Hike | Mount Kosciuszko National Park, NSW | Australia
The best hikes in Mount Kosciuszko National Park
Text | Anninka Kraus
Photography | Tobias Kraus
Australia NSW
Mount Kosciuszko is mainland Australia’s tallest peak at 2,228 metres above sea level and by far the easiest of the highest points of the seven continents to climb. With chairlifts and custom-built boardwalks on the Thredbo to Mount Kosciuszko Walk paving the way to the summit, it’s a proverbial walk in the park really and nothing like the undertaking it was for Polish explorer Sir Paul Edmund Strzelecki who first summited the mountain in 1840.
Despite the easy accessibility, the Snowy Mountains section of the Australian Alps in New South Wales, where Mount Kosciuszko National Park is located, is a beautiful, rugged alpine environment with towering mountain ranges that only a few people think of in connection with Australia.
And, of course, you’ll find more demanding walks there as well, like the fabulous 22-kilometre Main Range Walk that we both consider as one of Australia’s best day walks. A popular ski resort in winter, in summer, alpine meadows peppered with yellow billy buttons cover the glacier-carved landscape and glacial lakes glitter in the sun. The exposed ridges offer sweeping views into the Snowy Mountains’ valleys and rolling foothills clad with snow gum forests.
Of the five trails that lead to Mount Kosciuszko summit, all are well-signposted with two ways being easy and three a little more challenging, including stream crossings or more challenging elevation gains. The starting point of the trails is either Thredbo or Charlotte Pass, with an easier and a more difficult walking option departing from each trailhead.
All tracks intersect at Rawson Pass (you’ll find toilets there and a bike stand for mountain bikers who must walk the last trail section to the summit) and share the final stretch of the Summit Trail to the top, so you can easily combine sections of the trails to adjust the duration and distance of your walk.
hikes to Mount Kosciuszko Summit
1. Thredbo to Mount Kosciuszko Walk via the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift (13km return)
2. Thredbo to Mount Kosciuszko Walk via Merrits Traverse and Merrits Nature Walk (21km loop)
3. Thredbo to Mount Kosciuszko Walk via Dead Horse Gap and Thredbo River Trail – closed due to flood and storm damage at the beginning of 2022 (Dead Horse Gap track 5km one-way, Thredbo River walk 4km one-way)
4. Mount Kosciuszko Summit Walk (18.5km return)
5. Main Range walk (22km loop)
There are plenty of other shorter walks and hikes to explore in the park, like the Rennix Trail and Perisher-Blue Cow walk, but the scenic highlight of the park is the Main Range Track and the runner-up the Thredbo to Mount Kosciuszko walk on a quiet day mid-week.
location & park information.
Directions: Kosciuszko National Park is situated in the Snowy Mountains in the Australian Alps near Jindabyne Lake. It’s a 2.5-hour drive south from Canberra and five hours from Sydney.
Best time to hike: in the summer months, between December and March, which is also the time when the alpine wildflowers bloom
Options: Mountain bikes are allowed on the Mount Kosciuszko Summit Trail between Charlotte Pass and the trail junction at Rawson Pass but bikers must continue on foot for the remaining 1.4 kilometres to the summit. The Snowies Alpine Walk is a new multi-day 55-kilometre walk in Mount Kosciuszko National Park scheduled for completion in 2022 that sounds so amazing we’ve already put on our bucket list. The walk will link the stunning high alpine walking sections of the park with the resort village and thus make for a stunning multi-day self-guided hike with comfortable accommodation.
Accommodation in Mount Kosciuszko National Park:
Camping: There are several wonderful campsites in the park (toilets only, no showers or water) that must be booked in advance and registration fees apply (link). We stayed at Island Bend and Tom Groggin campgrounds where mobile phone reception was spotty at best (no reception whatsoever at Tom Groggin), but instead we had plenty of kangaroos and crimson rosellas, native Australian parrots with a mostly red plumage, keep us company.
Other accommodation can be found in Jindabyne (outside the national park boundaries), Thredbo, Perisher and Charlotte Pass (all situated within the park).
starting from Charlotte Pass
Mount Kosciuszko Summit Walk
Starting from Charlotte Pass, the Mount Kosciuszko Summit Walk follows the Old Kosciuszko Road to Rawson Pass and the summit and is open to hikers and cyclists. As such, the track itself, winding gently up to the rooftop of Australia, across the Snowy River bridge and past Seaman’s Hut is an easy walk.
However, it does become a little monotonous despite the sweeping views down the scenic Thredbo Valley and fields of gorgeous spring wildflowers lining the trail, especially if you walk up and down the same way.
I recommend the Main Range Track instead, as it’s far more scenic and varied. Also, you’ll be coming down the Summit Trail on the old road to Mount Kosciuszko anyway, which is shared with the last leg of the Main Range walk.
track details.
Walk | Loop trail | 6-8 hours
Start/End: Charlotte Pass
Distance: 18.6km
Time: official estimate 6-8 hours
Difficulty: Grade 3
The Main Range walk
The Main Range walk is considered one of Australia’s best day hikes, showcasing stunning Australian Alps scenery on a 22-kilometre loop walk above the tree line.
The circuit passes by three glacial lakes, Blue Lake, Club Lake, and Albina Lake before it connects with the Summit Trail at Rawson Pass for the final ascent to the top and returns via the Summit Walk on a shared mountain bike and hiking trail to Charlotte Pass.
The Australian Alps may not be as high as the Swiss Alps we’re used to – they’re hills, not mountains – but on the Main Range Track, they surprised us with ferocious gusts of icy wind that whipped across the exposed ridges, patches of snow clinging to the barren rock face, and ice fields still covering the track in the height of summer.
We rock-hopped across icy rivers and shivered in the low clouds that raced across the mountain ridges, with my fingers turning numb as we climbed Carruthers Peak, Australia’s seventh highest mountain. It was just like a typical mediocre early spring or late autumn day in the mountains in Central Europe, and the moody greyish-white hues of the clouds, sky, and craggy rock outcrops suited this track remarkably well.
Blue Lake wasn’t blue but a slate grey colour and the views at times were rather limited, but on the whole, the day was a brilliant fit for the walk.
Just like on the Thredbo to Mount Kosciuszko Walk, there’s a beautiful metal boardwalk section, reddish-brown with rust that appears to float above the lovely alpine meadows and makes for an easy walk.
By the time we reached the summit, the low cloud cover that had stubbornly clung to the north-western part of the Main Range and Geehi Valley was slowly starting to dissolve as the sun flooded the peaks and valleys.
And just in time so that we could admire the long 360-degree views across the barren high alpine country of the Snowy Mountains before returning to Charlotte Pass on the Summit Trail.
The road section is a little monotonous compared to the rest of the Main Range Walk, so if you want to save the best for last, walk in a clockwise direction and start with the Summit Walk. In regards to timing, this hike is best done from January to March, when the alpine heaths are peppered with gorgeous wildflowers in full bloom.
track details.
Walk | Loop trail | 5.5-9 hours
Start/End: Charlotte Pass
Route: Charlotte Pass – Blue Lake – Carruthers Peak – Club Lake – Lake Albina – Summit Trail – Mount Kosciuzsko summit – Rawson Pass – return via the Summit Walk – Charlotte Pass (you can also walk in a clockwise direction and start with the Summit Walk)
Distance: 22km
Time: 5.5 hours (official estimate: 7-9 hours)
Elevation: 715 meters (+/-) (lowest point: 1720m / highest point: 2228m)
Difficulty: Grade 4
map Main Range Walk
starting from Thredbo
Thredbo to Mount Kosciuszko Walk via the chairlift
By far the most popular and easiest route begins in Thredbo with a ride on the Kosciuszko Express chairlift and continues along a custom-built metal boardwalk that takes you almost to the summit.
Unfortunately, the high level of accessibility comes at the cost of tranquillity, and when we visited on a sunny Sunday in peak season, the trail was packed.
On a quieter day, however, I imagine it to be a lovely stroll in a brilliant mountain scenery. The trail gradually winds uphill east of Ramshead Range on the boardwalk that appears to float above the alpine heath and meadows to where the trail crosses the headwaters of the Snowy River near Kosciuszko Lookout.
The trail then passes by Australia’s highest lake, Lake Cootapatamba, and proceeds past Etheridge Range to Rawson Pass and the end of the boardwalk.
After the pass, the Summit Trail tends to be even more crowded, with the hikers climbing Kosciuszko on different routes joining into a sea of people for the gentle 1.7-kilometre homestretch to the top.
track details.
Walk | Loop trail | 3-5 hours
Start/End: the top of the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift
Distance: 13km return
Time: 3-5 hours
Difficulty: Grade 4 – I really have no idea why this track is graded difficult; people were pushing strollers along the boardwalk, so to Rawson Pass at least it’s more like a Grade 2 walk and between Rawson Pass and the summit maybe a Grade 3.
Thredbo to Mount Kosciuszko Walk via Merrits Traverse and Nature Trail
You can make the previous route into more of a hike, by walking up from Thredbo on one of two trails instead of taking the chairlift. We followed Merrits Traverse, which starts at the bottom terminal of the Kosciuszko Express chairlift and climbs steeply on a dirt road through native bushland and alpine meadows to a trail intersection with Merrits Nature Track.
The latter takes you to the top of the chairlift and the start of the Summit Walk. On your way back, either return to Thredbo by the same way or follow Merrits Nature Trail back to Thredbo village.
Another trail combination connecting Thredbo village with the Summit Trail is the Dead Horse Gap and Thredbo River tracks. Starting from the village, the Thredbo River track winds along the Thredbo River and through snow gum woodlands to Cascade trailhead where it connects with the Dead Horse Gap Track.
The latter is a section of the Australian Alps walking track and in turn, intersects with the Summit Trail near the top of the chairlift at a signposted turnoff. Both the Dead Horse Gap and Thredbo River tracks were closed due to flood and storm damage when we visited, with no reopening date scheduled.
Take care where walking tracks and mountain bike trails intersect and don’t be confused by a few misleading signposts directing hikers onto the mountain bike trail and vice versa. Always stick to the dirt road or the track that is well maintained and wide and avoid mud trails with tire marks.
track details.
Walk | Loop trail | 5-7 hours
Start/End: bottom terminal of the Kosciuszko Express chairlift in Thredbo
Distance: 21km
Time: 5-7 hours
Elevation: 995 meters (+/-) (lowest point: 1360m / highest point: 2228m)
Difficulty: Grade 3
map Thredbo to Mount Kosciuszko Walk via Merrits Traverse and Nature Trail
other walks in Mount Kosciuszko National Park
Rennix walk
The Rennix walk meanders through forest and alpine heath that smelled beautifully of herbs and wildflowers after several days of heavy rain.
With all that rain, the valley floor had turned into a bit of swampland, and we had to wade through quite a bit of ankle-deep morass before we made it to the exposed rocky spur with lovely views over the Snowy River and Lake Jindabyne that marks the turnaround point of this trail.
If I did this walk again, I’d probably pick a less wet day, but the moody atmosphere of a grey sky, with the low clouds dancing around the treetops and patches of snow clinging to mountain slopes in the distance was definitely worth the wet feet.
track details.
Walk | Out & back trail | 3.5 – 5.5 hours
Start/End: Rennix walk car park
Distance: 13km return
Time: 3.5 – 5.5 hours
Elevation: 350 meters (+/-) (lowest point: 1565m / highest point: 1685m)
Difficulty: Grade 3
Perisher-Blue Cow walk
This trail is an easy road walk connecting Perisher with Blue Cow SkiTube Terminal in summer and definitely does not deserve a Grade 5 (difficult) rating. The road is easy enough to follow despite there being no signposts, and yes, it’s a bit of a climb, but all along a very quiet road that is closed to regular traffic.
We got caught in a torrential downpour halfway to Blue Cow SkiTube Terminal and had no views whatsoever with visibility reduced to about 20 meters, but on a fine day, the views from the top of the Main Range to the southwest are very nice, I believe.
track details.
Walk | Out & back trail | 1.5-3 hours
Start/End: Perisher car park
Distance: 8km return
Time: 1.5 hours (official estimate: 3 hours return)
Elevation: 235 meters (+/-) (lowest point: 1715m / highest point: 1890m)
Difficulty: Grade 5 – graded difficult only because the walk is not signposted, the track itself is probably Grade 2 as it’s all on road
Map Rennix walk
map Perisher-Blue Cow walk
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