Walls of Jerusalem National Park

Not to be confused with Jerusalem Walls National Park, a park in East Jerusalem, Israel.

The Walls of Jerusalem National Park is located in the centre of Tasmania. The park has a size of about 518 km² and was founded June 1981. It has been part of the Tasmanian Wilderness UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982 and is on both the cultural and natural heritage lists. This is where King Davids Peak is located.

Meaning of the name

The park takes its name from geological formations that resemble the walls of the city of Jerusalem in Israel. Therefore, many places and formations in the park are named after places in the Bible like  Herod's Gate, Salome Lake, Solomon's Jewels and Damascus Gate.

Tourism

Like much of the Tasmanian wilderness, the area is not very accessible by roads and the only road leading into the park is through the C171 road. It is only accessible to experienced hikers (bushwalkers) or skiers who, because of the often very changeable weather, have to be very careful and take appropriate precautionary measures, about which the Parks & Wildlife Service provides comprehensive information.

Nature

The national park is characterised above all by its alpine vegetation with endemic coniferous forests and upholstered heather stands. In fire-protected areas, stands of cypress-like scale spruce can be found. The landscape of the area is characterised by Ice Age moraines and glacier lakes.

Looking down from Solomon's throne

Other websites

• Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania Archived 2008-06-12 at the Wayback Machine