boulders and scrub, and ironstone deposits in the park can affect compass readings.
- A sleeping bag rated well below freezing You are camping at around 1000 metres on tent platforms in an environment where freezing conditions are possible year-round and huts are emergency shelter only.
- A 3–4 season tent you trust in wind There is no shelter on the plateau and the three historic huts are for emergencies only, so your tent is the only structure you get for three days.
How this compares
Walls of Jerusalem vs Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park
Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair, about 60km away with the two trailheads roughly two hours apart by road, is Tasmania's other great alpine walk — the Overland Track runs the length of the park to Lake St Clair, with Mt Ossa at 1,617m on the way. Unlike Walls of Jerusalem it takes day visitors comfortably, with a visitor centre, road access and accommodation at the Cradle Mountain end. Choose Cradle Mountain for a serviced multi-day walk with a roadside day out attached; choose Walls of Jerusalem for a quieter, walk-in-only plateau where you carry everything and camp on tent platforms.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5 — Challenging
- Access
- Road access to both ends, with day walks and visitor facilities at the Cradle Mountain end
- Best for
- Serviced multi-day walking · summit side trips · day visits with kids
Walls of Jerusalem vs Freycinet National Park
Freycinet National Park on the east coast is the coastal counterpoint: granite peaks, sheltered bays and a peninsula circuit walked in two to three days with free walk-in campsites and easy road access to the trailhead. The walking is steep but short, the water is swimmable, and you can be back at a lodge or beachside campground the same night. Choose Freycinet for granite, beaches and a walk you can start after breakfast; choose Walls of Jerusalem for alpine tarns, pencil pines and a park with no road access at all.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5 — Challenging
- Access
- Sealed roads to the park entrance and visitor centre on the east coast; no ferry or 4WD required
- Best for
- Coastal multi-day walks · swimming between walk days · family road trips
Walls of Jerusalem vs Mount Field National Park
Mount Field, in the highlands west of Hobart, is the accessible highland alternative: cool forest, waterfalls and alpine tarns reached by road, with day walking that suits mixed groups and a workable wet-weather plan. It pairs easily with a Hobart base and needs no registration or overnight kit. Choose Mount Field for highland day walks and an easy timetable; choose Walls of Jerusalem for a self-sufficient alpine circuit where the walking is the whole trip.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Reached by sealed road from Hobart, with day-walk car parks and visitor facilities
- Best for
- Highland day walks · families · combining with a Hobart base
Before you go
- Registration is compulsory for the overnight walk — register walker places through the PWS overnight walker registration system before you leave; groups of 7 to 16 must book group camping areas through the Tracks Team on 03 6165 4254
- A valid Parks Pass is required for entry — 24-hour person or vehicle (up to 7 passengers), 8-week and yearly or two-yearly passes are available online, at visitor centres and Service Tasmania; camping in the park is free
- It is a fuel stove only area — no fires at any time. Fire has already destroyed many groves of thousand-year-old pencil pines in this park, and the rule is absolute
- Carry all the water you need between the Fish River and Solomons Jewels (about 3.5km) — in summer there may be none — and treat every drop you collect elsewhere: all tank and creek water is untreated and can freeze or dry up
- Fuel up at Deloraine, about 90 minutes away, or at Mole Creek before you turn onto the Mersey Forest Road — there is no fuel at the car park
- Don't count on mobile coverage: reception drops out on the drive in and is patchy at best on Telstra once you are walking
- Carry a map and compass and know how to use them — directional signage may be limited, and ironstone deposits in the park can affect compass readings
- Check the Parks and Wildlife alerts page before you set out: parts of the surrounding Central Plateau Conservation Area close from time to time for ground shooting programs, and alpine weather closes tracks at short notice
When to go
seasons & the hard months
November to March is the working season. The high plateau is usually snow free in these months, the days are long enough to fit in the summit side trips on the second day, and the park puts on its colour — scoparia blooms crimson, pink, orange, gold and white in spring, and in summer the mountain rockets' seed capsules fire red. December and January are the busiest window, so book your walker registration early if you are fixed on those dates, but even at its busiest this park is quiet by mainland standards; the walk-in requirement filters the crowd.
Winter is for experienced parties only. Snow and blizzards can occur at any time of year, even in summer, the weather can change dramatically within a few hours, and low cloud can cut visibility to several metres across tops where the tracks are faint and the ironstone plays with your compass. Parks and Wildlife records deaths here of people caught unprepared in cold, wet and windy weather, so if you walk outside the summer window, carry the full alpine kit regardless of the forecast, and treat the huts as emergency shelter rather than accommodation.
Questions
6 answers
Both. A valid Parks Pass is required for entry to all Tasmania's national parks — 24-hour person or vehicle passes for a day walk, 8-week and yearly or two-yearly passes for longer trips. Registration is compulsory for the overnight walk and is done through the PWS overnight walker registration system, which shows walker places available each day. Camping is free.
Parks and Wildlife grades the 23km circuit Grade 4: tracks may be long, rough and very steep, with limited directional signage. The first 3km climbs 600 metres with a full pack, the side trips are untracked scrambles over boulders and scrub, and you need map and compass skills for the tops. The park is described as being for self-sufficient, well-equipped and experienced walkers.
Yes, to a point. The classic day walk is up the steep 3km to Trappers Hut and back — about 6km return — or out to the Solomons Jewels tarns or Wild Dog Creek, which makes about 12km return. From Launceston the drive is 1 hour 40 minutes each way, so start early, and note there may be no water between the Fish River and Solomons Jewels in summer.
Only at the three designated campsites — Wild Dog Creek, Dixons Kingdom and Lake Adelaide — and there are no camping fees. Wild Dog Creek and Dixons Kingdom have raised tent platforms and full-capture toilets; Lake Adelaide has grassed sites 350 metres north of the lake. Camping is not allowed in the Central Walls, at the Pool of Bethesda, on the summits, or within 15 metres of Dixons Kingdom or Trappers Hut.
No fires at any time — the park is a fuel stove only area, and fire has destroyed many of its thousand-year-old pencil pine groves. Swimming is prohibited at the Pool of Bethesda. There is no other developed swimming, and the tarns are cold alpine water in an environment with no rescue services.
Don't plan on either. Coverage drops out on the drive in and is patchy at best. The three small historic huts — Trappers Hut, Dixons Kingdom Hut and Lake Ball Hut — are emergency shelter only, not accommodation, so carry a tent and full emergency communications and consider a personal locator beacon.
Nearby & next
Official information
Always check current alerts before you travel.