Plan B — Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen closed (2026 works)
Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen visitor site is closed 15 April–29 September 2026. What still works: Tessellated Pavement, Blowhole, Waterfall Bay via Waterfall Bay Road — not a gate-hop and not an automatic Cape Hauy.
By Ian Piggott · Farming Domains · Unofficial guide · ~8 min read
Updated · re-check Parks Tasmania before travel
Best for: Anyone whose first plan was Arch and Kitchen in the 2026 works window
Unofficial guide — always verify track conditions, closures, fees and safety with Parks Tasmania. Place photos are Wikimedia Commons / CC where credited — not official Parks Tasmania imagery and not live conditions.
Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Parks Pass fees, Fortescue Bay camping fees and official Three Capes / Parks Tasmania bookings are never affiliated.
If your postcard was Tasmans Arch and you arrive to a works closure, that is the named failure — not a personal one. Parks Tasmania alert (reviewed 18 August 2026): Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen visitor site closed 15 April to 29 September 2026. End dates move. Re-check alerts.
This unofficial Plan B keeps the day. It does not include hopping a gate, parking on vegetation, or starting Cape Hauy’s steps because you are annoyed.
Execute Plan B without a 40-minute sulk
Tessellated Pavement (tide). Blowhole. Waterfall Bay via Waterfall Bay Road. That circuit is a successful Tasman morning.
If you still have a full day and fitness: Cape Hauy from Fortescue is a different product with C344 and 4 hours of walking — only if you planned it, not as revenge for a closed lookout.
What never to do
Do not park across closed-site access or ignore works fencing. Do not treat a third-party blog as live status. Do not add Port Arthur Historic Site as an automatic paid consolation that eats the reverse clock if you still wanted geology photos.
FAQ
Tap a question to expand the answer.
Is the whole national park closed?
No. The Arch/Kitchen visitor site is closed for works. Tessellated Pavement, the Blowhole, Fortescue / Cape Hauy and other precincts follow their own status. Check the alerts hub.
Can I still walk Waterfall Bay from Devils Kitchen?
Not during this published closure. Use Waterfall Bay Road. Do not start the closed alignment.
More articles
- Cape Hauy operator’s guide: steps, C344 and the reverse clock
How to walk Cape Hauy as a day trip from Hobart — 9.4 km return, Grade 3, Fortescue Bay, Parks Pass, unsealed C344, and what not to stack on the same day. Desk research, not walked.
- Three Capes Track: book it, or walk Cape Hauy / Raoul instead
Unofficial decision tree for the Three Capes Track — 48 km, 4d/3n, Grade 3, max 48/day, 2026 prices to verify, what the fee includes, and when a Parks Pass day walk is the honest product.
- Dolerite cliffs: Tessellated Pavement, Tasmans Arch and the capes
How the Tasman Peninsula’s geology sites actually sit on a day plan — Pavement, Blowhole, Arch/Kitchen (2026 closure), Waterfall Bay Road, and why the capes are a different product.
- Fortescue Bay camping: two fee systems, C344 and fireplaces
How Fortescue Bay camping actually works — Parks Pass plus a separate camp fee, 2026 published prices to verify, book Oct–Apr / first-come May–Sep, fuel-stove rules, and why it is not Three Capes.
- Wildlife on the Arthur Highway, cliff wind and what to pack
Peninsula weather is not a Hobart CBD tile. Pack for wind on dolerite, slick steps, and a dusk wildlife buffer on A9 and C344. Unofficial packing notes — verify BOM and Parks Tasmania.
- Plan B — left Hobart too late for Cape Hauy
You left Hobart after 10am and Cape Hauy’s 4-hour return no longer fits a dusk wildlife buffer. Named failure, named Plan B: Eaglehawk Neck geology, not a compressed cape death-march.
- Port Arthur Historic Site is not a Parks Pass
Three tills on one peninsula: Tasmania Parks Pass, Fortescue camping, Three Capes booking — and a fourth ticket at Port Arthur Historic Site. Mixing them is how days and budgets break.
Free day-trip checklist
Printable packing, order of stops and official Parks Tasmania links — free direct download, no email required.
- Before-you-leave packing ticks
- Half-day Eaglehawk Neck geology vs Cape Hauy clock
- What to skip when Arch/Kitchen is closed or you left Hobart late
- Official Parks Tasmania links to verify conditions
Free direct download — no email required. Also available anytime from Maps & resources · Itineraries · Privacy.