Hiking Tasmania’s Walls of Jerusalem
- delphinegargula
- Apr 17, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 9, 2023
How can one go to Tasmania and not do one of the splendid multi-day hikes the island has to offer?
When we travelled to Tasmania in January 2022 we picked Walls of Jerusalem as our one overnight hike for the trip and definitely did not regret it. We did it over 2 days and 1 night, spending the night at Dixons Kingdom.
The hike starts East of Lake Rowallan, about a 30min drive from Mersey Forest. You’ll find quite a large car park there, where all hikers leave their car and start the walk. The road to the car park is unsealed but in great condition.
Car Park to Wild Dog Creek
We started the hike around midday on day 1, leaving our rental car at the car park, before proceeding to the mandatory hiking boots clean up and registering ourselves at the little hut in the car park. The good news is there is a great toilet here!
The registration hut at the car park
The first part of the hike is probably the most strenuous as it climbs up quite a bit and it of course happens to be when your backpack is the heaviest. After about an hour of steep hiking through the forest, you reach a rustic hut very originally named Trapper’s Hut.
Trappers Hut
From there you have one more steep section before reaching a much flatter section. Not long after leaving Trapper’s Hut, you get the option to turn right towards Lake Adelaide. We continued left as our plan was to get to Dixons Kingdom campground however I have heard Lake Adelaide is beautiful. Another option for this hike is to do it over 3 days 2 nights as a loop, staying one night at Dixons Kingdom (or Wild Dog Creek) and the other night near Lake Adelaide.
Lots of cute boardwalks along the way
From the Lake Junction, you then walk towards Wild Dog Creek and past Solomon Jewels. These are beautiful small lakes in between patches of wildflowers and bushy shrubs. Wild Dog Creek is a great campsite with tent sites on elevated platforms, which helps protect the vegetation and minimise the impact camping can have on the environment. It also has toilets and in case of emergency an actual helicopter pad. It took us almost 1h30 to get to Wild Dog Creek from Trappers Hut.
Wild Dog Creek to Dixons Kingdom
We took a much-needed picnic break at Wild Dog Creek before hitting the trail again. From Wild Dog Creek, it took us about 1 hour to get to Damascus Gate. And just before getting there, we made a small detour to Pool of Bethesda. I cannot recommend it enough as we saw a platypus there! Platypuses are considered Near Threatened by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and it is extremely rare to spot one. They are also very shy so if you do go to Pool of Bethesda (or any other body of water) maximise your chances of seeing one by approaching the water super quietly. They will head to their burrow the minute they hear you!
Pool of Bethesda (post platypus sighting)
Back to Damascus Gate, you have the option of doing a side trip to The Temple or to Solomon’s Throne. We decided to first drop our bags and set up our tent at Dixons Kingdom, and then head back to Solomon’s Throne.
The walk to Dixons Kingdom
Dixons Kingdom was about 30min from Damascus Gate and this section was full of curious wallabies. They seem quite used to human presence and had no problem hanging out at the campground, so remember not to leave any food out and not to feed them as this can make them sick and turn them aggressive.
The view from Dixons Kingdom
The campground itself is mostly made of grass patches as well as 2 drop toilets. During our visit in early 2022, the park was building a boardwalk and planning to build elevated platforms for tent sites, similarly to what they have done at Wild Dog Creek.
The future boardwalk
Solomon’s Throne
After setting up our tent and dropping off our bags at Dixons Kingdom we headed back to Damascus Gate for a late afternoon exploration. The walk seemed so much easier without backpacks!
Solomon’s Throne in the distance
Solomon’s Throne is quite impressive from Damascus Gate. You get a fantastic view of it for a good part of the walk, so at this stage we were pretty stoked to climb to the top.
Solomon’s Throne
We weren’t super fortunate with the weather but did manage to get some beautiful clear views while at Solomon’s Throne.
The climb up the Throne is steep and there is quite a bit of rock scrambling involved so I would not recommend it for young children, nor people with bad knees. It took us about 20-30min to climb to the top from Damascus Gate. Once at the top, the Throne continues into an expansive plateau which itself deserves a few exploratory walks.
We spent about an hour at the top admiring the view from different angles and regretted not bringing a few snacks for a little “aperitivo at the top”
At the top of Solomon’s Throne
If you have to pick one side trip during the walk I would recommend Solomon’s Throne. We had originally planned to go to Mt Jerusalem too but the weather was so foggy that it was simply not worth it, and a ranger we spoke to confirmed Solomon’s Throne was an absolute must. I am so glad we followed her advice!
Stunning views from the top
Day 2 – Dixons Kingdom to Car Park
We had quite a bit of rain on the 2nd day and decided to smash the return which instead of 5h ended up taking us 3h30! I guess not stopping for photos and looking forward to being dry helped us adopt a fast pace.
Another option however, with more time, could have been to take the Lake Adelaide detour which probably is best done with a 2nd night camping and a 3rd short day to make the most of it. We might try this option next time!
The Nitty Gritty
Important: Since 2020 all hikers are required to register their walk via Eventbrite in order to protect the park and control the number of hikers per day. The maximum capacity in January 2022 was 36 hikers per day.
Distance: approx. 18km return to Dixons Kingdom, 22km to Mount Jerusalem and 21km for the full loop via Lake Adelaide.
Housekeeping: there are toilets at the Car Park, at Wild Dog Creek and at Dixons Kingdom. If you need to go anywhere else, make sure you follow the Leave No Trace Principle.
Water: there aren’t many options to refill your water bottle unless you take some from the lakes and purify it, so I would strongly advise carrying lots of water especially if the sun is out.
Estimated walking time: hugely dependent on fitness level! Below is a chart with the estimated time according to Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service, but if you are an experienced hiker and/or reasonably fit you can probably reduce these by 10-20%. Here is the time it took us on day 1 for each stage (total 4h):
Car Park to Trappers Hut: 1h
Trappers Hut to Wild Dog Creek: 1h30
Wild Dog Creek to Damascus Gate: 1h
Damascus Gate to Dixons Kingdom: 30min
Difficulty: medium, most of the hike being easy except for the first part up to Trappers Hut, and for side trips such as Solomon’s Throne.
Recommended gear: sturdee hiking boots, warm clothes at night (even in Summer), camping gear including a tarp for the rain, waterproof clothes and possibly gaiters. We did not see any snake during our hike as it was quite chilly and rainy but if warm and sunny I would recommend bringing gaiters or long pants.
Insider tip: do not carry your bags all the way up Solomon’s Throne! If you can, drop them off somewhere first and do the climb without backpack or just with a day backpack.
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