Three Capes Track
Key figures
Length
- Stated
- 48 km, the stated length (Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service)
- Map line
- Not used: only 88 % matched on its weakest stage
- Search
- Compares this trail by the stated length
- 48km
Ascent · descent
- This trail
- Estimated from the terrain model (≈): no source states them
- How
- Every main stage's climbs and drops between samples 100 m apart
- Keep in mind
- In forests the model reads the treetops, so it reads high there
- estimated: 1,830m ↑1,850m ↓
Difficulty
- What
- How hard the trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days
- Scale
- Easy to Hard, with the same thresholds for every trail; each takes its hardest measure
- Keep in mind
- It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get
- Terrain: DemandingClimbing: ≈ 38 m per km
- Climate: Moderate in Mar–JulCold: 7 °C at night (July)
- Effort: DemandingLongest day: 7 h (stage 4)
- Terrain: Demanding; Climate: Moderate in Mar–Jul; Effort: Demanding
- Suggested
- 4days
Per stage
- How
- The 4 main stages' totals over their number
- Source
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, so the averages come from one source
- Ascent
- The terrain model's estimate per stage (≈): the stages state no climbs
- 12km· about 460 m ↑
- Season
When are you going?
The page rates its climate for them.
Landscape
- Source
- ESA WorldCover satellite land cover, along the main route
- Forest: 97%
- Grassland and shrubs: 3%
- Water, snow and ice: 0%
- Mostly Forest
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons by Jane6592, JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) and Ed Dunens; each photo's licence in the gallery
Location
- Country
- Australia
- Regions
- Tasmania
- Start
- Denmans Cove
- Finish
- Fortescue Bay
- Route type
- Point to point
- Permit
- Required · fee charged
- Travel hubs
- Port Arthur Historic Site (check-in, boat and bus)18.1 km by road · 44 min
- Hobart Airport (HBA)85.3 km by road · 101 min
- Protected areas
- Tasman National Park
- Managed by
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife ServiceOfficial website
- Waymarking
- A built track to a "dry-boot standard" of timber boardwalk, gravel and stone steps, wide enough for two people side by side, with story seats along the way
- GPX
- GPX trackOur tracing from OpenStreetMap
- Trail
- Start
- Stage start
- Finish
- Contour lines
Difficulty
Terrain
- Rates
- How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot?
- How
- Rated over the whole main route.
- Level
- The hardest measure sets it
- Path grade
- the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated
- EasyT1
- ModerateT2
- DemandingT3
- HardT4 to T6
- Climbing
- ascent of the main stages over their length
- Easyunder 15 m per km
- Moderate15–30 m
- Demanding30–50 m
- Hard50 m or more
- Steep stretches
- share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model)
- Easyunder 5 %
- Moderate5–15 %
- Demanding15–30 %
- Hard30 % or more
- Natural ground
- share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own
- Easyunder a third
- Moderatea third to two thirds
- Demandingtwo thirds or more
Demanding
- estimated T2
SAC hiking scale
- This trail
- T2 (our estimate)
- Basis
- PWS grades it 3 of 5 ("tracks may have short steep hill sections, a rough surface and many steps") and built it "as an achievable experience for a wide range of ages and abilities", to a dry-boot standard of boardwalk, gravel and stone steps; the climbs to Arthur's Peak and Mount Fortescue and The Blade at Cape Pillar above sea cliffs. Mountain hiking on a built track (T2).
- Scale
- The Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard)
- Why
- Trails rate difficulty in many local scales, or only in words; we translate each into this one so trails compare
- Keep in mind
- An estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather
- T1 · Hiking
- Well-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
- T2 · Mountain hiking
- A continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
- T3 · Demanding mountain hiking
- The path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
- T4 · Alpine hiking
- Often no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
- T5 · Demanding alpine hiking
- Mostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
- T6 · Difficult alpine hiking
- Pathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.
- Climbingestimated 38 m per km
- Steep stretches12 % of the way
- Natural ground72 %
Climate
- Rates
- How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get?
- How
- From 30 years of daily weather (ERA5), rated per month. Without months picked: the trail's best run of at least two season months, each measure at its hardest month. Pick months in the search to rate it for yours.
- Level
- The hardest measure sets it
- Heat
- mean daily high at the lowest point
- Easyunder 22 °C
- Moderate22–27 °C
- Demanding27–32 °C
- Hard32 °C or more
- Cold
- mean nightly low at the highest point
- Easy8 °C or more
- Moderate3–8 °C
- Demanding−2 to 3 °C
- Hardbelow −2 °C
- Wet days
- days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points
- Easyunder 10
- Moderate10–14
- Demanding14–18
- Hard18 or more
- Snow
- days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point
- Easyunder 1 day
- Moderate1–3 days
- Demanding3–6 days
- Hard6 days or more
- Wind
- mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points; over land: a point whose 25 km weather cell is mostly sea takes the nearest mostly-land cell's
- Easyunder 15 km/h
- Moderate15–20 km/h
- Demanding20–25 km/h
- Hard25 km/h or more
Moderate in Mar–Jul
Outside the season (all year): facilities may be closed, and the weather is harder to plan for.
- Heat · March17 °C by day
- Cold · July7 °C at night
- Wet days · July13 days
- Snow · March0 days
- Wind · March20 km/h
Effort
- Rates
- How long are the days?
- How
- Rated by the longest main stage; a time range counts its upper end.
- Level
- The hardest measure sets it
- Longest day
- walking time of the longest main stage, stated or by DIN 33466
- Easyup to 4 h
- Moderate4–6 h
- Demanding6–8 h
- Hardmore than 8 h
Demanding
- Longest day · stage 47 h
Climate
- Days in season · lowest point
- 12–17°C
- Nights in season · highest point
- 6–11°C
- Wet days a month
- 8–14
- Daylight
- 9.0–15.4h
| Month | Lowest point, day high / night low (°C) | Highest point, day high / night low (°C) | Wet days | Snow days | Frost nights at the highest point | Daylight (h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16.9 / 14.3 | 13.4 / 11 | 8.8 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| February | 17.3 / 14.7 | 13.8 / 11.4 | 8.3 | 0 | 0 | 13.9 |
| March | 16.9 / 14.1 | 13.4 / 10.9 | 10.7 | 0 | 0 | 12.5 |
| April | 15.3 / 12.6 | 12 / 9.6 | 11.1 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| May | 13.7 / 11.2 | 10.5 / 8.3 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 9.7 |
| June | 12.3 / 10 | 9.2 / 7.2 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| July | 11.7 / 9.3 | 8.6 / 6.6 | 13.2 | 0 | 0 | 9.3 |
| August | 11.9 / 9.1 | 8.6 / 6.3 | 13.8 | 0 | 0 | 10.4 |
| September | 12.4 / 9.6 | 9.1 / 6.6 | 12.2 | 0 | 0 | 11.9 |
| October | 13 / 10.2 | 9.6 / 7.2 | 12.3 | 0 | 0 | 13.4 |
| November | 14 / 11.5 | 10.6 / 8.3 | 10.4 | 0 | 0 | 14.7 |
| December | 15.5 / 12.8 | 11.9 / 9.6 | 10.8 | 0 | 0 | 15.4 |
Climate by month
- Source
- ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averages for 1995–2024
- Places
- The trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to their height
- Bars
- From the mean night low to the mean day high
- Wet days
- At least 1 mm of rain; snow days at least 1 cm of snow
- Daylight
- Sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month
- Shading
- The trail's season
Stages
| Stage | Route | Distance | Ascent | Descent | Elevation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmans Cove Surveyors cabin | 4.0 km | estimated 190 m ↑ | estimated 70 m ↓ | estimated 20 → 150 m | 1 h 30–2 h 00 |
| 2 | Surveyors cabin Munro cabin | 11.0 km | estimated 380 m ↑ | estimated 280 m ↓ | estimated 150 → 250 m | 4 h 00–4 h 30 |
| 3 | Munro cabin Retakunna cabin (by Cape Pillar) | 19.0 km | estimated 520 m ↑ | estimated 530 m ↓ | estimated 250 → 240 m | 6 h 00 |
| 4 | Retakunna cabin Fortescue Bay (by Cape Hauy) | 14.0 km | estimated 740 m ↑ | estimated 970 m ↓ | estimated 240 → 10 m | 6–7 h |
Totals and averages count the main stages only. ≈ marks our estimates where the source gives no figure: ascent and descent and heights from the terrain model (Copernicus DEM, 30 m grid, sampled every 100 m), to the nearest 10 m.
Terrain
- Highest · lowest point
- 492m high5m low
Gradient
- Steepest climb
- 26 % (15°), 132 m up over 500 m, stage 4
- Steepest descent
- −26 % (15°), 129 m down over 500 m, stage 4
- Gradient
- Height per distance: 20 % is 20 m up per 100 m forward; 100 % is 45°, not 90°
- Keep in mind
- Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: steps and ladders within them are steeper
Gradient Angle Feels like 10 % 6° Noticeable on a road 20 % 11° A steep path, slow going 30 % 17° Very steep, often steps 100 % 45° Scrambling - 26% ↑−26% ↓
Steep stretches
- This trail
- 2.4 km up, 2.8 km down: the darkest parts of the profile
- Steep
- 15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), in 200 m stretches
- Why it matters
- Slow going uphill, hard on the knees downhill
- 5.2km
Surfaces
- Natural ground: 72%, 30.4 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.
- Gravel: 28%, 11.7 km. Gravel, compacted and stony surfaces: mostly forest roads and farm tracks.
Terrain along the route
- Heights
- Copernicus terrain model, 30 m grid, every 100 m along the main route; in forests it reads the treetops
- Colours
- Each 200 m by its gradient in walking direction: climbs warm, descents violet, darker when steeper (to ±30 %)
- Ground
- The strip below, from OpenStreetMap; the 65% without a surface tag is read from the way type (footpaths natural, tracks gravel)
Landscape
Landscape along the route
- Source
- ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite map
- Points
- Every 100 m along the main route; each takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground
- Groups
- Its eleven classes, folded into the six shown
- Keep in mind
- What the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there
Sleeping
Wild camping
- What
- Pitching a tent outside campsites. Whether it is allowed, restricted or prohibited depends on the land and the country; the rule for this trail is below the cards.
Prohibited
Camping
- What
- Official campsites along the trail. Bring your own tent.
- Available
- Where the trail's own source lists it, or where OpenStreetMap maps 3 or more within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
Available
4 in OpenStreetMap
Huts
- What
- Mountain huts (often staffed, with meals) and unstaffed bivouac shelters, usually on the trail itself.
- Available
- Where the trail's own source lists it, or where OpenStreetMap maps 3 or more within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
Available
Mountain huts · 3 in OpenStreetMap
Hostels
- What
- Dormitory beds for walkers: hostels, hiker lodges and pilgrim hostels.
- Available
- Where the trail's own source lists it, or where OpenStreetMap maps 3 or more within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
None listed
Rooms
- What
- Private rooms, usually in villages near the trail: B&Bs, guesthouses, hotels, farm stays and monastery guesthouses.
- Available
- Where the trail's own source lists it, or where OpenStreetMap maps 3 or more within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
None listed
Wild camping is prohibited. Walkers stay one night in each of the three overnight cabins (Surveyors, Munro, Retakunna); the track is a fuel stove only area at all times.
Places to sleep along the route
- Ticks
- One per place to sleep: 4 campsites, 3 huts, 0 hostels, 0 guest houses
- Counted
- Within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end (stage towns often lie off the trail); no hotels or day shelters
- Shaded
- The longest stretch without any, km 14.3–29.6
- Source
- OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list closed ones, so book or check locally
Water & Supply
Clean water
- This trail
- 27.8 km without clean water, km 14.3–42.1, stages 3–4
- Rating
- Frequentup to 10 km
- Regularup to 20 km
- Scarcebeyond
- Counted
- Within 500 m: 4 taps, fountains and drinking springs, 1 places to sleep with drinking water
- Not counted
- The 4 places to sleep: The cabins' rainwater tanks need their water treated before use; carry two litres a day. They count as any water
- Source
- OpenStreetMap; the counts include the approach and variant, the chart shows the main route
- 27.8kmScarce
Any water
- This trail
- 15.3 km without any water, km 14.3–29.6
- Rating
- Frequentup to 10 km
- Regularup to 20 km
- Scarcebeyond
- Counted
- Clean water, plus the 0 springs within 500 m and the places to sleep whose water isn't treated
- Keep in mind
- Spring water's quality is unknown: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer
- 15.3kmRegular
Shops
- This trail
- 42.1 km without a shop, km 0–42.1
- Counted
- 0 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol station shops, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
- Keep in mind
- Small village shops are often missing in OpenStreetMap, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one
- 42.1km
Water and shops along the route
- Ticks
- One per place along the main route
- Counted
- Drinking water and springs within 500 m; refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m; shops within 1 km, or 3 km of a stage's end
- Shaded
- Each lane's longest stretch without. "Water" counts every kind and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own
- Source
- OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally