Tasmania · Australia
Lyell Highway
A10Queenstown to Derwent Bridge
A wilderness spine across western Tasmania, climbing out of the copper-scarred hills of Queenstown through temperate rainforest and button-grass plains into the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers World Heritage Area.
The Lyell Highway leaves the lunar, mining-stripped slopes above Queenstown on a sequence of tight climbs, then strikes east across some of the emptiest country in Australia. It threads rainforest gorges along the Franklin and Surprise rivers, crosses open alpine moorland beneath the peaks of the Wild Rivers National Park, and runs for long stretches with no habitation at all before reaching Derwent Bridge near Lake St Clair. Remote, wet and wild.
Scenery
Best seasons
In these collections
Lyell Highway on the map56.4 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 1Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%143 – 837.8 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- Surprise ValleyViewpoint42 mi in
- Victoria PassViewpoint19 mi in
- The Wall in the WildernessLandmark54 mi in
Hazards
- Sudden weather and dense fog on the highland sections
- Wildlife on the road, especially at dawn and dusk
- Long stretches with no fuel or services
- Wet, slippery surface under frequent rain
Sources
“a region of dramatic mountain peaks, beautiful rainforest, deep river valleys and spectacular gorges”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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