Fortescue Bay

Guide updated 13 Sept 2026 · verify Parks Tasmania alerts and track notes for this precinct

The camping and Cape Hauy hub: unsealed C344, Parks Pass machine in the day-use car park, Banksia and Mill Creek camping (separate fee), boat ramp, token showers. Three Capes finishes here.

Best for: Cape Hauy day, overnight camping, Three Capes finish
Time: Full day for Cape Hauy; overnight if you want beach + walk without the Hobart dusk drive
C344 off A9 — about 12 km unsealed, 2WD suitable in normal conditions. From Hobart ~90–100 km.

Verify conditions on Parks Tasmania → · Park alerts

Sunrise at Fortescue Bay, Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania — Fortescue Bay at sunrisePhoto: JJ Harrison · CC BY-SA 3.0

C344 is the product, not a shortcut

From the Arthur Highway, C344 is about 12 km unsealed to Fortescue Bay. Parks Tasmania describes it as 2WD suitable in normal conditions. After rain it is slower and corrugated. Watch for buses and towing vehicles. This is not Stormlea Road and not Safety Cove Road.

Buy a Parks Pass before you leave sealed road if you can. There is also a card-only Parks Pass machine in the Fortescue Bay day-use car park.

Camping is a separate till

Fortescue Bay Campground (Banksia & Mill Creek): from $13 per site per night for 2 people; +$5 extra adult; +$2.50 child 5–17; family $16. Bookings required/recommended 1 Oct–30 Apr (opens 6 months ahead); first-come May–September. Pay on arrival. Max stay 28 days. Facilities: toilets, token hot showers, BBQs, drinking water, boat ramp. Official booking only — never affiliated here.

Bivouac Bay is walk-in, no vehicle, no bookings, fuel-stove only. Do not mix it with the vehicle campground. Fuel-stove only across most of the park; designated fireplaces only in parts of Fortescue Bay.

Cape Hauy starts here

9.4 km return, ~4 hours, Grade 3. Parks Pass required. See the Cape Hauy trail page for day shape, steps, cliffs and turnaround. A junction before the final cape section is a legitimate shorter day.

Three Capes finishers share the last section. They are not a free shuttle. Your day walk does not need their booking.

Three Capes finish, not Three Capes start

Booked Three Capes walkers arrive here on the last day and bus back to Port Arthur. You cannot start the hut walk from this car park without a booking. If you wanted the 4-day product, you needed Port Arthur check-in and a boat to Denmans Cove.

Highlights at a glance

Cape Hauy trailhead
Fortescue Bay campground (booked peak season)
Canoe Bay / Bivouac Bay walks
Boat ramp and beach

Practical tips

Buy the Parks Pass before C344 if you can.
Book camping in peak season.
Leave a dusk buffer on the Arthur Highway.

Facilities & services

Campground office / limited supplies (hours vary)
Toilets, token showers, BBQs, water
Boat ramp
Day-use parking

Confirm toilets, parking and open facilities on the day via official sources and on-site signage.

Walks & lookouts nearby

Grades, times and open/closed status change — open each guide and verify on Parks Tasmania before you go.

Cape Hauy

moderate

There-and-back from Fortescue Bay through woodland and heath, then many stone steps to a viewing platform above Cape Hauy’s columns and sea stacks. Shares the last-day alignment with the Three Capes Track. Parks Pass required. Not walked for this guide — planning from Parks Tasmania.

Grade: Grade 3 — some bushwalking experience recommended
Time: 4 hours return (typical published time)
Distance: 9.4 km return

View guide →

Bivouac Bay

moderate

From Fortescue Bay, shorter walks to Canoe Bay and Bivouac Bay sit on the Tasman Coastal Trail. Bivouac Bay is walk-in camping only (no vehicle access, basic toilets/platforms, no bookings, fuel-stove only). The same trail continuing to Devils Kitchen is a hefty day — not this page’s default.

Grade: Coastal trail from Fortescue — verify times
Time: Allow a half day for Canoe / Bivouac; do not confuse with the 8-hour Fortescue–Devils Kitchen link
Distance: Shorter Fortescue side trips; Tasman Coastal Trail continues much further

View guide →

All trails

Itineraries that use this area

Full day (9.4 km return, ~4 hrs walking + Hobart drive)

Full day: Cape Hauy from Fortescue Bay

Leave Hobart early, unsealed C344 to Fortescue Bay, Parks Pass, then the Grade 3 Cape Hauy Track — 9.4 km return, about 4 hours, many stone steps, platform above the Totem Pole and Candlestick. Reverse before dusk. Not walked for this guide.

2 days / 1 night at Fortescue (or a Port Arthur / Eaglehawk bed)

Two days: Fortescue Bay camp + Cape Hauy

Night at Fortescue Bay campground (separate fee from Parks Pass) or a nearby commercial bed. Day 1: settle, optional Bivouac Bay or geology. Day 2: Cape Hauy with daylight margin. Book camp 1 Oct–30 Apr; first-come May–Sep.

Map

Orientation only — confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.

Interactive map — pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.

Open in Google Maps Get directions

FAQ — Fortescue Bay

Tap a question to expand the answer.

Is the campground fee the Parks Pass?

No. You need both a Parks Pass (entry) and a camping fee (site). Three Capes is a third system.

Can 2WD use C344?

Parks Tasmania describes Fortescue access as 2WD suitable. After rain go slower. Watch for buses.

Can I start Three Capes from Fortescue?

No. Check-in and the boat are at Port Arthur Historic Site. Fortescue is the finish and the Cape Hauy day-walk trailhead.

Stays & tours near Fortescue Bay

Optional next steps after you plan this area. Kit searches live on the gear hub. Park fees and official Parks Tasmania bookings are never affiliated.

Nearby stays

Port Arthur · Eaglehawk Neck · Hobart

Stays at Port ArthurClosest to Remarkable Cave, Three Capes check-in and the Historic Site
Eaglehawk NeckNorthern geology sites and the isthmus — still a drive to Fortescue
HobartDay-trip base — about 90 minutes each way via Sorell and the Arthur Highway

All Booking.com links open in a new tab and may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Official Fortescue camping, Parks Pass and Three Capes bookings are never affiliated.

Guided tours

Optional — useful when you do not want to drive the Arthur Highway

A tour does not replace checking Parks Tasmania alerts, weather, or cliff safety yourself.

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. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy

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