The Budget-Friendly Way to Hike the Three Capes Track Tasmania

Tasmania’s jaw-dropping Three Capes Track is traditionally a hut-to-hut hike. But for those looking to save some cash and sleep under the stars instead, there’s always the camping version – The ‘Free’ Capes Track.

We acknowledge that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Pydairrerme people who have occupied and cared for these lands and waters for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

Quick Overview

• Hike the stunning Three Capes Track at a fraction of the cost
• Explore some of Tasmania’s beautiful coastline self-paced and self-sufficient including areas of Tasman National Park you wouldn’t see otherwise
• Encounter wildlife including echidnas and wallabies
• An incredible experience for those who are new to multi-day hiking trips all the way to the most seasoned adventurers

@coachjoshwood

Quick Facts Free Three Capes Track Hike

Distance: 60.5km walk
Duration: 5 days
Elevation: 3,729m

About The Free Three Capes Walk

Before completing Tassie’s Three Capes Track in Tasman National Park, my friend and I were explaining how we would do the sneaky free version to try and save some money, to which a local replied ‘Ahh, the FREE capes!’. Perfect name.

We were so excited to learn there was an unofficial way to do Three Capes without paying a fortune, staying in huts, and hiking on someone else’s schedule. After a lot of research for our five-day hiking trip, we saw some of the most beautiful scenery in Australia.

You’ll traverse Tasman National Park, walking above the highest sea cliffs in Tasmania, and be treated to spectacular views pretty much the entire way.

While technically, you only see two of the three capes doing it this way (Cape Pillar and Cape Hauy), you get to experience them completely differently, while saving the cash you would spend doing the official Three Capes Track to put towards your next fun adventure.

As a note, you also don’t get to see all three capes on the official track. Cape Raoul is excluded from both the free and paid three capes track options and needs to be done as a separate day trip.

Read more: Guide to Cape Raoul Walk in Tasmania

Hike Options

• The Free Capes camping track (this trip!) – self-sufficient camping
• The Three Capes Track – the official hike staying in cabins along the way
• Fortescue Bay explorer – set up camp in Fortescue Bay and explore the area on day trips

One of the huts on the premium Three Capes Track experience | @the_walking_truth

How To Get to the Three Capes Hiking Trail

Pre-arranged Transport

On the first day, we booked an Uber to take us to the start of the Three Capes free trail at Waterfall Bay. Due to COVID, the regular bus wasn’t running but that was obviously unusual circumstances.

There are a few options of where to start the hike, including Tasmans Arch / Devils Kitchen or even further north. Given the weather was very overcast, we decided on Waterfall Bay as the closer starting point.

Getting back was a bit more difficult with not many options out of Fortescue Bay. We prearranged transport with a lovely lady who couldn’t take us all the way to Hobart, but dropped us at a busy enough intersection for us to hitchhike.

Calling local transport companies or shuttle services is your best bet, but make sure to arrange this before you start the hike as there’s very little to no service for most of the walk.

Drive Your Own Car

An alternative route is driving straight to Fortescue Bay to begin your Three Capes walk. This would be a lot easier to coordinate, though you would miss a very beautiful and more untouched section of Tasman National Park that not as many see. You’ll also need to purchase a National Parks Pass for your car.

Another option would be to just stay in Fortescue Bay and do some little day trips like out to Cape Hauy and around the Tasman National Park. There are a few bay walks to do too.

Skill Level

Intermediate

@coachjoshwood

Essential Gear For the Three Capes Walk

The gear required for doing the Three Capes walk your own way is quite different to if you’re completing the paid version and staying in huts. You need to be completely self-sufficient for the duration of your trip.

• Hiking backpack
• Day pack (you’ll be grateful for this on days 3 and 5 when you have the chance to leave your larger bag behind to walk out to the Cape Pillar and Cape Hauy)
• Backpack rain cover and internal waterproofing
• Hiking clothes and warm clothes for night time even in summer it gets COLD
• Hiking boots
• Rain jacket! You’ll need this at the top of the highest sea cliffs in Tassie
• Tent
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping mat
• Cooking stove + food + utensils + lighter (don’t forget your trail mix!)
• Coffee and electrolytes
• Water bladder + spare water bottle
• Water treatment – we used tablets, but you can get filter bladders too
• Paper map – from the Information Centre in Hobart
• First aid kit
• Torch
• Toilet paper
• Sealable bag to carry your rubbish in (there are no bins available)

Read more: Packing list for an overnight hike

How to Hike the Three Capes Track For Free

Day 1 – Waterfall Bay to Bivouac Bay

Distance: 11.5km
Duration: 5 hours

Starting the hike at the ‘Tasman Coastal Track’ sign we could barely make out the incredible cliff views through rain and thick fog.

While there was a clear path to start, some sections were quite overgrown. It took a while for us to get used to the number of leeches turning up in all sorts of fun places as we pushed through the overgrown trail. Once we were closer to the campsite we very thankfully never saw them again.

It was very slippery, lots of climbing over rocks and stumbling / falling down the steep sections made for a very fun day.

Bivouac Bay is a very basic campsite (no bookings here – first in best camped!) with cleared space for tents, a pit toilet, and a little creek where you can top up your water. Bring your own toilet paper and take your rubbish with you to help keep this site a beautiful stop for everyone!

We had the place to ourselves other than some wildlife and a lovely older couple walking by who were very concerned about our tiny hiking tent surviving the rain.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace!

Day 2 – Bivouac Bay to Fortescue Bay

Distance: 5.3km
Duration: 2 hours

The rain was non-stop which made day two’s short walk much harder than expected, even after a hearty breakfast. Everything was drenched and it was a lot colder than we were anticipating (this did NOT feel like summer).

The trail winds around the edge of the water until reaching Fortescue Bay, a long and beautiful white sandy beach. After walking along the sand for a while, we spotted a gap in the bushes that lead to our campsite for the night.

Fortescue Bay is a well-facilitated campsite that even has a little store with things people often forget to bring. Though good for emergencies, I wouldn’t rely on it. It’s recommended to book this site in advance, though out of peak-season, it’s not required.

Campsites here are around $13 per night. As Fortescue Bay is accessible by car, there are a lot more people around and facilities available, like undercover picnic areas and BBQs.

We quickly hung all of our clothes up to dry and went for a swim in the FREEZING ocean. A hot shower was a very welcome finish to the day, after purchasing some tokens for them at the main office.

It’s important to note that from here the trail can only be hiked in one direction. This is to prevent the spread of Phytophthora Root Rot in the national park and you’ll also see boot cleaning stations along the trail.

Day 3 – Fortescue Bay to Bare Knoll

Distance: 8km
Duration: 3 hours

A quick morning yoga session and some breakfast prepared us for the day. While packing up we spoke to one of the park rangers who recommended we stay at Bare Knoll, a much nicer campground with good water supply after all the recent rain.

Before leaving Fortescue Bay, be sure to check if anyone knows the water supply levels at Bare Knoll – if they’re low or non-existent, you’re definitely better off detouring to Wughalee Falls and refilling water.

Heading off, we were amazed at how quickly the scenery changed from the previous days. While there were some raised or paved sections of the trail, it was mostly dirt and we encountered a lot of native Australian wildlife up close including echidnas, wekas, pademelons and the adorable Fairy wren.

The campsite was well set up to have as little impact on the landscape as possible with around eight raised wooden platforms to choose from to pitch our tent.

Day 4 – Cape Pillar Return to Bare Knoll

Distance: 20km
Duration: 7 hours

The big day to see Cape Pillar had finally arrived! We’d seen the weather was forecast to rain in the afternoon so we had an early start to try and avoid it. We left our tents set up with our big packs inside and just took a day pack for this section of the hike to the highest vertical sea cliffs in Tassie that make up Cape Pillar.

This part of the Three Capes Track was mostly raised platforms that were easy to walk along with the dramatic coastline views unfolding bit by bit as we wound our way out to Cape Pillar.

Some other hikers told us to climb ‘The Blade’ – a little side trail atop towering sea stacks before reaching the end. This was the highlight of the day and definitely worth the steep narrow scramble to the top.

Finally making it to Cape Pillar, we had a break to enjoy lunch and finish off our trail mix with a very scenic view and sea eagles flying overhead. Many many photos later, we started making our way back to Bare Knoll for another night on our budget-friendly Three Capes Track trip.

The views we’d seen at Cape Pillar accompanied us the entire walk back.

Day 5 – Bare Knoll to Fortescue Bay via Cape Hauy

Distance: 16km
Duration: 7 hours

Many people we spoke to along the trail told us that today would be the toughest day of the Capes walk. And they weren’t wrong. It was tough going back to hiking with our full packs! We headed straight for the first section, Mt Fortescue.

Being our first multi-day hike, we struggled with this uphill that never seemed to end. We were sore and tired but very quickly forgot all of that as we saw the spectacular views from the top. Looking out over some of the highest sea cliffs in Tasmania, you could see Cape Pillar where we’d been just the day before. White bellied sea eagles soared overhead, occasionally diving down to sea level, presumably in search of a fish.

We were filled with a sense of accomplishment and amazement at how far our legs could carry us in just one day!

The rest of the Capes walk until the turn off to Cape Hauy was pretty easy in comparison. We dropped our packs off at a little meeting spot which many people had done and carried just some water for the walk out to Cape Hauy.

Cape Hauy pulled through with some of the most beautiful views of the whole trip and a whole lot of stairs to go with it – it was definitely tougher going than the hike out to Cape Pillar. After going right out to the point to view the famous sea stack totem pole, we headed back up to our packs and kept on the home stretch back to Fortescue Bay.

We camped one more night in Fortescue Bay before we got picked up as pre-arranged the next day.

We passed a few people who’d skipped Cape Hauy the day before due to bad weather and were back doing it as a day hike from Fortescue Bay to make sure they didn’t miss the stunning views!

Read more: Cape Hauy – A Guide to Hiking This Jaw-Dropping Tassie Coastline

FAQs Hiking Three Capes Track For Free

What do I need to book in advance?

Transport in and out from your starting points and the campsite at Fortescue Bay ($13 per night for 2). Otherwise you’re free to roam!

What are the three capes in Tasman National Park?

The official Three Capes Track includes Cape Hauy and Cape Pillar, which are obviously only two capes. The third cape, Cape Raoul is accessed via a day trip. It’s about a 45-minute drive from Fortescue Bay and is worth adding on to the beginning or end of your trip if you have time. Everyone we’ve heard from who’s done this has said Cape Raoul was definitely worth the hike.

Do I miss anything compared to the official Three Capes Track?

You won’t do the track from Denmans Cover to Mount Arthur, but you replace them with some more remote and less travelled sections that were some of our favourite parts of the trip. You also don’t get to see Cape Raoul (the third cape!), but technically this isn’t part of the official Three Capes Track either.

Should I camp at Bare Knoll or Wughalee Falls?

Bare Knoll! But check there’s sufficient water supply with the Park Rangers before departing from Fortescue Bay.

Wughalee Falls is an option but requires a detour and a fair bit of backtracking in a pretty steep area. Bare Knoll may fill up quickly in the peak season due to limited space and being the preferred campsite though so being prepared for Wughalee Falls as a back up is a great idea.

Is Port Arthur Historic Site near the capes walk?

The Port Arthur Historic Site is about a 25-minute drive from Fortescue Bay. This makes it the ideal trip add on, either before or after your free three capes walk – especially if you’re a history buff. Note that entry into the Port Arthur Historic Site isn’t free and at the time of writing this article was $48 per adult. You can plan your visit on the Port Arthur website.

How tall is Cape Pillar?

Cape Pillar forms one of the highest sea cliffs in the Tasman National Park, rising around 300m above the ocean.

More Incredible Hikes Near Three Capes

• Overnight Hike to the Edge of the World at South Cape Bay (TAS)
• The Tarn Shelf – Tasmania’s Best Day Hike You’ve Never Heard Of
• A Bushwalking and Brews Tour of Tasmania
• Cathedral Rock – An Epic Walk Just Outside of Hobart

Table of contents image by @coachjoshwood