Franklin Lower Gordon Wild Rivers National Park

440,000ha.

This grandiose mountain region of primeval forest in the catchment area of the Franklin and Gordon Rivers has been under statutory protection since 1981 and has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. In the 1970s and 1980s the national park was frequently in the news during a bitter controversy over a proposal to build dams and hydro-electric stations in the area. The opponents of the scheme, with their battle cry 'No dams!', were victorious, and the wild beauty of the Franklin River and its tributaries, with their expanses of dense rain forest, was preserved unspoiled. The national park, which incorporates two older national parks, Cradle Mountain/Lake St Clair National Park and South West National Park, is the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Also included in the park is the former Frenchman's Cap National Park (established 1941) round the rocky peak of Frenchman's Cap (1443m). White-water rafting

The tumultuous Franklin River attracts white-water rafting enthusiasts from far and wide.

Walking trails

There are numerous walking trails starting out from rest areas on the Lyell Highway. Particularly rewarding is the Donaghys Hill Wilderness Walk, which leaves the highway on the south side of the Collingwood River. Along the western boundary of the national park it is possible to push out into the wilderness for a few kilometers (on foot or in a canoe or an all-terrain vehicle).