Walls of Jerusalem National Park


 * For other places with the same name, see Walls of Jerusalem

Walls of Jerusalem National Park is a national park in the Central Highlands of Tasmania and a UNESCO world heritage site as part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It's renowned for the uniqueness and its naturalness, just like Jerusalem itself. The park was also the location of the second episode of the BBC documentary series Walking with Dinosaurs.

History
The park takes its name from the geological features of the park which are thought to resemble the walls of the city of Jerusalem. As a result, most places and features within the park have Biblical references for names, such as Herods Gate, Lake Salome, Solomons Jewels, Damascus Gate, the Pool of Bethesda.

According to local legend, there's a prophet that roams the wilderness, cursing the nations of the walkers who enter the park.

Landscape
The most prominent feature of the park is King Davids Peak with an elevation of 1,509 metres above sea level, and can be seen in most places, especially at the camping site.

Much of the walking track consists of raised boards, from Wild Dog Creek through to Dixon's Kingdom, with the purpose of protecting the fragile alpine vegetation. Walking tracks elsewhere in the park consist of rock, rocky earth, grassland and marsh.

Climate
The climate of Walls of Jerusalem National Park is very cold all year around, and very regularly drops to the negatives.

Visitor information

 * Park website

Get in
C171 Mersey Forest Road runs right south of the northwestern boundaries of the park. There will then be a turnoff to a 1.5-km gravel road to the Walls of Jerusalem carpark. Avoid travelling at night, since endangered wildlife roam around the roads a lot.

Fees and permits
A pass must be bought at the passes parks website.

Get around
There are no roads in the park, and thus, the only way to get around is by walking. Only walk on the designated path, and do not veer off course.

Along the Walls of Jerusalem multi-day walk
All the points of interests in this park require you to register. See &sect; Do for details.

Do

 * The Walls of Jerusalem multi-day walk is a 3 to 4 day 43 km loop trail, including the Mt. Jerusalem ascent. It is tough and only advised for those who have lots of prior hiking experience. Registrations must be made, and can be made here. See also: Tasmanian national parks or by calling.
 * Go Fishing at one of the many lakes in the park.

Buy, eat and drink
To protect the environment, there are no buildings in the park, and thus, nothing to buy, eat. Everything must be brought from elsewhere, including your own food.

Backcountry
While you are generally free to sleep wherever you want, backcountry camping is generally discouraged by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, with the reasoning of to protect the alpine vegetation.

Stay safe

 * All campfires are banned in this area and thus the entire park is a Fuel Stove Only Area. This is because alpine vegetation is killed by fire; most of the park's native pines were killed by a fire in the early 1960s.
 * If you are going to get water from the wild, getting them in either the deep glacial lakes and fast-flowing streams are much more a better option than tank or ground water.
 * There are no permanent rangers in this park. You may be on your own at times.
 * Do not camp within 200 metres of the Pool of Siloam, or within 15 metres of either of the huts (Dixons Kingdom Hut or Trappers Hut).
 * You will need to heavily rely on a compass.

Go next

 * Explore other parks in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area