Walking Tracks

Hawkings Point Track - 1.2km return          (1 hour)          Grade: Easy                               From Picnic Bay, a track winds to the top of a large boulder, affording views over the island to Nelly and Geoffrey Bays and back towards Townsville.

Picnic Bay to West Point - 16 km return          (5 hours)          Grade: Easy                         This walk follows a bush track that links the bays on the western side of the island. The track passes a tidal wetland, mangroves, paperbark swamps and savanna grasslands.

Nelly Bay to Arcadia - 5km one way          (2.5 hours)           Grade: Moderate                   From Nelly Bay, this walk passes through a rainforest pocket, climbs gradually to the saddle between Nelly and Horseshoe Bays and follows a ridge with views over Horseshoe Bay. The track then branches, with one track leading on to Horseshoe Bay, where you can continue on to other tracks, and the other to Arcadia Bay.

The Forts walk - 4km return           (1.5 hours)          Grade: Moderate                                 From the turn-off to Radical Bay, this track ascends, sometimes steeply, to follow a ridge behind the bays before arriving at the ruins of the Forts complex operated during World War II. Lookouts afford excellent views to the Palm Island Group in the north and Bowling Green Bay National Park in the south

Arthur, Florence and Radical Bays - 1.4 km-6km return    (30 mins - 2 hours)   Grade: Easy From the Forts car park on the Horseshoe Bay Road, an easy track leads down to these undeveloped bays which provide excellent swimming and snorkelling.                                   Arthur Bay walk - 1.4km return (30 minutes)             Florence Bay walk - 3.6km return (1 hour)       Radical Bay walk - 6km return (2 hours)

Horseshoe Bay lagoon - 200m return          (15mins)          Grade: Easy                               Leading off the main road near Horseshoe Bay beach, a short track leads to the lagoon where a number of waterbirds can be seen.

Horseshoe Bay Road to Balding Bay and Radical Bay - 3.4km return  (1 hour)  Grade: Easy From the eastern end of Horseshoe Bay beach, the track climbs through a steep gully of closed forest to a ridge with open eucalypt woodland. One branch of the track leads down to the secluded Balding Bay and the other continues on to Radical Bay. Both bays are good places for a swim.