Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach Circuit

Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach Circuit is a long loop from the Wineglass Bay Walking Tracks Car Park: climb to the lookout, descend to Wineglass Bay, cross the low isthmus to Hazards Beach, then return around the western side of the peninsula. The connected mapped route is about 11.4 km (7.1 miles); the published figure rounds it to 11 km. Allow four to five hours, plus whatever time you spend at the beaches. This is the walk for a full day on foot and two very different shores. If you mainly want the famous bay view, the separate 3 km lookout return is a much shorter outing.

The circuit works in either direction. Starting with the lookout puts the big Wineglass Bay view early and makes the steep stair section a descent to the beach. Reverse the loop if you would rather climb those steps and save the lookout for later. There is no shorter version once you commit to the full circuit, so leave time for the sandy sections and a proper break at either beach.

The route climbs from the car park to a rocky lookout above Wineglass Bay, where the pale crescent of sand and forested headlands come together in one view. From there, a long, steep flight of steps drops to the beach. That is the circuit's main effort in either direction: take it slowly, especially if steep stairs are harder for you than a steady climb. At the beach, the view changes from a high panorama to the scale of the bay itself.

From Wineglass Bay, the track crosses the peninsula's low sandy neck and reaches Hazards Beach. Underfoot the route shifts between sand, boardwalk and firmer track, a welcome change from the steep stair section but still a long way from a paved promenade. The two beaches make natural places to pause; save enough time and energy for the return rather than treating Hazards as the finish.

Beyond Hazards Beach, the route rises inland through she-oak woodland, skirts Mount Mayson and may cross seasonal creeks before turning onto rougher, rocky coast. Great Oyster Bay views open along the way back. The scenery keeps changing from forest to rock and shoreline, and the circuit's western half usually feels more removed from the busy lookout approach.

Use the Wineglass Bay Walking Tracks Car Park; toilets and a water tap are there, but there is no dependable water supply along the circuit. Carry enough water and food for a four-to-five-hour walk. A Tasmanian parks pass is required for entry, and dogs are not allowed in Freycinet National Park. The track is Grade 4, with steep stairs, uneven sand and rock, and seasonal creek crossings; it is a substantial bushwalk rather than a beach stroll.