Things to do in the Snowy Mountains in summer
There’s much more to the New South Wales (NSW) Snowy Mountains than just snow fun in the winter months. It really is a year-round adventure playground.
The alpine resorts of Perisher, Thredbo, Charlotte Pass and Selwyn come to life in winter, but in the summer months, the region is buzzing with mountain biking, water sports, hiking, fishing, horse riding like the ‘’Man from Snowy River’’ and much more. The towns and communities of the Snowy Mountains surround the magnificent Kosciuszko National Park where you can summit Australia’s highest peak, Mt Kosciuszko and take in the breath-taking scenery. Visit the Snowy Mountains year-round and discover a unique Australian experience for all ages.
Check out these top ten things to do in the Snowy Mountains during summer.
1. Conquer ‘’Kozzie’’
Walk to the top of Australia! It’s a challenging 13km round trip starting from the top of the Thredbo Crackenback chairlift to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko along incredible landscapes including boulder fields and Snowy River headwaters. The walk takes you on a gradual rise to the summit where the view is bound to impress. Stay as long as you like before walking back along the track to Thredbo. If you’re not up for such a long hike, the Kosciuszko Look-out is a 4km round-trip.
2. Horse Riding like the ‘’Man from Snowy River’’
Various guided horse riding tours are very popular in the Snowy Mountains, it’s part of the region’s DNA. There are rides for all ages and ability levels.
3. Take a Fly Fishing Lesson
The lakes and rivers of the Snowy Mountains have some of the best trout fishing in the world. Lessons in the art of fly fishing are available at a number of places across the region.
4. Mountain Biking
The Snowy Mountains region has world-class mountain biking trails for all standards, from extreme down-hill courses to paved bike paths and everything in between. Where else are you supposed to go mountain biking, but in the mountains! New to the region is the Thredbo Valley Track, where riders can take a leisurely ride from Thredbo Village to Lake Crackenback Resort and Spa, then catch the shuttle bus back, or ride the 17km track back up. It doesn’t stop there, however, across the entire region top quality mountain bike trails to be found.
5. Guided Walks in the Kosciuszko National Park
Discover, explore and experience Australian Aboriginal culture, pioneering heritage and natural environment walks in the Kosciuszko National Park.
6. Water Sports
The lakes and streams during the summer months are alive with swimming, sailing, rafting, fishing, paddle-boarding, water-skiing, wind-surfing and kayaking. The Snowy Mountains water is crystal clear and invigorating! Lakes Jindabyne and Eucumbene, Blowering, Talbingo, Tooma, Tantangara Reservoirs, as well as, Khancoban Pondage are all picturesque locations for all types of water-based activities.
7. Tour the Region by Road
There are three iconic drives in the Snowy Mountains region – The Alpine Way, Snowy Valleys Way and Monaro Highway. When linked, the routes circle the entire region. Along the way enjoy the magnificent scenery, cellar door for cold-climate wines and farm-gates for fresh produce, pretty towns and hamlets, spectacular lakes and water activities, resorts, festivals, events and culture.
8. Enjoy the Tastes
Cold climate wines, locally brewed beers and world-renowned schnapps. The Tumbarumba area has a number of outstanding vineyards with cellar doors, such as Courabyra Wines. Australia’s only schnapps distillery Wildbrumby can be found on the Alpine Way between Jindabyne and Thredbo village. Kosciuszko Brewery and Snowy River Vineyards and Micro-brewery offer unique tasting brews and Snowy Mountains Cookies have tours and sales on-site.
9. Yarrangobilly Caves
Discover nature’s wonders inside the Snowy Mountains! Located at the northern end of Kosciuszko National Park, enjoy guided and self-guided cave tours and access to a natural thermal bathing pool, barbecue facilities, picnic areas and plenty of short walks, all in one beautiful place.
10. Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre and Tours
The Snowy Hydro Scheme is one of the world’s biggest civil engineering achievements. Experience an amazing part of Australia’s electricity and water industries by visiting one of their facilities throughout the Snowy Mountains. Discover hands-on interpretive exhibits and interactive displays, watch informative films about the Snowy Mountains Scheme, see what electricity the Scheme is generating in real-time or take your turn on the “power bikes” and see if you can peddle hard enough to power a TV. The Discovery Centre in Cooma is the first point of call, however, tours are available at Adaminaby Snowy Scheme Museum and Murray 1 Visitor Centre is Khancoban.