Light to Light Walk

How to get there

1. Past Eden ~16 km on the Princes Highway, left Edrom Road, then Boyds Tower Road (2WD gravel). Official pages disagree on Green Cape drive kilometres — follow signs. Pay the $8 vehicle day entry (or show an annual pass). [VERIFY] machines.
2. Leave a finish car at Green Cape only if you have already solved the one-way problem. Official camping page: pay machine at Boyds Tower; cash may be needed at Green Cape Lighthouse carpark.
3. Commercial transfers exist (Navigate Expeditions publishes a product — this site is not affiliated). Confirm current service yourself.
4. Book Mowarry and Hegartys platforms on the official Light to Light camping page / RezExpert before you leave. Annual vehicle passes do not cover camping. From $115 for 2 nights per campsite [VERIFY].
5. Download NSW Parks app maps and the official Light to Light A3 map PDF. Reception is limited. Fill a trip intention form. Consider a PLB (free hire at Merimbula office, 47 Merimbula Drive, (02) 6495 5000).

How to do it (step by step)

1. Walk Boyds Tower → Green Cape. Official day shape: Day 1 Boyds Tower to Mowarry Point 9 km, 2–3 hrs. Day 2 Mowarry to Hegartys Bay 10 km, 2.5–3.5 hrs (passes Saltwater Creek; tide creek wades). Day 3 Hegartys to Green Cape 13 km, 3.5–4.5 hrs (Bittangabee, Pulpit Rock, stairs, 360° including Nadgee / Croajingolong).
2. Official day sections if you split differently: 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.
3. Creek crossings at Saltwater, Woodburn and Bittangabee may require wading. Assess tide, swell and flood on the day. There is an inland alternative Bittangabee–Green Cape in rough seas — read the official walk page.
4. Treat all tank water. Carry at least 5 L. Bring guy ropes for the 5.4×3.6 m platforms (1–2 hiker tents). Fill at Saltwater Creek and Bittangabee where tanks are more reliable — still treat them.
5. Check the Green Cape tide chart before rock-platform days. If a creek is not wadable, wait or use a booked vehicle camp — do not invent a cliff shortcut.

What to expect

Official product: 32 km one-way, Grade 4, typically 2–3 days and 2 nights, Boyds Tower to Green Cape Lightstation / lookout. That is a loaded multi-day on rock, heath and beach — not Boyds Tower plus a long afternoon.

Most people who get into trouble do so on creek wades, water and the one-way car problem. Write the finish and the water plan before you leave Eden. Grade 4 still means real walking with a pack, even when the day kilometres look friendly.

This is Yuin Country. Stick to the track. Leave middens, ruins and significant places alone. This guide does not speak for Traditional Owners.

Official day shape

Day 1 — Boyds Tower to Mowarry Point, 9 km, 2–3 hours. First platforms. Ease in.

Day 2 — Mowarry to Hegartys Bay, 10 km, 2.5–3.5 hours. Passes Saltwater Creek. Tide creek wades are the main decision of the day.

Day 3 — Hegartys to Green Cape, 13 km, 3.5–4.5 hours. Bittangabee, Pulpit Rock, stairs, wide views including Nadgee and Croajingolong.

These times are official planning ranges, not a live timetable. Fitness, pack weight, whales and weather rewrite them.

Water, platforms, permits

No general walk permit. Platforms must be booked. From $115 for 2 nights per campsite [VERIFY] on the official Light to Light camping page. Ten platforms each at Mowarry and Hegartys. Bring guy ropes. Separate Mowarry campground page also lists 4 gravel walk-in pads (4WD to the carpark).

All tank water must be treated. Official notes say tanks at Mowarry and Hegartys are small and not a reliable supply. Carry ≥5 L. Saltwater Creek and Bittangabee have more reliable tanks — still treat them.

Trip intention recommended (official form on the Light to Light camping page). Free PLB hire at Merimbula NPWS office. Print the official Light to Light walk map PDF and check the Green Cape tide chart before rock-platform days.

Cars and transfers

One-way walk. Shuffle two cars, book a drop-off, or use a commercial transfer. Navigate Expeditions lists Light to Light transfers — not affiliated with this guide; confirm yourself.

Overnight cars at remote trailheads are a theft risk (NPWS). Take what you need. Do not leave bags visible.

Vehicle entry ($8 / day south of Eden) is still required if you drive in, on top of camping. Never buy those products through this site.

Hazards, reverse and bail-out

Reverse walking (Green Cape → Boyds Tower) is possible but you still have the same creeks, platforms and one-way car problem. Official product is Boyds Tower to Green Cape.

Bail-outs are limited. Vehicle-accessible Saltwater Creek and Bittangabee let you shorten a trip if you planned them. There is no formal mid-walk vehicle exit on every section. If a creek is not wadable, sit it out or use the inland Bittangabee–Green Cape alternative in rough seas — do not invent a cliff shortcut.

Communications: limited reception throughout the park. Triple Zero needs a signal. Download Emergency+ before you arrive. Use the NSW Parks app for offline maps. A PLB is worth carrying. We do not list which phone carriers work where.

Two failure modes (and the turnaround)

Failure one: treating Light to Light as Boyds Tower plus a long afternoon. Official product is 32 km, Grade 4, 2–3 days, booked platforms. If platforms are full, the walk is off — Boyds Tower still counts.

Failure two: starting without a finish-car, transfer, ≥5 L and a tide plan. Creek wades at Saltwater, Woodburn and Bittangabee are the real decision, not the kilometre table.

Official vs the sign: this page is desk-planned from NPWS text, not a walked status check. Alerts, the RezExpert booking and the creek in front of you win on the morning you go.

Map (orientation)

Pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads, parking and track status on NSW National Parks before you drive.