Hike at a glance

1,020

Quick overview: The Allports and Cave Beach trail is a 4.8 km return hike that begins and ends at the Allports Beach Day Use Area. This moderately graded trail leads you along the west coast, passing sheltered swimming bays and rugged coastline. You can observe mutton bird rookeries at Settlement Point and visit the historic Wybalenna Aboriginal Settlement nearby. The terrain includes beach access and coastal paths, making it a diverse hike in the Emita Nature Recreation Area on Flinders Island.

Length

4.8km

Duration

2 hrs

Difficulty

Grade 3 (Moderate)

Trail type

Return

Trail details

Max elevation: 14m
Min elevation: 2m
Total Ascent: 122m

Start: Allports Beach Day Use Area

End: Allports Beach Day Use Area

Location: Emita Nature Recreation Area

State: Tasmania

Nearest town: Whitemark

State capital distance: Flight

Latitude: -40.00272532959078

Longitude: 147.88891555138687

Check current conditions
Track conditions, access and closures can change quickly due to weather, fire, maintenance or safety concerns. Always check the relevant land manager’s website and conditions before you visit. Trail Hiking Australia does not provide real-time track and closure monitoring, and land managers remain the authoritative source for current alerts, closures and access restrictions.

About the trail

Difficulty

Route map

Preparation

Getting there

Photos

The region

Weather

About this trail

Route in detail

Allports and Cave Beach is a 4.8km hike through the Emita Nature Recreation Area on Tasmania’s west coast. With a grade 3 difficulty, it usually takes around 2 hours to complete. The hike offers an incredible mix of natural beauty, from pristine beaches to sheltered swimming bays, all set against the backdrop of the rugged coastline. Emita, a small coastal village, is the heart of this area, where rocky outcrops and a series of stunning beaches create an inviting atmosphere for nature lovers. Allports Beach, the most popular of these, is a highlight, offering calm waters perfect for a swim or simply soaking up the scenery.

While you’re in the area, take the time to visit one of the nearby mutton bird rookeries at Settlement Point. The viewing platform here provides an excellent vantage point, especially at dusk when the Short-tailed Shearwaters, also known as mutton birds, return to their burrows after a long day of feeding out at sea. This spectacular sight takes place between November and April, making it a unique addition to your hiking experience. The shearwaters are part of a group of seabirds in the Procellariidae family, and watching them in their natural habitat is an unforgettable moment.

Emita is also home to the historic Wybalenna Aboriginal Settlement, which was established in 1833 as a place where the Tasmanian Aboriginal population was relocated from the mainland. It’s a significant site for understanding the history of Tasmania’s Indigenous peoples.

For those keen to delve deeper into the history of the Furneaux Group of Islands, the Furneaux Museum in Emita offers a fascinating look at the region’s past. The museum highlights a range of topics, including Aboriginal and European settlement, shipwrecks, the mutton birding industry, and the social history of the islanders. The museum is a great stop before or after your hike to gain a richer understanding of the area's cultural and historical context.

If you're looking for more adventure, the Castle Rock Walk is another nearby gem. One of Tasmania’s Great Short Walks, it follows the shoreline of Marshall Bay and crosses beautiful beaches and coastal landscapes before reaching Castle Rock, a massive granite boulder. Whether you're camping or simply relaxing by the water, Emita has designated areas for both BBQs and camping, ensuring there’s a place to unwind after a day of exploration.

Trail difficulty

Grade 3 (moderate) badge

Grade 3 (Moderate)

Moderate walks with some obstacles

Grade 3 walks may include short steep hills, formed tracks with some obstacles, rougher surfaces and many steps. Some bushwalking experience is recommended, and walkers may encounter natural hazards such as steep slopes, unstable surfaces or minor water crossings. Grade 3 walks are no longer than 20km.

Good to know: Not every Grade 3 characteristic will apply to every walk, so check the route description for the specific challenges of this hike.

Map and GPX file

Allports and Cave Beach (4.8km)

Map of the route “Allports and Cave Beach (4.8km)”: 4.77 km, 122 m of climbing and 122 m of descent, elevation between 2 m and 14 m, time 01:25:35. It is a loop that starts and ends at -40.00263, 147.88893 (latitude, longitude).

Total distance: 4.78 km
Max elevation: 14 m
Min elevation: 2 m
Total climbing: 122 m
Total descent: 122 m

GPX files, maps and content are copyright Trail Hiking Australia. Not to be copied, redistributed or uploaded to other platforms including AllTrails.

Preparation and safety

Trail tips

Allports Beach is the primary swimming spot in Emita, offering a child-friendly environment and excellent snorkeling opportunities, particularly near the rocky areas. Dogs are also welcome.
Just 100 metres from Allports Beach, you'll find a campsite with picnic tables and plenty of space for several campers. Short-term camping is allowed, and spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reservations required.
There are dual rainwater tanks for handwashing, but it's advisable to bring your own potable water for drinking.
Camp fires are not permitted for half of the year within all PWS reserves, with fuel stoves only during the hottest months. This fire ban encompasses the whole North East region of Tasmania.

Plan and prepare

Australian conditions can turn a small oversight into a serious situation faster than most walkers expect. Even on a short walk, that means sturdy footwear, water, sun protection and a warm layer in case the weather turns. The day hike planning guide walks you through it.

The Hiking Safety Systems and planning calculators help you understand and close the gaps before you leave home. The Interactive Safety Scenarios show how small gaps turn into real incidents. If you’re new to planning hikes, start with the hike preparation guide.

Download the free hiking preparation and safety checklists before leaving home to help you think through your plans. They help ensure important considerations are not overlooked and support safer decision-making on the trail.

Let someone know

Before you go, complete a trip intentions form and share it with a trusted contact. Agree on a Late-Back Time and ask them to call 000 (Police) if you have not checked in. A clear trip plan is one of the simplest and most effective safety steps you can take, and it only takes two minutes.

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Heading somewhere remote, off-track or overnight? Use the comprehensive trip intentions form instead, as your emergency contact will need more detail. Register your trip plan here →

Getting there and where to stay

Directions

To reach the Allports and Cave Beach trailhead, head to Allports Beach Road in Emita, Tasmania, 7255. The trailhead is situated just before you reach Allports Beach, where you'll find a day-use area equipped with a gas BBQ, shaded picnic tables, and restroom facilities. The BBQ, generously provided by Parks and Wildlife, is free to use, though donations are encouraged to support its upkeep. A convenient road leads down to the amenities at the eastern tip of the beach, where there’s ample parking, additional picnic space, and more toilets, making it a comfortable starting point for your hike.

Get there with Google Maps

Accommodation nearby

Search accommodation in nearby towns: Flinders Island, Lady Barron, Launceston, Whitemark

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Photo gallery

Allports and Cave Beach (4.8km)

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Explore the region

About the region

On Flinders Island's central north-west coast, Emita Nature Recreation Area protects a compact stretch of shore where white beaches, granite headlands and low coastal heath meet the open waters of Bass Strait. The reserve sits beside the small settlement of Emita in the Furneaux Group, a chain of islands scattered between Tasmania and mainland Australia, and it shares the same meeting of landscapes that gives much of Flinders Island its distinctive character: hard granite at the shoreline, pale sand, wind-shaped vegetation and a strong maritime feel.

Although modest in size at about 128 hectares when it was reserved in 2002, the area carries more than a narrow strip of beach. It forms part of a broader patchwork of protected country on Flinders Island, where small coastal reserves sit alongside larger landscapes such as Strzelecki National Park, helping conserve both recreation areas and ecologically important habitat. Across the island, plants and animals from Tasmania and mainland Australia overlap, and the coast around Emita belongs to that wider Bass Strait transition zone.

This part of Flinders Island also sits within a much longer human story. Aboriginal people lived across the Bassian Plain before rising seas cut Flinders Island off from the mainland about 9,000 years ago, and Aboriginal sites on the island include shell middens, stone artefact scatters and cave deposits. At Emita, that deep history is close at hand in a landscape of beaches, rocky points and sheltered inlets that would have offered food, water and access along the coast. The nearby Furneaux Museum adds another layer, reflecting the island's later histories of sealing, settlement and community life.

The coastal country around Emita is not just scenic ground but part of an island environment with notable conservation value. Flinders Island supports more than 100 recorded bird species and is an important stopover for birds moving between Tasmania and the mainland. The island also supports threatened wildlife and plant communities, while weed invasion and feral animals have been significant pressures in some areas around Emita. That mix of beauty, fragility and island isolation is central to understanding the reserve and the wider coast it belongs to.

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Weather on the trail

The map shows the rain forecast for the trail area. Use the toggle in the top right corner to switch layers, including wind, temperature, UV index, thunderstorms, fire danger and weather warnings. Windy is a forecast model, not an official warning service. Check the Bureau of Meteorology for current warnings before you go.

Trail reviews

1 Review on “Allports and Cave Beach (4.8km)”

Overall rating

Darren Edwards Trail Author

My wife and I did the Allports and Cave Beach hike over the Labour Day long weekend in March, and we really enjoyed it. The walk along the coast to Cave Beach was beautiful and peaceful, with stunning ocean views the whole way. It’s a relatively easy stroll, making it a great way to take in the natural beauty of the area without too much effort.

Once we reached the rocky outcrops, we found it tricky to go much further without either disturbing the vegetation or getting wet, so we turned back there. But as a return walk, it was well worth it! The mix of sandy beaches and rugged coastline made for a lovely, relaxing hike. If you’re in the area and looking for a scenic coastal walk, this one is definitely worth doing.

26/03/2025, 11:05

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Acknowledgement of Country

Allports and cave beach (4. 8km) - trail hiking australia

Trail Hiking Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we hike and pay respects to their Elders, past and present, and we acknowledge the First Nations people of other communities who may be here today.

Curated by: Darren Edwards | Trail Hiking Australia

Last checked:

August 13, 2026

Hike at a glance

Trail details

About this trail

Route in detail

Trail difficulty

Grade 3 (Moderate)

Map and GPX file

Preparation and safety

Trail tips

Plan and prepare

Let someone know

Getting there and where to stay

Directions

Accommodation nearby

Travel arrangements

Photo gallery

Explore the region

About the region

Discover activities

More hikes nearby

Castle Rock Hike Flinders Island (6.5km)

Killiecrankie to Stackys Bight Walk (7.5km)

Mount Killiecrankie Walking Track (12.5km)

The Dock to Killiecrankie (8km)

Explore hikes by town

Weather on the trail

Trail reviews

1 Review on “Allports and Cave Beach (4.8km)”

Leave a Review. Cancel reply

Notice something different about this trail?

Acknowledgement of Country

Curated by: Darren Edwards | Trail Hiking Australia

Last checked:

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