One of Tasmania’s wonderful 60 Great Short Walks, the Fern Glade Walk is just less than a mile long, a short and sweet riverside looped trail that’s beautifully gentle, welcoming all ages and abilities to enjoy their very own slice of nature within the Fern Glade Platypus Reserve, Tasmania. This trail usually takes around 30 minutes to complete and starts and ends at the Fern Glade Road car park. A delightful spot for families to escape for a day with a picnic, to enjoy the reserve’s barbecue facilities, toilets and wildlife – it’s a popular local walk and it’s only 2 miles from the port city of Burnie, on the north-west coast of Tasmania. (Caution is advised on trail times as this depends on multiple variables. For more info, click here.) As it guides you along an even track, benefiting from the shade of vast tree ferns, look out for platypus surfacing and the native orchids that call this reserve home, as the path meanders along the edge of the Emu River on this tranquil spot away from the bustle of everyday life. The trail is graded as Medium but is generally considered an easy walk for most walkers with no experience recommended. As there are no steps and the terrain is fairly even it is suitable for wheelchair users although it is advised that anyone using a wheelchair has someone to assist them. For information on how we grade trails, please click here. It should be noted that the reserve opens at 7.30am each day and closes at dusk, and dogs are not allowed in the reserve for the protection and conservation of the park and its wildlife. As the Fern Glad walk is within the Mole Creek Karst National Park, all visitors will need a valid Parks Pass, as they do for all of Tasmania’s National Parks. Why not make the most of your Tasmania parks and plan some other walks on your route planner before you visit.
