Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park

Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park is a national park in the West Coast of Tasmania. The park has an area of, making it the second largest naitonal park in Tasmania. The main draw of the park is Nelson Falls, a picturesque waterfall about a 20-minute return walk from the Lyell Highway.

Understand
The Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park is a part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It was created as the Frenchmans Cap National Park, and was expanded to include a significant part of the Southwest Wilderness. It can be accessed from Lyell Highway in the northern part, and it can be entered in the mid region at Strathgordon.

History
The genesis of the Wild Rivers National Park was in the earlier Frenchmans Cap National Park which had the Franklin River as its boundary on the northern and western borders. Frenchmans Cap is a dominant feature in the region, and can be seen on the skyline from the west and north of the park.

The Gordon and Franklin Rivers were the subject of one of Australia's largest conservation efforts. The Franklin Dam was part of a proposed hydro-electric power scheme that had been in the plans of The Hydro for some time. The enthusiastic endorsement by Robin Gray's Liberal Government would have seen the river flooded. It became a national issue for the Tasmanian Wilderness Society, led by its director at the time, Bob Brown.

Landscape
The landscape is characterised by impressive mountain peaks, beautiful rainforests, deep river valleys and spectacular gorges.

Flora and fauna
Vegetation types within the park are varied, including cool temperate rainforest, drier eucalypt forests and button grass moorland.

Visitor information
Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park doesn't have any local visitor centres, so you will need to contact the office in Lake St Clair for anything. The visitor centre manages both.
 * Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Services

By car
The Lyell Highway (Route A10) runs through the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

The park has no facilities within its boundary, so to the east is Derwent Bridge, and the west are Queenstown and further towards the coast, Strahan as the nearest places with facilities.

By boat
Cruise boats departing from Strahan visit the park.

Get around
Most of the access is by foot. Unless you are on a rafting venture down the Franklin River.

Do
Bushwalking

Cruises

Rafting

Eat
There are picnic tables and toilet facilities at the Franklin River Nature Trail.

Sleep
A range of accommodation options are available in Strahan but there are none in the park.

Go next

 * Going east
 * Derwent Bridge
 * Hobart is 2.5 hours drive via the A10 Lyell Highway
 * The Highland Lakes are a little over an hour away and are popular for boating and fishing
 * Going west
 * Queenstown
 * Strahan