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Ben Lomond Tasmania: 7 Attractions You Need to Experience

  • Ben Lomond Snow Sports. Image credit: Thomas Carpenter

Discover the best of Ben Lomond Tasmania with our guide to the top 7 must-see attractions.

From breathtaking views to exhilarating activities, find out why Ben Lomond is a destination you can’t miss.

Ben Lomond National Park offers something for everyone. The park boasts some of Tasmania’s most impressive scenery, including fantastic ski fields, stunning alpine walking tracks, and abundant wildlife. Ben Lomond is a breathtaking destination located a short 55 minute drive from Launceston, or 3 hours drive from Hobart. Here are seven reasons to explore this remarkable spot—don’t forget to grab a Parks Pass!

1. Start at Ben Lomond Base

Situated at the foothills of Ben Lomond, conveniently located on the corner of Blessington Road and Ben Lomond Road, Ben Lomond Base is your ultimate mountain base camp.

It has everything you need to help you enjoy a day on the mountain, with amenities including toilets, free wifi, a cafe and a merchandise store. The ticket office sells national park passes and provides visitor information on the mountain and surrounding areas.

In winter, The Base transforms into a ski, snowboard, toboggan, winter clothing, and snow chain rental store. Here, you can hire winter coats and boots and buy gloves and hats before heading up the mountain for snow play, skiing, or snowboarding.

Ben Lomond Base
Ben Lomond Base
Ben Lomond Base

2. Conquer Jacob’s Ladder

Getting to the top is an adrenaline spiking experience! The steep ascent up the sharp twists and turns of Jacob’s Ladder is not for the fainthearted (and is a particularly good challenge for experienced cyclists). 

The scenery is spectacular, with dramatic cliffs and views out to Northern Tasmania. Take a moment at the top to catch your breath and enjoy the sights before you head on towards the alpine village.

Please note that the road is subject to ice and snow, so be sure to check the road rules and conditions, exercise caution, and consider catching the winter shuttle service.

Jacob's Ladder. Image credit: Melissa Findley
Jacob's Ladder. Image credit: Melissa Findley

3. Admire the epic scenery

Be warned, you may have to pick your jaw up off the ground! Ben Lomond is surrounded by precipitous escarpments and striking mountain top features, such as dolerite columns and scree slopes. 

The alpine plateau is over 1500 metres high, with a stark, treeless landscape. It feels a bit like visiting another world, and it’s easy to see why Ben Lomond is appealing to ambitious rock climbers.

Ben Lomond National Park
Watchtower Lookout - Ben Lomond. Image credit: Simon Sturzaker
Watchtower Lookout - Ben Lomond. Image credit: Simon Sturzaker

For those who are not confident with driving up Jacobs Ladder, you can leave all your worries behind as you sit back and relax in one of the Ben Lomond Snowsports 10-seat 4WDs, driven by their team of experienced drivers. The bus chauffeurs you from the lower carpark all the way to the top carpark outside the snow sports facility.

4. Go Skiing or Snowboarding

Ben Lomond is the main destination for downhill skiing in Tasmania, with a charming alpine village nestled at the foot of the ski slopes.

Ski season usually runs from early July to late September, but check the weather forecast and Ben Lomond Snow Sports for updates.

Adults and kids will have snow bother skiing or snowboarding, as most runs suit beginner to intermediate levels.

If you’re a first-timer, book a lesson with Ben Lomond Snow Sports.

SKI PATROL – From 1st July through to mid-September, a permanent ski patrol is stationed at Ben Lomond in case of any medical emergency.

Ben Lomond Snow Sports
Ben Lomond Snow Sports. Image credit: Thomas Carpenter
Ben Lomond Snow Sports. Image credit: Thomas Carpenter

5. Enjoy family fun in the snow

Would you like to build a snowman? There’s fun for the whole family on Ben Lomond, with snowman building, snow basketball, and toboggans to be enjoyed (did someone yell ‘snowball fight’?).

If you need to thaw out, there’s a cosy café on the summit (the mountain hot chocolate will warm you up quick smart).

View Live Webcam
Ben Lomond Snow Report
Ben Lomond National Park. Image Credit: Palmy Tatum
Ben Lomond National Park. Image Credit: Palmy Tatum

6. Say hello to the local wildlife

The Ben Lomond National Park plays a crucial role in regional wildlife conservation. Keep an eye out for Bennett’s wallabies and wombats, they are regularly seen in the ski village, even under blizzard conditions!

Pademelons can be spotted in wet gullies and areas with thick undergrowth, while Forester kangaroos bounce along the southwest edge of the park.

Other animals known to call the park home include Eastern quolls, echidnas, platypus, potoroos, Tasmanian bettongs, possums, sugar gliders, native rodents, bats, birds (including the majestic wedge-tailed eagle), and frogs.

Ben Lomond Wildlife. Image Credit: eviejadeimages
Ben Lomond Wildlife. Image Credit: eviejadeimages

7. Embark upon an alpine walk

Throughout Ben Lomond National Park, you can take in spectacular sights, and the vegetation differs from that of other parts of the state.

Exploring on foot is a joy (especially if you prefer sturdy walking shoes to ski boots). During the warmer months, enjoy the alpine wildflowers in all their glory.

There are several day walks, including the Carr Villa to Alpine Village walk (1.5 hours one way), the Alpine Village to Little Hell track (1.5 hours return), and the Ben Lomond Summit Link Track.

Jacob's Ladder. Image credit: Tim Whybrow
Jacob's Ladder. Image credit: Tim Whybrow

8. Ben Lomond Accommodation

While Ben Lomond makes a fantastic day trip, there’s so much to do and see that you could easily stay longer.

There are several lodges, including Ben Lomond Base and Ben Lomond Alpine Resort.

The Ben Lomond Campground is located several kilometres below the summit in a beautiful area of lowland gums and mountain pepper bushes. It offers 6 unpowered sites suitable for tents or campervans, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. There are no camping fees.

Ben Lomond Alpine Resort
Alpine Village - Ben Lomond National Park. Image credit: Simon Sturzaker
Alpine Village - Ben Lomond National Park. Image credit: Simon Sturzaker
Watchtower Lookout - Ben Lomond. Image credit: Simon Sturzaker
Watchtower Lookout - Ben Lomond. Image credit: Simon Sturzaker
Ben Lomond from Lower Blessington. Image credit: Simon Sturzaker
Ben Lomond from Lower Blessington. Image credit: Simon Sturzaker
Watchtower Lookout - Ben Lomond. Image credit: Simon Sturzaker
Watchtower Lookout - Ben Lomond. Image credit: Simon Sturzaker

Ben Lomond Snowsports webcam

Images provided by Ben Lomond Snowsports

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We acknowledge the Tasmanian Aboriginal people and their enduring custodianship of lutruwita / Tasmania. We honour 40,000 years of uninterrupted care, protection and belonging to these islands, before the invasion and colonisation of European settlement. As a destination that welcomes visitors to these lands, we acknowledge our responsibility to represent to our visitors, Tasmania’s deep and complex history, fully, respectfully and truthfully.

We acknowledge the Aboriginal people who continue to care for this country today. We pay our respects to their elders, past and present. We honour their stories, songs, art, and culture, and their aspirations for the future of their people and these lands. We respectfully ask that tourism be a part of that future.

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