- How do I get to Wellington Park?
- Is the Park open all of the time?
- Are there maps available for Wellington Park?
- Where can I walk my dog in Wellington Park?
- Where can I ride my bike in Wellington Park?
- What picnic and toilet facilities are there in Wellington Park?
- What's the weather like on the Mountain?
- Are there any restrictions on access to Wellington Park?
- Where are the drinking water catchments in the Park?
- How big is Wellington Park?
- How high is Mount Wellington?
- Is Wellington Park a National Park?
- Who manages Wellington Park?
- Where did the name "Wellington Park" come from?
- Could there still be a cable-car on Mount Wellington?
- Is there going to be another hotel at the Springs site?
- When was Pinnacle Road built?
- Is there camping in Wellington Park?
The main entry point to Wellington Park is via Mount Wellington from Fern Tree, although you can also access the Park from Lenah Valley, Glenorchy, Collinsvale, Lachlan and Mountain River. Detailed access information is available in the Visitor Information Sheet.
Yes (except when emergency closures are necessary). There are no entry fees, and the Observation Shelter at the summit of Mount Wellington is open to the public during the summer months (daylight savings) from 8am - 8pm, and during the winter months from 8am - 4.30pm.
Pinnacle Road may occasionally be closed due to snow or ice cover, extreme fire danger, or due to a community event. To check road closures call 6278 0200.
Yes. Various maps and books have been published regarding Wellington Park and recreational activities. Walking maps include Hobart Walks (available from the Hobart City Council), the Pipeline Track Map (available from Fern Tree shop) and the 1:25 000 map series, available from Service Tasmania, Tasmanian Visitor Information Centres and various map shops.
Other maps and information sheets are available for free from this site.
Bushwalking guides include:
- Mount Wellington Walks
- Jan Hardy and Bert Elson (1993)
- Mount Wellington It's History, Walks and Facilities
- Greg Buckman (2000)
As shown in the Dog Information Sheet, dogs are permitted on a lead on tracks and trails in the lower eastern foothills of Mount Wellington (the area below Pinnacle Rd from the Springs to Big Bend), on the trails immediately above Tolosa Park in Glenorchy, and on Jefferys Track and White Timber Trail.
Dogs must however be confined to a vehicle at the Pinnacle (Mount Wellington). Dogs are prohibited in picnic areas of Wellington Park unless travelling to or from tracks where dog walking is permitted. Owners should be aware that dog access areas are multiple use and managed for the enjoyment of all Park users.
Bike riding is permitted on formed roads and fire trails, and certain nominated walking tracks. These provide a good network of riding trails throughout the Park and allow riders and walkers to both comfortably use the trails. The Bike Map is available for free from this site or may be purchased from bike and map shops in Hobart.
The Trust has also worked with the Glenorchy City Council and bike riders to build the Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park, a state-of-the-art mountain bike facility in the area between Tolosa Park and Wellington Park in the Glenorchy municipality.
Wellington Park offers a range of picnic sites from Fern Tree to the Chalet on Mount Wellington, and Myrtle Forest near Collinsvale. Visitors can enjoy an open fire (except during total fire bans) at a number of locations in designated fire places. (Fire wood is provided.) Toilets are available at select locations including the Springs and the Pinnacle. Water is naturally occurring in areas such as Myrtle Forest and the Chalet, however this is not tested and quality cannot be guaranteed. Click here for a full list of picnic sites in the Park.
The Pinnacle area can be beautiful in calm conditions, and menacing in windy and wet weather. You should always be prepared for extreme conditions whether visiting on foot or by car. Have a look at the current weather conditions on the Mountain.
Yes. Many areas of Wellington Park are used as drinking water catchments by local authorities for the purposes of supplying drinking water to households. There are three broad Restricted Areas in the Park: two areas in the Glenorchy City Council management section and one in the Hobart City Council management section, and entry is by permit only.
Some recreational activities are also restricted in the Park - these are governed by the Management Plan and the Wellington Park Regulations 1999. For example, trail bikes are prohibited from the Park, but 4wd vehicles and horses may access certain fire trails by permit.
The catchments cover two large areas on the northern and southern faces of Mount Wellington, and one smaller area around Lime Kiln Reservoir. The larger northern catchment covers Knights Creek and Humphreys Rivulet, whilst the southern catchment covers the North West Bay River. Click here for further information on drinking water catchments within the Park.
Wellington Park is just over 18 250ha in size (1 hectare per 10 000 m2) making it one of the largest reserved areas in the state of Tasmania outside of the World Heritage Area. The Park is thirty kilometres from East to West and has a perimeter of 139km.
Mount Wellington is 1 270m (4 166ft) in altitude, and is the highest peak in the Park.
Management of the Park is co-ordinated by the Wellington Park Management Trust. Membership of the Trust is outlined in the Wellington Park Act 1993, and contains representatives from local and State government agencies, and Hobart Water. The Trust has prepared the Wellington Park Management Plan 2005, with on-ground implementation of the Plan carried out by the city councils of Glenorchy and Hobart, the Parks and Wildlife Service and Hobart Water.
Wellington Park takes its name from its major natural feature: Mount Wellington. Mount Wellington was named after the Duke of Wellington, who, in 1816, defeated Napoleon Bonaparte in the Battle of Waterloo. Previously the Mountain had European names such as "Table Hill", "Montagne du Plateau", "Skiddaw", and "Mount Collins".
Prior to European settlement, local Aboriginal communities - the Mouheneenner - are believed to have known the Mountain as "Unghanyahletta" and "Pooranetere", however other communities viewing the Mountain from further afield may have known it by other names. Recently, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre has suggested that "Kunanyi" is the true name for the Mountain, based upon records made by early European settlers.
(Source: Mount Wellington It's History, Walks and Facilities Greg Buckman 2000, and The Mercury)
It would be very unlikely that, under the existing Management Plan, a cable-car could be built on Mount Wellington. The Management Plan provides for the protection of biodiversity, and other natural and cultural values, whilst maintaining recreational and tourism access. The assessment process for the original cable-car proposal was recently repealed from the Wellington Park Act, and all development proposals are assessed according to procedures contained in the Management Plan.
In late 2004, the Trust, in conjunction with the Hobart City Council, gave planning approval for a cafe and visitor centre to be built at the Springs. The previous proposal for a hotel and restaurant was withdrawn due to concerns about impacts on cultural heritage values within the area. Development on the site is controlled by the Springs Site Development Plan, prepared by the Trust and the Council.
The first road works on Mount Wellington was the construction of Pillinger Drive between Fern Tree and the Springs, commenced by convict labour in 1888, and later finished by free workers.
The construction of Pinnacle Road was commenced in 1934, with the government of the time funding the project to ease unemployment during the depression. The Road was opened in 1937, and was known as "Ogilvie's Scar" after the then Premier of Tasmania, and champion of the project, Albert Ogilvie. Today, the scar is not caused by the Road, but by a power line easement.
(Source: Mount Wellington It's History, Walks and Facilities Greg Buckman 2000)
Camping is permitted in some areas, however there are no formal camping sites or facilities. Camping is only permitted in the Natural Zone, (excluding car parks, picnic areas, access points to the Park, and along or within the vicinity of Pinnacle Road), but is not permitted in conjunction with horse-riding or four wheel driving.
Camp-fires may only be lit in designated or built fire places.