Three Capes Track hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Three Capes Track is a 48 km, four-day walk along dolerite sea cliffs up to 300 m high, some of the tallest in Australia, on the Tasman Peninsula in south-east Tasmania. It runs through Tasman National Park from Denmans Cove near Port Arthur to Fortescue Bay, with side trips to the tips of Cape Pillar and Cape Hauy and long views of the third cape, Cape Raoul. It is an independent walk with no guide, but it is fully booked and organised by the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS): you sleep three nights in modern cabins with mattresses and gas cooktops, so you do not carry a tent or stove. A boat takes you to the start and a bus brings you back.

The route

The walk starts with a cruise of up to 75 minutes from Port Arthur to Denmans Cove, past sea caves and dolerite cliffs. Day 1 is a short 4 km walk through woodland and coastal heath to Surveyors Cabin, with views to Cape Raoul. Day 2 (11 km) climbs Arthurs Peak, crosses Crescent Mountain and the Ellarwey Valley and reaches Munro Cabin above Munro Bight. Day 3 (19 km) is the big one: with a day pack you walk out along Cape Pillar to The Blade, a narrow ridge high above Tasman Island, then return past Munro and walk on to Retakunna Cabin. Day 4 (14 km) climbs through rainforest to Mount Fortescue (482 m), goes out to the tip of Cape Hauy with its sea stacks, the Totem Pole and the Candlestick, and drops to the beach at Fortescue Bay.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap, including both cape side trips, and splits it into 4 stages, about 11.6 km each, one for each day of the fixed itinerary. Our line measures 46 km against the official 48 km; the difference is short spur paths to lookouts. Along the way, "story seats" match the stories in the Encounters on the Edge guidebook you get at check-in.

Highlights

• The boat to Denmans Cove: sea caves, sand dunes and sea birds below the cliffs before you take a step
• Arthurs Peak and Crescent Mountain: the first big views back to Cape Raoul and along the coast
• Cape Pillar and The Blade: a walk to the end of the cape, with Tasman Island and its lighthouse across a deep channel
• Mount Fortescue: tall eucalypt forest and mossy rainforest on the highest point of the walk
• Cape Hauy: steps down and up a narrow headland to a view of the Totem Pole and the Candlestick sea stacks
• Fortescue Bay: a white-sand beach for a swim at the end

When to walk the Three Capes Track

The track is open all year except for a two-week closure each April for planned burns and maintenance: 13-26 April in 2026 and 5-18 April in 2027. September to April is the busiest time and dates fill fast. Summer days average 16-19 °C, winter days 10-12 °C, and the coast is windy in any season, with rain likely at any time. Winter brings fewer walkers, cold nights and sometimes the aurora; PWS has run winter discounts (2026: $485 for July and August starts).

How hard is it?

PWS grades the walk 3: some bushwalking experience recommended. The track is about 1 m wide, with gravel, rock and timber surfaces and many steps; it is never technical. The longest day is about 19 km with roughly 650 m of climbing, 6-7 hours. You should be able to walk about four hours a day for four days in a row. PWS says your pack should fit a 50-litre bag and weigh about 12 kg with 2 litres of water. The cliffs have no fences: stay at least 2 m from the edge, more in strong wind.

Permits and booking

You must book. The Three Capes Track pass costs $650 for adults and $515 for children and concession holders (Australian dollars, checked October 2026; fees rise with CPI each year). It includes the three cabin nights, the boat from Port Arthur, entry to the Port Arthur Historic Site, secure parking and lockers, the bus back from Fortescue Bay, the guidebook and park entry for the walk and a day either side. Only 48 walkers start each day and there is no waitlist, so book online or on 1300 827 727 well ahead. If you cancel more than 14 days ahead, 25% of the fee is kept.

Where you sleep

Surveyors, Munro and Retakunna each sleep 48 in two cabins of 4- and 8-bunk rooms, joined by a deck to a heated dining hub. Bunks have mattresses, and the kitchens have gas cooktops, pots and pans. You bring a sleeping bag rated to -5 °C, a head torch, food for three breakfasts, four lunches and three dinners, and your own cutlery, plate, bowl and cup. Water comes from rain tanks and should be treated. There are toilets at every cabin, showers only at Munro and USB charging points. A Host Ranger gives out the rooms; you may share with strangers.

For a guided version, the Tasmanian Walking Company runs the private Three Capes Lodge Walk, with its own lodges, meals and guides, from about $4,095 per person. Without a booking you can reach Cape Pillar on the Old Cape Pillar Track (camping at Bare Knoll) and walk Cape Hauy from Fortescue Bay.

Getting there and away

Port Arthur is about 90 minutes' drive south-east of Hobart. Check in downstairs at the Port Arthur Historic Site Visitor Centre 60-90 minutes before your boat (11:30 or 14:00 from October to April, 11:30 or 13:30 from May to September). Long-term walker parking is about 500 m from the centre. Pennicott Wilderness Journeys runs a bus from Hobart's waterfront and the airport to Port Arthur and back ($40 each way), timed to the boats; Gray Line and Tassielink also run coaches. At the end, the included bus leaves Fortescue Bay at 14:30 or 16:00 for Port Arthur. Pack a towel and shorts: you may have to wade ashore at Denmans Cove, knee-deep in spring.

Money and phone signal

There are no shops on the track; the Fortescue Bay office sells only ice and basic gear. Mobile coverage is good on days 1 and 2, partial on day 3 and fair on day 4, with reception at Surveyors and Retakunna and little at Munro.

Safety

In an emergency call 000, or 112 from a mobile, and ask for the police for a lost or injured walker; tell the Host Ranger at the nearest cabin too. The nearest emergency department is the Royal Hobart Hospital, about 1.5 hours by road from Port Arthur, and serious cases are flown out. Carry full waterproofs, warm layers, a hat and sunscreen: the weather on the capes changes fast. Dogs and drones are not allowed in the park.

History

The walk starts at the Port Arthur Historic Site, a former convict settlement on the World Heritage list. The Tasman Island lighthouse, seen from Cape Pillar, has guided ships since 1906. PWS built the Three Capes Track and its cabins as a new walk, and it opened in December 2015.