Freycinet Peninsula Circuit offers a taste of Freycinet National Park’s finest offerings: ocean views, sandy beaches, rocky coves, orange granite boulders, mountain summits, forests, heathlands, abundant birdlife, friendly wildlife – and the iconic Wineglass Bay.
Use our walk notes to help you plan out your Freycinet Peninsula Circuit experience. You can also view the information on the campsites on our Freycinet overnight walker campsites page.
Please walk the circuit in an anti-clockwise direction from the Wineglass Bay carpark, beginning down the western side of the peninsula. This helps minimise the spread of Phytophthora (root rot.)
Carpark to Hazards Beach Campsite
- Distance: 7km of easy walking
- Time: 2 hours
Follow Hazards Beach Track around the headland through coastal heathland, blue gum woodland and sheoak forest to Hazards Beach. You’ll notice the large mud oysters in the middens and washed up on the beach – hence the name Great Oyster Bay. Walking on the the wet sand will help prevent disturbing nesting shorebirds. The campsite is at the far southern end of the 3km-long beach, nestled amongst blue gums, banksias and sheoaks. (Most people continue on to Cooks Corner campsite for day one.)
There is a composting toilet at the campsite, and water is available from Lagunta Creek. This can be unreliable though and walkers are advised to boil before drinking.
Hazards Beach Campsite to Cooks Corner Campsite
- Distance: 5km of easy walking
- Time: 1.5 hours
The Peninsula Track continues along the coast to Cooks Beach, through much the same mix of coastal vegetation as the Hazards Beach Track. Both are rich in birdlife. The campsite is located at the southern end of the 1km-long Cooks Beach amongst dense coastal scrub. Historic Cooks Hut (its stone section dating back to 1859) is located about 100m inland and is for emergency use only.
There is a composting toilet at the campsite, sheltered tent sites and tank water available, though this is unreliable. Walkers are advised to boil before drinking.
Side trip - Cooks Beach to Bryans Corner
- Distance: 3km of easy walking
- Time: 2 hours return
This walk is an ideal trip from your base at Cooks Corner campsite. Please be aware that there are no camping facilities at Bryans Corner.
Cooks Beach Campsite to Wineglass Bay Campsite
- Distance: 11km of medium walking with some steep and challenging sections
- Time: 6-8 hours
Top up water before leaving Cooks Beach with a sufficient amount to make it back to the carpark, as creeks are unreliable and there are no water tanks at Wineglass Bay campsite. Backtrack the length of Cooks Beach to the track junction and head inland to continue your circuit along the Peninsula Track. This section of track involves a total climb of 500 metres. You’ll walk through heathland, woodland and wet forest, birds will be ever present, and signs of mammals too. Take advantage of any flowing creek water along the way. You also have the option of summiting Mount Freycinet as a side trip.
Ascending Mount Graham is steep and challenging. Excellent views south to the southern end of Freycinet Peninsula and Schouten Island. The descent to Wineglass Bay campsite takes around 2.5 hours and includes a ridge top walk across buttongrass moorland before descending into Graham Creek valley. Another ridgeline follows then a descent to Wineglass Bay.
There is a composting toilet at the campsite, a large, sheltered camping area behind the dunes beneath blue gums, banksias and Oyster Bay pines. There is no water at this site.
Side trip - Mount Freycinet Summit
- Distance: 1.5km return, steep and occasionally difficult climb
- Time: 2 hours return
Mount Freycinet is the highest point on the peninsula. The climb is steep and difficult in places, with the route roughly marked. This side trip should be planned for, rather than a spontaneous extra, as it will make considerable demands on your time, energy and water consumption.
Wineglass Bay Campsite to car park
- Distance: 4km of medium walking
- Time: 1.5 hours
From here, you’re a hop, step and jump from ‘home’ along one of the top ten beaches in the world, before climbing up and over The Hazards saddle to the carpark.