We knew we only had time for one walk on the Mornington Peninsula this trip, so I turned to my online hiking group and the Bushrangers Bay to Cape Schanck walk was the one that was recommended most often.

I’m really glad they did because on a sunny day - when the water glistens turquoise and the sand looks almost white - it was the perfect place to be.

The walk offers amazing views, the chance to see wild kangaroos and is a pretty easy trail to boot so it’s a great choice for hiking on the Peninsula.

Bushrangers Bay Walk to Cape Schanck

Trail Stats

Distance: 12.3 km return (including the Pebble Beach Loop)
Elevation: 270m
Difficulty: Moderate

Starting the trail

The trail begins on a lovely shady path through the bush, with a long flat section that allows for plenty of time to get lost in nature - which is what I love most about hiking.

Having come from spending a lot of time hiking in Canada, it was a nice change to be on a trail which didn’t involve heavy sweating from the off!

The walk doesn’t have much in the way of views at first as it is mainly in the bush but there is loads of birdlife and a really good chance of spotting kangaroos through this section.

We saw loads on the way back, they blend in pretty well as the bush is fairly dense, but once you spot one you start seeing them everywhere!

Kangaroo on the Bushrangers Bay to Cape Schanck walk

After the long flat path, you will reach a section with quite a lot of steps, which are all worthwhile because it gets you to the best bit of the hike.

It isn’t long before it opens up and you start to get some gorgeous views on your left.

The trail follows the cliff edge offering a birdseye view of the coast below. Firstly of the rolling farmland, followed by the gorgeous Bushrangers Bay and some pretty dramatic waves crashing against the rocks.

There is an obvious path off to the left which takes you down to the beach itself (swimming is not recommended due to the aforementioned waves!), it’s fairly steep on the way back up!

We had a beautiful sunny day for this walk, which really added to how spectacular it looked.

I have seen pictures on grey days and it didn’t look quite so impressive so save it for a sunny one if you can!

The Bushrangers Bay to Cape Schanck Trail

You’ll soon start to see the Cape Schanck lighthouse in the distance. Enjoy the last of the quiet trail because you are about to meet up with the section that can be accessed from the car park at Cape Schanck and of course that means you’ll soon be joining the crowds.

We only saw a couple of people on the first bit of the walk but were joined by hundreds at Cape Schanck.

On to Pebble Beach

You can walk directly to the lighthouse and skip the detour to Pebble Beach but we’d not recommend it unless you are pushed for time.

The additional loop to Pebble Beach is one of our favourite parts of the entire walk.

You’ll have to descend a couple of steep staircases to get to the beach. If you don’t want to do the stairs the view from the bottom of the first staircase is actually one of our favourites and also offers a look at the whole board-walked path which is really spectacular.

You can access two beaches from the bottom of the final staircase, a sandy and rocky one to the left and a pebbly one to the right. The pebbles are absolutely ginormous, some of the biggest I’ve ever seen in my life!

It’s a great place to sit, take a break and watch the waves crashing against the rocks, just watch out for the shards of seaweed which have washed up on the beach.

They’ve become really hard and actually cut my hand when I went to sit down without looking - whoever thought that seaweed could be lethal?!

You can walk along the rocks and check out the rock pools but watch out for waves, they can be pretty wild around here according to the signs!

Continuing on to the Cape Schanck lighthouse

After retracing your steps along the boardwalk you can continue the trail to the lighthouse. You can’t go inside, but it’s a picturesque spot nonetheless.

There’s also another viewing platform which gives you some great views of the coast that you can’t see from the Pebble Beach boardwalk. In season (May to October) you might even spot humpback whales from here!

This walk has a bit of everything and it’s amazing what views you can get on what is a pretty easy trail.

Getting to the trailhead

The trail starts from the Bushrangers Bay walk parking area on Boneo Road (you can find the exact spot on Google Maps via this link). It is a 1.5 hour drive from Melbourne - if the traffic is light - and 30 minutes from Mornington.

Packing suggestions for the walk

Having the right gear can make a huge difference. Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:

Sunscreen: Cancer Council Active. With a high SPF, but not the greasy feel of other sunscreens. Makes a big difference when you’re working up a sweat on a sunny day! Check it out on Amazon
Good Rain Jacket: North Face This is an essential item we always pack in our bag! This jacket from North Face is designed to keep you dry but also comfortably warm (many rain jackets will make you feel like you’re in a sauna). Check it out on Amazon
Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). Check on Amazon or direct with Osprey
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going. Check them out on Amazon
Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable. Check them out on Amazon.
Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic. Check them out on Amazon

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