Wineglass Bay Track

Wineglass Bay Track is the beach walk from the main walking-tracks car park, over the saddle, down to the north end of Wineglass Bay, and back. The complete mapped outing is about 5.4 km (3.3 miles) round trip; allow around 2½ hours with time at the lookout and on the sand. It is a moderate walk with a steep, stepped climb on the way up and a long climb back from the beach. This is the route to choose when you want to stand on the shore, not just look down at it. Distance descriptions vary; this figure follows the car-park-to-north-beach route and leaves out side trips.

If the beach is more commitment than you want, the separate Wineglass Bay Lookout walk is about 2.6 km return and usually takes 60–90 minutes. It ends at the high view; this track continues over the saddle and down to the sand.

From Wineglass Bay Walking Tracks Car Park, a formed path climbs through coastal woodland and boulder-strewn slopes. Stone steps take over for much of the uphill, so settle into a steady pace instead of trying to rush the climb. The track reaches the saddle between Mount Mayson and Mount Amos, where a short side spur leads to Wineglass Bay Lookout. That viewpoint looks down on the bay's curved beach, with Cape Forestier and Hazards Lagoon beyond it. The lookout spur is optional and isn't included in the distance above.

Past the saddle, the track descends the far side to the northern end of the bay. The first view from above is the pale crescent of sand, framed by granite points and blue-green water. At beach level, boulders at the north end make a natural place to stop before heading back. The route turns around here; walking farther south along the sand is an optional extension, not part of the mapped distance. Don't continue onto the Hazards Beach and Isthmus route unless you mean to do that separate, much longer circuit.

The return is where the steps earn their reputation: retrace the beach track to the saddle, then follow the signed return path above it to the car park. Visitors often find the climb away from the shore slow going, so leave energy for it before settling in on the sand. The two upper paths are separately mapped for uphill and return travel; follow the signs at the saddle rather than assuming every upper step is used in both directions.

The walking-tracks car park is at the end of Coles Bay Road. Toilets and drinking-water taps are available there, but there is no water or toilet on the track or at the beach; fill bottles before leaving. A valid Tasmanian parks pass is required for park entry. Dogs are not allowed in Freycinet National Park. There is no food stop on the route, so bring anything you want to eat.

The Hazards' pink granite peaks rise behind the beach. The peninsula's landforms are two deeply eroded granite blocks, shaped over more than 400 million years. From the lookout spur, frame the entire pale curve against the headlands; from the beach, include a foreground boulder to show the size of the granite points.