Grade 1

The Coastal Walk (30km)

Mornington Peninsula National Park

Victoria

30km

1-2 days

Grade 4

One Way

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3 Reviews

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Quick overview: The Coastal Walk spans 30 km from Cape Schanck to Point Nepean National Park, highlighting a variety of terrain including rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, and dense coastal vegetation. This Grade 4 trail includes multiple smaller paths that lead to landmarks such as London Bridge and the Quarantine Station. The trek is challenging and typically takes one to two days to complete, with ocean views available throughout the journey.
The coastal walk

Length

30km

Duration

1-2 days

Difficulty

Grade 4 (Hard)

Trail type

One Way

Trail details

Max elevation: 119m
Min elevation: 1m
Total Ascent: 484m

Start: Cape Schanck Lighthouse
End: London Bridge
Location: Mornington Peninsula National Park
State: Victoria
Nearest town: Flinders
State capital distance: 104km
Latitude: -38.49174206298808
Longitude: 144.88821300005074

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
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About this trail

Route in detail

The Mornington Peninsula Coastal walk along the southern side of the Mornington Peninsula offers spectacular scenery stretching 30kms between Cape Schanck and the Point Nepean National Park. The Coastal Walk encompasses many smaller sections of Ocean Beach walking trails, some along gravel tracks and parts along the sandy beaches. It changes from rugged rocky ocean coast at Cape Schanck to dense coastal vegetation along the way and finally to the famous sandy surf beaches through Rye and Sorrento. This challenging walk can be completed in sections or as a multi-day adventure.

Although this walk can be done in either direction, more spectacular views are provided when walking west from Cape Schanck to Point Nepean as you get views along the length of the Bass Strait coast. The Coastal Walk is divided into several sections, each offering a unique experience. Here's a brief overview of each leg:

1. Cape Schanck to Gunnamatta Beach:
Hike through dense vegetation and enjoy panoramic views from three lookouts. This section includes gravel tracks, sealed road, and sandy beach walking. Remember, return on the high track as beach access can be difficult at high tide. Swimming is dangerous unless lifeguards are present.

2. Gunnamatta Beach to Rye Ocean Beach:
Traverse sandy beaches with stunning coastal views. You'll pass Boag Rocks and follow shared walking/horse trails. Access points to St Andrews Beach, Moana Court, and Ocean Drive are available. There are toilets and drinking water available at the Rye Ocean Beach car park.

3. Rye Ocean Beach to Number 16 Beach:
Walk along sandy beaches with clifftop sections offering dramatic coastline views. Follow red-capped posts to navigate detours around headlands. Toilets are available at the Number 16 car park.

4. Number 16 Beach to Bridgewater Bay:
Take the historic Lifesaving Track, built in the 1890s for shipwreck rescues. Enjoy scenic walks through sand dunes and past picturesque beaches like Dimmicks Beach. Admire spectacular cliff tops and access Bridgewater Bay rock pools (via a steep staircase). Toilets and a car park are available at Bridgewater Bay.

5. Bridgewater Bay to Diamond Bay:
Continue on the Lifesaving Track with detours to Spray Point and Koonya Beach. Take in panoramic views from scenic lookouts like Jubilee Point. Toilets and a car park can be found at Koonya Beach.

6. Diamond Bay to Sorrento Ocean Beach:
Explore the historic Coppins Track, a guided walk showcasing the area's past. Follow limestone-paved sections and enjoy lookouts with breathtaking coastal scenery. Access St Pauls Lookout (historic observation site) and Sorrento Back Beach with cafes and amenities. Here you'll find toilets, drinking water, cafes, and a Surf Lifesaving Club.

7. Sorrento Ocean Beach to Portsea Ocean Beach:
Enjoy clifftop views and a detour to Websters Lookout showcasing Sorrento township. Descend to Portsea Surf Beach with toilets, drinking water, and a Surf Lifesaving Club.

8. Farnsworth Track (Portsea to London Bridge):
Choose a scenic clifftop walk or beach walk (best attempted at low tide). Explore rock pools at London Bridge (visible at low tide) and enjoy the lookout. Toilets, drinking water, and a car park are available at London Bridge.

9. London Bridge to Point Nepean National Park:
Walk through Moonah woodlands and connect with Point Nepean National Park. This section offers access to the Quarantine Station and historic forts.

If you still have energy to burn, you could tie this into the 100km Mornington Peninsula Walk that includes walks around Point Nepean, The Bay Trail and the Two Bays Walking Track.

Before you embark on your adventure, consider these key points:

  • Distance: The entire Coastal Walk stretches for 30 kilometers (one way).
  • Difficulty: The terrain can be moderate to challenging, with uneven surfaces and some steep sections.
  • Start/End Points: The official trail begins at Cape Schanck on the western end and concludes at Point Nepean National Park on the eastern side.
  • Important Considerations: Sturdy footwear is essential. Bring plenty of water and sun protection, and be aware of tidal conditions, especially when walking along beaches. Swimming is dangerous unless lifeguards are present.
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Trail difficulty

Grade 4 (hard) badge

Grade 4 (Hard)

For experienced bushwalkers

Grade 4 walks may be long, rough or very steep, and directional signage may be limited. Bushwalking experience is recommended, along with the ability to be self-reliant and manage navigation, weather and emergencies. Walks may exceed 20km.

Good to know: Not every Grade 4 characteristic will apply to every walk, so check the route description for the specific challenges of this hike.

Map and GPX file

The Coastal Walk (30km)

Map of the route “The Coastal Walk (30km)”: 30.60 km, 484 m of climbing and 516 m of descent, elevation between 1 m and 119 m, time 03:41:43. It starts at -38.49171, 144.88827 and ends at -38.31956, 144.69789 (latitude, longitude).

Total distance: 30.68 km
Max elevation: 119 m
Min elevation: 1 m
Total climbing: 484 m
Total descent: 516 m
Login to Download GPX

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

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Preparation and safety

Trail tips

  • Dogs are not permitted within Mornington Peninsula National Park, including beaches, carparks, and Greens Bush.
  • As beaches and coasts are natural environments, you may encounter hazards. Follow our water safety advice to ensure a safe and enjoyable day out.
  • Gravel tracks and sealed road plus sand walking along the beach.
  • Remember to return on the high track as through access along the beach is difficult at high tide.
  • Swimming is dangerous unless lifesavers are present.
  • Please take your rubbish out with you.

Plan and prepare

Australian conditions can turn a small oversight into a serious situation faster than most walkers expect. For an overnight hike, that means the right gear, weather-appropriate layers, enough food and water, and a plan for where you'll camp. The overnight 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.

Let someone know your plans →

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 →

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Getting there and where to stay

Directions

The Mornington Peninsula National Park is 90 kilometres south east of Melbourne. The eastern part of the park, including Cape Schanck, can be reached from Boneo (Rosebud-Flinders) Road.

Access conditions

  • Drinking Water
  • Camping Area
Get there with Google Maps

Accommodation nearby

Search accommodation in nearby towns: Arthurs Seat, Cowes, Flinders, Queenscliff, Red Hill, Shoreham, Smiths Beach, Ventnor

Find somewhere to stay near the trailhead. Click the button below to open an interactive map automatically centred on this hike's location.

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Travel arrangements

Whether you are travelling from across Australia or exploring closer to home, these options can help you organise your journey to the trail and make the most of your visit.

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Explore the region

About the region

Where Port Phillip gives way to the open coast, Mornington Peninsula National Park protects a long, broken edge of cliffs, surf beaches, headlands and remnant bushland that feels markedly wilder than the settled peninsula around it. The park stretches from the Portsea end of the peninsula to the Flinders district, with an inland reach through Main Creek to Greens Bush, the largest remaining fragment of native bushland on the Mornington Peninsula. That mix of narrow coastal reserve and broader inland bush is central to understanding the area: this is not one continuous block of forest, but a series of surviving natural landscapes threaded through one of Victoria's most heavily used coastal regions.

Its scenery is shaped by exposure and contrast. Along much of the coast, sandy beaches are broken by calcarenite cliffs, while at Cape Schanck the geology shifts again, with dark basalt cliffs meeting the sea. Inland, the country softens into heathy woodland, sand heathland and patches of coastal scrub, with Main Creek forming an important link between Greens Bush and the coast at Bushrangers Bay. Even within a relatively compact part of Victoria, the change from surf coast to sheltered bush is striking, and it helps explain why the peninsula holds such varied plant communities in a small area.

The park sits on Bunurong Country and forms part of a broader Aboriginal cultural landscape that extends across the Mornington Peninsula and nearby waters. That connection matters here because the landscape is not just scenic coastline but Country with long, continuing cultural significance. The Bunurong Land Council is the recognised Traditional Owner organisation for the Mornington Peninsula, and the park's coastal and inland sections are part of that wider cultural setting.

Because so much of the Mornington Peninsula has been cleared, developed or fragmented over time, these remaining bushland and coastal habitats carry unusual weight. Greens Bush in particular preserves one of the peninsula's least disturbed inland areas, while the ocean side of the park protects a coastal strip that still feels exposed to weather, salt and sea in the way much of the bay side no longer does. For walkers, that broader context is what gives the area its character: a national park pressed hard against suburbia and farmland, yet still holding onto a distinctly rugged slice of southern Victoria.

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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

3 Reviews on “The Coastal Walk (30km)”

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Acknowledgement of Country

The coastal walk (30km) - 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:
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