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A walk with massive WOW factor when it comes to views is Fitzroy Islandâs Lighthouse and Summit Walk. This 4km return circuit has a total elevation of 285m, taking you to and from the islandâs camping area to the lighthouse and the summit. Graded as âDifficultâ this is a heart-pumping walk – we definitely felt those steps and inclines – but the reward is simply epic views which make the sweaty climb very worthwhile. Make sure you wear sun smart clothes, sensible shoes and take lots of water. NB: These walks are on Fitzroy Island, so to get there you will need to book a boat transfer. There are several boats providing this service to and from Cairns, at various times throughout the day, with a travel time of 45 minutes each way (times may vary, pending boat). We recommend catching an early boat and doing the walk first, spending the rest of your time enjoying the sea, with snorkelling, swimming, relaxing and enjoying all the things to do on Fitzroy Island. We started the Lighthouse Road Track at 9.30am and came off the Summit Walk Track at 11.50am.
The Lighthouse and Summit Walk are in the Fitzroy Island National Park. This is a 4km circuit track. We strongly recommend starting with the Lighthouse Road Track, which joins the Summit Track, before a series of steps takes you back down the hill. Notes on this below.
The Lighthouse Road walking track on Fitzroy Island takes you from the camping ground, up to the islandâs lighthouse. If you do it by itself, itâs a 3.6km return walk with a maximum elevation of 130m. Youâll be walking on the islandâs historic lighthouse service road, which was hand built in the early 1950s, to provide access to the lighthouse. Itâs your âtypicalâ old service road, consisting of either a relatively narrow strip of concrete, or two âtracksâ of concrete, with rocks and rubble in the middle (changes along the walk). It is a very steep incline, which is mostly shaded by the islandâs rainforest. When you reach the âtopâ of the (first) hill, youâre rewarded with amazing views over the Coral Sea, taking in Green Island on your right and the mainland mountains on your left. Every time we have completed this walk, the views are complemented with a lovely breeze which is much welcomed and appreciated, after the steep climb. After pausing to catch your breath, you continue on walking over the plateau to the lighthouse for more amazing views. Please note the Summit Track âjoinsâ the Lighthouse Road on the plateau and this is clearly signposted. We do recommend finishing the Lighthouse Road track to the lighthouse, and then doing the short back-track to the Summit Track.
âThe Lighthouse Road Track has a steep incline for most of the start and that definitely gets the heart pumping, I can only imagine how difficult it was for the men who hand-built this in the 1950s. The road winds upwards and inwards from the beach, towards the other side of the island. It is mostly shaded by surrounding rainforest, which means there are limited views until you reach the plateau and lookout at the top. The lookout is a great place to catch your breath and enjoy the views and sea breeze. From there itâs a slightly undulating path over to the lighthouse itself, which provides more stunning scenery looking west and south. You can rest in the shade of the lighthouse and soak it all in â itâs a great photo opportunity. From here, you have the choice of walking back down the same way you came, or extend your island exploration with the Summit Walk â which we highly recommend.â – Julie Johnston
The Summit Walk takes you to and from the camping area to the summit lookout on Fitzroy Island. From this elevated position, youâll enjoy panoramic views over the mountainâs rainforest hinterland, Coral Sea beyond and all the way to Mount Bartle Frere â Queenslandâs highest mountain. Itâs a 4km return circuit walk, which includes a big part of the Lighthouse Road Track. Prominent landscape features on the Summit Walk are lots of large granite boulders, steps, woodlands and heathlands. At the summit itself, there is a timber lookout âplatformâ providing stunning views of the surrounds. The summit is 269m above sea level and the track to get there involves many steps, some of which are steep and rough. From its junction with the Lighthouse Road Track, itâs 600m to the summit and then 2.2km of steps back down the mountain to the camping area. This track can be walked in either direction, meaning you can start with the Lighthouse Road Track and then join the Summit Track, or start with the Summit Track and join the Lighthouse Road Track. We recommend option 1, for the following reasons.
âYou can start the Summit Walk track either from the camping area, or by taking the Lighthouse Road Track which âjoinsâ the Summit Walk. We highly recommend taking the Lighthouse Road Track first. Why? When you take the Lighthouse Road Track you are winding your way up the hill, enjoying views at the lighthouse and then continuing your climb on an unsealed track â with some steps â to the summit, for more amazing views. Then you take the 2.2km Summit Walk back to the camping area, in what can only be described as a big series of steps down the hill. It’s steep, rough and can be a bit relentless on the knees â but this is offset by the simply stunning view that is constantly in front of you. If you did the track in reverse, and started with the Summit Walk, then you would be walking âawayâ from the views and tackling a very steep climb with lots of steps.â – Julie Johnston
The Lighthouse Road Track on Fitzroy Island is a 3.6km return walk, which is completed on an old and very steep service road, which alternates between being a relatively narrow strip of concrete, or two âtracksâ of concrete, with rocks and rubble in the middle (changes along the walk). The beginning of the walk is very steep, but mostly shaded. When you reach the âtopâ, you will be rewarded with beautiful views and then a relatively easy walk over to the lighthouse itself. You can add the Summit Walk track âon toâ the Lighthouse Road track, turning the walk into a circuit loop. We recommend doing this for maximum views and to extend your island exploration. It does not add much distance or time into the walk itself, just means you go âup and downâ on two different tracks.
The Summit Walking Track on Fitzroy Island is a 4km return walk, to and from the camping area to the summit lookout. This is a circuit walk, which links to the Lighthouse Road track. It is mostly unshaded, with stunning views. Please note the track between the Summit and the camping area is very steep with lots of stairs. You should be an experienced walker of good fitness to tackle this one.
Yes â we strongly recommend doing both the Lighthouse Road Track and the Summit Walk on Fitzroy Island, turning them into a circuit. The views are stunning and completely different, as you track up and over to the top and both sides of Fitzroy Island. Download a copy of the Fitzroy Island map to see the walking tracks.
We feel thereâs no âbetterâ one out of the Lighthouse Road Track and Summit Walk Track on Fitzroy Island. These walks offer different views, tracks and experiences of the island. The terrain of both walks is different. The Summit Walk Track is rough with lots of steps. The Lighthouse Road Track follows a historic service âroadâ, so has no steps and is mostly shaded.
Yes – the Lighthouse Road Track and the Summit Walk on Fitzroy Island are definitely worth doing! The views are spectacular and so is the feeling of accomplishment once you have completed it. Take your phone / camera, you donât want to miss these picture perfect moments.
The answer to this question all depends on your fitness. The Lighthouse Road Track on Fitzroy Island is graded as being âDifficultâ. It is a 3.6km return walk along an old service road, which winds up the islandâs mountain, from the camping area to the lighthouse. Some sections are very steep. It is mostly shaded but the incline is pretty constant. The recommended walking time on the signage is 2 hours return and we feel this is pretty accurate, for people of reasonable fitness levels.
The answer to this question all depends on your fitness. The Summit Walk Track on Fitzroy Island is graded as being âDifficultâ. It is a 4km return walk which includes 2.2km of steps through the woodlands, and a 1.2km section of the Lighthouse Road Track â we strongly recommend starting with the Lighthouse Road Track component and then descending via the stairs. The track is steep and rough. Even the downhill section on the stairs is strenuous and tough on the knees. The recommended walking time on the signage is 3 hours return and we feel this is pretty accurate, for people of reasonable fitness levels.
If you have done the Lighthouse Road Track and are wondering how much further the summit is, we can tell you the summit is an additional 600m climb from the juncture of the two walks. It might not sound like a lot, but it is a tough climb, especially towards the end, with some rock hopping and scrambling. Itâs tough, but itâs worth it and thereâs seating at the summit so you can comfortably catch your breath and enjoy those views. #worthit
The Lighthouse Road Track and Summit Walk on Fitzroy Island both begin at the camping grounds. There is signage, so just follow that. You can also download a copy of the Fitzroy Island map here.
No, there are no toilets on the Lighthouse and Summit Walk track on Fitzroy Island. Make sure you take advantage of the facilities, before you begin.
No, there are no water taps on Fitzroy Islandâs Lighthouse and Summit Walk track. It is a long and hot walk, so make sure you take plenty of drinking water with you.
The answer to this question all depends on your fitness. The recommended walking time on the signage is 2 hours return and we feel this is pretty accurate, for people of reasonable fitness levels.
The answer to this question all depends on your fitness. The recommended walking time on the signage is 3 hours return and we feel this is pretty accurate, for people of reasonable fitness levels.
The answer to this question all depends on your fitness. It took us 2 hours and 20 minutes to walk the combined Lighthouse Road Track and Summit Walk Track circuit on Fitzroy Island. We started climbing the Lighthouse Road Track at 9.30am and came off the Summit Walk Track at 11.50am. We are of reasonable fitness and our party included 2 adults (late 40s) and 2 kids (pre-teens). This time included stops for photos, hydration and fatigue. The uphill sections can be brutal as they are unrelenting. Some people may find it easier and quicker, some people may want to allocate more time. It is definitely best to do the walks in the morning, you would not want to be heading down either side of the hill in the dark.
On the Lighthouse and Summit Walk track on Fitzroy Island you want to take lots of drinking water and make sure you are wearing sunsmart clothing and sensible walking shoes. We have done this walk in thongs and do not recommend it!
If you are doing the Lighthouse and Summit Walk track on Fitzroy Island we recommend wearing comfortable walking shorts, a rashie or fishing shirt, hat and sunscreen. We also recommend wearing hiking shoes or runners.
We strongly recommend doing the Lighthouse Road track first, and the Summit Walk track second, if you are combining them into a circuit. This ensures you enjoy maximum views at all time.
This map was created using the Strava app on our phone to give you an idea of the route from the resort down to the campground. The total distance walked was 4.8 km, with an elevation gain of 285 meters, and the walk took 2 hours and 20 minutes. If you were to reverse the route, starting from the campground, the summit track would be more challenging. By zooming out, you can also view the topographical lines for more detail.
I really enjoyed the Lighthouse Road Track and Summit Walk Track on Fitzroy Island, even though it was tough. There were really nice views of the whole island and out over the Coral Sea, Green Island and the mountains of the mainland. The toughest part of the walk was the steep start on the Lighthouse Road Track, for 10 minutes it was going straight up, but then it got easier and the views started to appear and that made it lots better. We stopped at the lighthouse for a drink and to get hydrated for the next part of the walk. There was a stunning view â I climbed on a rock and got a really cool photo of me and my friend. Then we had a little bit of downhill, which gave my legs a break, before we climbed up to the summit. We did some rock hopping on the way to the summit, which was really fun. When we went down, there were so many steps; I thought it would be so hard if we came up, the way we went down. There were some slippery parts with loose leaves and dirt. When we got to the bottom, we had lunch at Foxys. If you are visiting Fitzroy Island, you should definitely do these walks to see the magnificent views.
The first thing you need to know about Fitzroy Islandâs Lighthouse and Summit Walk circuit track, is that it is a difficult âwalkâ. The second thing you need to know is that we highly recommend going up the Lighthouse Road track and then down the Summit Walk. In doing this, the upwards path is taken over a longer distance with some reprieve from the constant âupâ and you get to enjoy amazing views, all the way âdownâ. This is an âeasierâ walk than coming âupâ the Summit Walk, with its 2.2km series of steps up the hill, which also sees you walking âawayâ from the view. Finally, you need to know that anyone with fitness can do this walk, there were people of all ages and fitness levels doing it when we walked and although it is âhardâ and graded as âdifficultâ the views make it worthwhile. Wear good walking shoes / runners, and a hat and sunscreen, remember to take water with you.
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