The Overland Track runs north to south through Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, covering a distance of 37 miles. Much of this classic five-day hike follows boardwalks that have been built to minimize damage to the delicate alpine environment or allow it to recover where damage has already occurred. Boardwalks also line much of another famous Tasmanian walk, the four-day hike to Frenchmans Cap in Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, where they have eliminated what used to be a slow and tiring trudge across the deep mud of the Lodden Plains. A dramatic white quartzite peak, Frenchmans Cap rises steeply from the plains and offers one of the best wilderness panoramas in the country from its summit. Tasmania’s wildest region is encompassed by Southwest National Park, most of which is accessible only on foot – with the word ‘accessible’ taking on a new meaning when applied to Tasmanian horizontal scrub. An airstrip at Melaleuca allows visitors to fly into the heart of this wilderness. From there, the South Coast Track runs south-east parallel to the coast for 53 miles, sometimes cutting inland to cross ranges as high as 2,625 feet above sea level, while the 43.5-mile Port Davey Track heads north then east toward Lake Pedder, skirting the rugged Arthur Range. Other popular walks include the hike to the Walls of Jerusalem in the national park of the same name, and the varied tracks in Mount Field National Park. In contrast to these alpine trails, the two to three day circuit in Freycinet National Park, on the east coast, takes in stunning coastal scenery; this area is more likely to be blessed with pleasant weather than the interior.