Blanket Bay to Cape Otway Walk

This is an 11 km (6.8 mi) point-to-point section of the Great Ocean Walk, from Blanket Bay Campground to the Cape Otway hike-in campground. The published stage estimate is about 3 hours 45 minutes, graded Easy/Medium. It is a long coastal walk, so allow time for a rest and for choosing a safe line at Parker Inlet. Arrange a pickup at Cape Otway or continue into the next Great Ocean Walk stage; your car at Blanket Bay will not be at the finish. The historic Lightstation is a separate stop beyond the hike-in camp, not the route endpoint. Some itineraries show about 10 km because they use a different line or finish at the Lightstation; 11 km here means the campground-to-campground stage.

The track leaves the campground through coastal vegetation, then bends inland into dry forest. Roots interrupt the tread in places. Point Lewis Lookout makes a brief place to pause before several kilometres of forest and low scrub. As the route descends toward Parker Inlet, the vegetation opens and grass trees appear. This stretch starts under cover, but the shore sections farther west are more exposed.

The inlet creek is unbridged. The coastal option crosses by rock shelves and beach toward Point Franklin; take it only when the tide is low, the sea is calm, and water levels are low after rain. A steep inland alternative climbs a long staircase. Check the tide, recent rain, sea state, and local signs before setting out. If the crossing or shore looks unsafe, use the inland route if it is open, or turn back. The choice changes both the effort and the scenery, and the safest route may not be the shortest one.

After the inlet, ocean views open intermittently around Point Franklin and Seal Point. The coast here is a mix of rock shelves, small beaches, and low cliffs rather than a continuous sandy path. Between Seal Point and Crayfish Bay, look back along the shoreline for the Cape Otway Lightstation in the distance when visibility is clear. Beach and cliffside lines can feel quite different underfoot, so keep the tide and surf in mind instead of treating the map as a promise that every shore section will be passable.

At Crayfish Bay the walk turns inland and climbs away from the coast. It passes low scrub and open farmland before reaching the Cape Otway hike-in campground. Expect some short, steeper rises after the gentler coastal stretches. The historic Lightstation precinct is a separate visit from the campground finish; allow extra time if you plan to go there and do not count it as part of the 11 km stage.

Start at the day-visitor car park at Blanket Bay Campground, reached by Blanket Bay Road. This is a one-way walk, not a loop, so plan your transport before leaving the car. Food options on the stage are very limited; carry what you need for the full walk rather than relying on a stop at the Lightstation. The route is within Great Otway National Park, where dogs are generally not permitted on park tracks.