the north side of Lake St Clair. From here, walkers either catch the ferry across the lake, or walk the 17 km to Cynthia Bay. Side Tracks There are a number of side trips that can be undertaken while on the Overland Track. From north to south these are: Cradle Mountain Summit – 2 km, 2–3 hours return. Barn Bluff – 7 km, 3–4 hours return. Lake Will – 3 km, 1 hour return. Mount Pelion West – 6 km, 5–6 hours return. Old Pelion Hut (with swimming hole) – 1 km, 25 minutes return Mount Oakleigh – 8 km, 4–5 hours return. Mount Ossa – 6 km, 3.5–4.5 hours return. Mount Pelion East Pine Valley, Tasmania The Acropolis The Labyrinth Ferguson Falls and D'alton Falls – 1 km, 1-1.5 hours return. Hartnett Falls – 1.5 km, 1 hour return. Mount Rufus Huts The track has many huts, enabling hikers to stay indoors every night. There is no booking system for huts, so it is mandatory for hikers to carry a tent in case there is no space available or there is an incident on the track. Commercial groups are not encouraged to use the huts overnight and while one company operates from a set of five private huts, all other operators use the designated group camping areas near each of the main huts. Main Trail Huts Side Route Huts Day Use and Emergency shelters Overnight use of these is prohibited except in an emergency Cradle Mountain Run The Cradle Mountain Run is an 82 km long Australian ultramarathon that follows the Overland Track. It is Australia's oldest endurance race and has run annually from 1980. Entrance is highly controlled due to environmental concerns. The men's race record of 7:25 is held by Andy Kromar and the women's race record of 8:13 is held by Hanny Allston. See also Three capes track - a 3-day "dry boots" track South Coast Track - a remote/difficult 7-day bushwalk Port Davey Track - a remote/difficult 5-day bushwalk References External links Tasmania Parks & Wildlife – The Overland Track The Overland Track Photojournal covering track highlights The Overland Track – John Chapman webpage The Overland Track guidebook – Warwick Sprawson's webpage Hiking and bushwalking tracks in Tasmania Central Highlands (Tasmania) Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park