Unofficial guide · verify with NSW National Parks

Beowa National Park guideBeowa National ParkUnofficial operator’s manual

Light to Light: 2–3 days

2–3 days / 2 nights · Best for: Fit walkers with booked platforms and a car plan

Guide updated · verify NSW National Parks the morning you go

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32 km one-way, Grade 4, Boyds Tower to Green Cape. Official days: 9 km / 10 km / 13 km. Book platforms, treat tank water, carry ≥5 L, plan the shuffle, file a trip intention.

Rocky Light to Light coastline in Beowa National Park, New South Wales

Light to Light coast

Dhx1 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

This is a different trip from Boyds Tower. Don’t turn a lookout day into Day 1 just because the track continues south. Official product: 32 km one-way, Grade 4, typically 2–3 days and 2 nights, Boyds Tower to Green Cape Lightstation / lookout.

Book Mowarry and Hegartys platforms first (from $115 for 2 nights per campsite [VERIFY]). Park entry is extra if you drive in ($8 / vehicle / day south of Eden). No general walk permit. Trip intention recommended. Free PLB hire at Merimbula.

Creek crossings at Saltwater, Woodburn and Bittangabee may require wading. Inland alternative Bittangabee–Green Cape in rough seas — official walk page. Treat all tank water. Carry at least 5 L. Guy ropes for 5.4×3.6 m platforms.

Navigate Expeditions publishes transfers (not affiliated). NPWS flags overnight vehicle security risk at remote carparks. Always verify alerts and the official camping page the week you walk. This itinerary is planning guidance only.

Track status, weather and closures change — verify on NSW National Parks before you leave, then use the timeline below as a planning skeleton only.

Timeline

  1. Weeks before

    Book and shuffle

    Book platforms on the official Light to Light camping page / RezExpert. Arrange two cars or a transfer. Download NSW Parks offline maps and the official Light to Light A3 map PDF. Hire or pack a PLB. File a trip intention closer to the week.

  2. Night before Day 1

    Water, weather, reverse clock

    Check alerts, tides (Green Cape chart) and swell. Pack ≥5 L capacity, treatment, guy ropes, dry bag, extra food if a creek stalls you. Confirm the finish-car or transfer. Someone at home has the trip intention. No valuables in the start car.

  3. Day 1

    Boyds Tower → Mowarry Point · 9 km · 2–3 hrs

    Pay southern vehicle entry at Boyds Tower. Start at the tower. First platforms. Ease the pack. Treat tank water. Guy ropes on the 5.4×3.6 m decks (1–2 hiker tents). Official 2–3 hours is a planning range, not a race.

  4. Day 2

    Mowarry → Hegartys Bay · 10 km · 2.5–3.5 hrs

    Passes Saltwater Creek (no coverage at the campground; more reliable tanks — still treat them). Tide creek wades at Saltwater and Woodburn are the main decision. If a crossing looks ugly, wait or use a booked vehicle camp — don’t try to swim it.

  5. Day 3

    Hegartys → Green Cape · 13 km · 3.5–4.5 hrs

    Bittangabee (treat tanks), Pulpit Rock, stairs, wide views including Nadgee / Croajingolong. Inland alternative Bittangabee–Green Cape in rough seas — official walk page. Finish at the lightstation lookout. Cottages are closed; the carpark is the pickup.

  6. If you split differently

    Official day-section alternatives

    Boyds Tower–Saltwater Creek 13.2 km Grade 4, 4.5–5.5 hrs. Saltwater–Bittangabee 9 km Grade 3, 3–4 hrs. Bittangabee–Green Cape 7 km Grade 4, 2–3 hrs. Vehicle camps let you shorten a trip only if you booked them.

  7. Do not

    Unbooked nights and cool-down loops

    Do not start without platforms and a finish-car or transfer. Do not add Green Cape loop as a cool-down after Day 3. Reverse walking is possible but you still have the same creeks and car problem. Official product is Boyds Tower to Green Cape.

Packing

  • ≥5 L water capacity
  • Water treatment (boil, tablets, filter or UV)
  • Guy ropes for 5.4×3.6 m platforms
  • Dry bag
  • PLB — free hire at Merimbula or carry your own
  • Sturdy rock shoes
  • Fuel stove — no firewood gathering
  • Extra food if a creek stalls you
  • Printed Light to Light map PDF + Green Cape tide chart
  • Emergency+ installed; trip intention filed

Kit searches live on the gear page— Amazon merch stays there.

Parking & access tips

  • Start car at Boyds Tower; finish at Green Cape — or book a transfer.
  • No valuables in remote cars overnight (NPWS).
  • Saltwater Creek: no coverage at the campground if you bail there.
  • Pay machine at Boyds Tower; cash may be needed at Green Cape [VERIFY].
  • Official pages disagree on Green Cape drive kilometres — follow signs.

Skip if short on time / energy

  • An unbooked platform night
  • Starting without a finish-car plan
  • Green Cape loop as a “cool down” after Day 3
  • Crossing a flood because Hegartys is booked
  • A northern Pinnacles add-on on the drive home

Extra tips

Who this plan is for

  • Fit walkers who will carry a pack 2–5 hours a day
  • Groups who have already booked Mowarry and Hegartys
  • People who will treat water and carry ≥5 L
  • Not a first casual visit from Eden after lunch

Decision gates (say them out loud)

  • If platforms are not booked: do not start
  • If the finish car or transfer is not real: do not start
  • If a creek is not wadable: wait or use a booked vehicle camp — do not invent a cliff shortcut
  • If surge is working Day 3 shelves: inland Bittangabee–Green Cape alternative — official walk page
  • If someone is injured: trip intention + PLB + 000 if you have a signal

What success looks like

  • Bookings match the nights you walk
  • Water treated and carried
  • Someone at home has the trip intention
  • You finish at Green Cape, not on a flooded creek at dusk

Related trail guides

  • Light to Light WalkThe park’s flagship: 32 km one-way from Boyds Tower to Green Cape Lightstation / lookout. Grade 4. Two nights on booked platforms. Tide creek wades, limited reception, and a genuine logistics problem — not a long day-trip from Eden.
  • Boyds Tower walking trackThe straightforward first walk in the southern section: a short accessible boardwalk to the 1847 sandstone tower above Twofold Bay. Toilets, seating, accessible parking. 2WD via Boyds Tower Road.
  • Green Cape loop walking trackSeven-kilometre loop at the southern tip. Grade 4. Official time 2–3 hours (allow longer if you linger). Rock platforms, melaleuca, possible seals and penguins, ground parrot habitat. Skip in strong wind or storm surge.

Official links to verify

Stays & tours for this plan

Optional next steps once your timeline is set — park fees and official NPWS bookings are never affiliated. Kit searches live on /gear/.

Nearby stays

Eden (primary) · Merimbula · Pambula

  • Hotels & stays in EdenSouthern gateway — Boyds Tower, Green Cape, Light to Light start
  • MerimbulaNorthern services hub and NPWS office — Pambula-Haycock days
  • PambulaClosest village for the Pinnacles and Pambula River track

All Booking.com links open in a new tab and may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Official NPWS camping and cottage bookings are never affiliated.

Guided tours

Optional — useful if you want a local operator instead of self-driving

A tour does not replace checking NSW National Parks alerts, weather, or cliff safety yourself.

Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Park fees, official NSW National Parks camping bookings and fishing licences are never affiliated. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy