Guide to visiting Ben Lomond National Park in Tasmania [2024]

Little known Ben Lomond National Park features a few of Tasmania’s astonishing gems. Not just a ski village, there’s much to see in this underrated part of the island. Includes how to get to Ben Lomond National Park, Jacob’s Ladder, Ben Lomond Ski Village and things to do at Ben Lomond National Park.

Jacob’s Ladder, Ben Lomond National Park

If you’ve read our post on the 30 Best Places to Visit in Tasmania, Ranked, then you would see that we ranked Ben Lomond National Park as our number one favourite place in Tasmania. In an island absolutely choc-a-block full of jaw-dropping nature, Ben Lomond tops our list. While heavyweights such as Cradle Mountain, Mount Wellington and Freycinet National Park ranked highly, there was something so exquisitely stunning about Ben Lomond that topped all of them.

Jacob’s Ladder, Ben Lomond National Park

We’re going to delve into what makes Ben Lomond great in this post, by detailing our visit to the National Park. 

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Where to stay in Ben Lomond National Park

Staying within Ben Lomond National Park can be tricky, as there’s hardly any traditional accommodation options. Usually, you’ll have to stay some distance away from another town or city, and drive up to the National Park. Luckily, there are some great properties relatively nearby.

Budget: Lovely Budget Vegan Homestay

This homestay isn’t going to win any awards in luxury, but it sure is affordable and cozy! Located in the town of Newstead, this is a great option for budget travelers.

Lovely Budget Vegan Homestay

Lovely Budget Vegan Homestay

Lovely Budget Vegan Homestay

You can check out the Lovely Budget Vegan Homestay by clicking here.

Mid-Range: Craggy Peaks

We stayed at Craggy Peaks and had a great time. This accommodation is a one-of-a-kind complex of villas with multiple bedrooms, and you’ll really feel connected with nature here. Craggy Peaks is located in the town of Rossarden, and is perfect for families.

Craggy Peaks

Craggy Peaks

Craggy Peaks

You can check out Craggy Peaks by clicking here.

Luxury: Kurrajong House

There aren’t many luxury accommodation options around the area, as you can imagine, so the next best thing is to treat yourself to a luxury stay in Launceston, and then make the drive to Ben Lomond National Park. Kurrajong House is a luxury B&B featuring some of the most immaculately decorated rooms you’ll find in Tasmania.

Kurrajong House

Kurrajong House

Kurrajong House

You can check out Kurrajong House by clicking here.

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Where is Ben Lomond National Park?

Ben Lomond National Park is an underrated Tasmanian gem

Standing proudly about an hour’s drive east of Launceston, Ben Lomond National Park is punctuated by the Ben Lomond Mountain that towers over the area. As the second highest mountain peak of Tasmania and the highest peak of Ben Lomond, Legges Tor clocks in at 1,572m tall. However, because Legges Tor actually plateaus, the most striking part of the mountain is in fact Stacks Bluff, standing at about 1,527m (5,010 ft), which you can see from far away.

Ben Lomond from afar

During the ski season, Ben Lomond also acts as a ski resort from early July to late September.

 

As beautiful as Ben Lomond National Park is, it’s important to note that it also has a rather sombre past, which includes the terrible mistreatment of Aboriginal peoples in the area.

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The Journey to Ben Lomond National Park

You’ll go up this road to reach Ben Lomond’s summit

There are a few routes you can take to Ben Lomond, the most popular one being from Launceston, taking the C401 highway and Ben Lomond Road.

We opted to visit from Rossarden, crossing the pretty town of Upper Blessington. At Upper Blessington, we got to stop over the side of the road and take some awesome pictures of the Ben Lomond area.

Upper Blessington, Tasmania

Upper Blessington, Tasmania

We stayed at a quaint, quiet accommodation called Craggy Peaks. Although staying here was quite the detour, we enjoyed the peace and relaxation nonetheless.

Our view of Ben Lomond from Craggy Peaks

Our chalets at Craggy Peaks

Another view of Ben Lomond from Craggy Peaks

You can check out the Craggy Peaks accommodation by clicking here.

After visiting Ben Lomond, we made a short detour to Mangana where we took pictures of a small pretty church called the Our Lady of Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Our Lady of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Mangana

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What to do at Ben Lomond National Park

Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob’s Ladder is one of the most thrilling roads you could ever drive up. This is the access road which you’ll have to drive up to access the Ben Lomond Alpine Village. With many hairpin turns, at every twist you’ll get to see amazing mountain views as you get higher and higher up the mountain.

Beautiful view at the top of Jacob’s Ladder

Lookout at the top of Jacob’s Ladder

At the top of Jacob’s Ladder, you’ll be treated to a lookout, where you can see the bendy road that you just drove on, as well as vast panoramas of the area.

Be careful when you’re at the top of Jacob’s Ladder

Note – please drive safely up Jacob’s Ladder. It is a single lane road, and extremely steep. Don’t lose focus (granted, it is difficult with the breathtaking scenery on show), and drive slowly.

Waterfalls

Waterfall on Jacob’s Ladder

When driving up Jacob’s Ladder, you’ll also be treated to waterfalls along the way if you’re lucky!

Stopping along Jacob’s Ladder to take photos

We stopped a few times to take photos of the waterfalls along the road.

Ben Lomond Alpine Village

Ben Lomond Alpine Village

Ben Lomond Alpine Village

Skiing at Ben Lomond has dated back to the early 1900s, when Car Villa, a ski chalet, was built. Since then, Ben Lomond has become one of Tasmania’s premier ski and snowboard destinations, featuring several accommodation options and ski rental shops. A cool fact is that the Australian National Championships was held at Ben Lomond in 1955.

If you visit during ski season, the Alpine Village will be up and running

Ski season usually starts from early July until late September.

Ben Lomond Alpine Village

We spotted a kangaroo at the Alpine Village!

Alpine Walks

You can embark on walking tracks from the Ben Lomond Alpine Village. Just follow the signs.

At Ben Lomond, you can undertake a number of walks and hikes. You can choose to ascend the peak of Stacks Bluff, or go for a more relaxing walk across the Legges Tor plateau. Recommended walks include Alpine Village to Little Hell, Ben Lomond Summit Link Track and the Carr Villa to Alpine Village Track.

Plenty of peaks for you to conquer at Ben Lomond

You can also climb other peaks such as Ragged Jack (1,369 m) and Mensa Moor (1,358 m).

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We hope you enjoy visiting this amazing gem! If you’re visiting Tasmania, make sure you also check out our post on the 30 Best Places to Visit in Tasmania, Ranked.

Planning on making the visit to Ben Lomond National Park? Let us know in the comments below!