Walks within Arakoon National Park and Hat Head National Park

walkingtrail


Smoky Cape Lighthouse


Walking Trails

 

Bridle Trail

easy – 500m
This track links up with the Powder Magazine Track and the track to Little Bay, and starts at Cardwell Street near the entrance to the park.

Monument Track

easy – 1 km return
Commencing near the Gaol, this steep but well formed track winds up through banksia heathland. A monument to the WW1 German internees is located near the summit, with views of Trial Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Powder Magazine Track

moderate – 1.5 km return
This track leads off Monument Track to the ruins of powder magazines used to store gunpowder during the construction of the Gaol and breakwater. The track meets up with Bridle Trail which can be followed to Little Bay or follow the main road back to the car park.

Jack Perkins Track

moderate – 1.4 km return
From Captain Cook’s Lookout, this track descends through a series of plant communities including pockets of vine-entwined rainforest and dry woodland, emerging at North Smoky Beach. This beach is not patrolled, there are frequent rips and strong ocean currents.

The Smoky Cape to Little Bay Track

This track can be done in the following sections or as one adventurous walk of 10km one-way.

Gap Beach Track

hard – 6.4 km one way
From the Overshot Dam at Little Bay this track climbs steeply up Little Smoky Mountain, before descending through grass tree forest to North Gap Beach. Follow the road down to the littoral rainforest behind North Gap Beach and walk along the beach. From South Gap Beach, follow the road back up to Ridge Top car park and continue to the Lighthouse.

Green Island Lookout Track

moderate - 3 km return
From the southern Ridge Top car park above Gap Beach, follow the track uphill through woodland. At the junction continue east onto the headland passing through beautiful displays of flannel flowers and paper daisies. Green Island is only 100m from the coast. Please note: From the end of Green Island Lookout Track, North Smoky Beach and Gap Beach can be accessed but this is not recommended as there is no formed route and the terrain is very steep and unstable.

Smoky Cape Track

moderate - 4.4 km return
From Captain Cook’s Lookout this track meanders along the ridges and across the gullies behind North Smoky Beach. There are numerous cabbage tree palms and ferns where it reaches a junction. From here take: the Green Island Lookout Track continue along the Smoky Cape to Little Bay Track head the west to the Southern Ridge Top car park and down to Gap Beach.

Smoky Cape to Little Bay (or reverse)

hard – 10 km one way
From the more adventurous take a coastal walk from Smoky Cape to Little Bay. From Captain Cook’s lookout follow the Smoky Cape to Little Bay Track to the Northern Ridge Top car park, and either: walk down to Gap Beach, back up the southern road and onto to the Little Bay Track or walk along the 4WD Road to the junction (to a gate), back up Gap Road past the car park and onto Little Bay Track. A one-way journey can take up to four hours. Leave a vehicle at Smoky Cape or Little Bay to allow for car-pooling and avoid the return journey.

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