The Cape to Cape Track in Western Australia’s Margaret River region is one of Australia’s iconic bush walks and the best ways to explore the stunning landscape of the southwest. The 135km long trail is Australia’s longest coastal walk, connecting Cape Naturaliste in the north with Cape Leeuwin, Australia’s most south-westerly point.
The Cape to Cape track passes through the some of Western Australia’s most stunning scenery, best swimming beaches, world-famous surf spots, waterfalls, sea cliffs and the giant Karri trees.
If you need more convincing, the Cape to Cape trail is also a great way to exercise off all the extra calories from the wine tastings, cheese and all the other great things to do in the Margaret River region.
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You don’t have to do the whole Cape to Cape walk
Follow these yellow sign markers for the Cape to Cape Track Margaret River
If you want to do the entire 135km Cape to Cape trail you will need between 5 and 7 days, but unless you’re a hardcore hiker, one of the best thing about the cape to cape is that you don’t have to walk the entire track. You can walk for as long or as little as you want and keep coming back to do more sections. Click here for a map of the trail.
No matter where you are along this strip of coast, it’s easy to find the track which passes through most beach carparks along the coast.
If you want to turn it into a day trip, the best thing to do is organise a shuttle and a drop-off and pick up point. For longer hikes, there are also several great hiking tours available.
Best sections of the Cape to Cape
You’re guaranteed spectacular scenery no matter where you decide to join the Cape to Cape trail. An easy way to get started is at the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, the most northern point of the track. From here you can walk the 3km hard-surfaced trail to the imposing Surgarloaf Rock. If you want to keep going, continue along the trail to the popular 4WD only Three Bears surf break. See here for some shorter walking options in the Margaret River region.
Other great entry points can be found at Canal Rocks, Indijup Beach, Gracetown and Gnarabup. All of these spots are easily accessible by road and once you’ve found the track you can head either north or south for as long as you wish.
Some of the highlights of walking the Cape to Cape Trail include the Wilyabrup sea cliffs, one of West Australia’s premier rock climbing and abseiling spots and the relatively unknown Quininup Falls, located 2km from Moses Rock car park.
At the southern end of the trail, things start to get wilder and less accessible to vehicles. Heading south from Conto Springs, the trail turns inland from the coast and meanders through the giant Karri trees of the Boranup Forest before it heads back along the sandy white beach of Boranup and to Hamelin Bay.
Rugged coastline along the Cape to Cape walk, WA
Camping on the Cape to Cape
There are four designated campsites on the Cape to Cape trail available. These are located at Mount Duckworth, Moses Rock, Ellenbrook and Deepdene. The campsites all have rainwater tanks, picnic tables and eco-toilets, but have no shelter.
Further camping options are available at Boranup Campground and Contos Campground.
The trail also passes through the settlements of Yallingup, Gracetown, Prevelly and Hamelin Bay where a large range of accommodation is available.
Things to Consider
- It can get hot. If you head down during the summer months it can get particularly hot, especially around the northern sections where most of the walking is done on the limestone cliffs with sparse vegetation and little shade.
- It’s remote – you won’t find many shops along the way so make sure that you bring essentials including plenty of water. There are a few rainwater tanks and creeks along the way but don’t count on these to provide you with drinking water.
- Mobile phone coverage is sparse – take this into account before you head off and always take the time to consider what to do in an emergency before you head off into the wilderness.
- It’s sandy – there are many beach sections with long stretches of soft sand. A great but tiring workout for your butt and calf muscles.
The Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse marks the end of the Cape to Cape Walk (or the start)
More Information
For more practical information about the track and walking maps, head to the Friends of the Cape to Cape website here.
16 Comments
Thanks for this run down on the Cape to Cape. It has been on our bucket list a long time. We were only just talking about it the other day. I didn’t realize there were some campsites. Can you tell us where on the track they are. I really should get a proper map next time I am down the capes.
Happy travels. Isn’t WA just the best place to live!
Hi Jill, thanks so much for visiting. Hikers can actually camp anywhere along the track, but the four ‘official’ Cape to Cape campsites along the track are at Mt Duckworth, Moses Rock, Ellensbrook, and Deepdene. You can get detailed maps from DEC. I’ve camped at the Moses Rock and it’s been one of my favourite camping spots in the southwest. It has a nice sheltered spot to pitch two or three small tents, wooden table and bench and a rainwater tank. The track also passes near Conto Spring and Boranup campgrounds, these are also excellent sites. Contos has a basic field kitchen with gas BBQs and running water.
Absolutely! Lucky for us it’s big enough that we’ll never run out of new places to explore.
I really wish I had done this when I was living in Perth a few years back. Looks brilliant!!
It will still be here next time. It’s truly one of the best ways to see the best of the southwest.
Hello, just wanted to say, I liked this post. It was practical.
Keep on posting!
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I love the Cape to Cape Track and walking the whole thing at once from end to end has been on the bucket list for years! But I believe I’ve walked the majority of it on my many day walks over the years, plus on a school camp where we did the Gracetown – Hamelin Bay section. Some of the highlights of the track for me were Cape Naturaliste to Yallingup, Moses Rock to Gracetown, and Prevelly to Contos. I find revisiting sections of the track I’ve already done at different times of the year can be like going on a completely different walk because the views change so much with the weather, wind and waves.
Thanks Bonny, the best thing about the Cape to Cape Walk is that you can join the track almost anywhere along the coast between the two capes. I discovered the track because I couldn’t be bothered sitting on the beach whilst hubby surfed and just ended up going for long walks instead. Agree, one of my favourite sections is Moses Rocks to Gracetown.
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Is it possible to complete this hike without a tent, Can you find accommodation along the route?
Hi Steve, if you’re planning on walking from the Cape to Cape trail from end to end, I suggest that you be well prepared with tent and self-sufficient. The trail is designed to pass through towns, however, some of the sections are quite isolated, especially the southern end. If you don’t want to walk from end to end, there are some great sections that you can do as a day walk. Alternatively, there are some excellent Margaret River walking tour options that do all the planning for you and organise the overnight stays.