Fortescue Bay

Fortescue Bay is a sheltered sandy beach on the Tasman Peninsula in south-eastern Tasmania, within Tasman National Park about 14 kilometres south-east of Port Arthur. Enclosed by forested hills and dramatic dolerite sea cliffs, it is notable as a camping and water-based recreation area and as the trailhead for the Cape Hauy Track. The bay offers swimming, boating, fishing and kayaking in a largely undeveloped natural setting.

Visitors can expect a long, curved white-sand beach with clear water, backed by eucalypt forest and bordered by steep dolerite cliffs. The bay has a jetty and boat ramp, a large campground with grassy sites, and picnic and barbecue areas. It is the main access point for the Cape Hauy walking track and for sea kayaking along the Tasman coastline. Facilities are basic and there are no shops, with a natural, quiet national park setting.

Fortescue Bay lies within the traditional lands of the Pydairrerme people of the Tasman Peninsula. The area was later used for timber getting and fishing and is now protected within Tasman National Park, declared in 1999 to conserve its coastal geology, forests and marine environment.

The bay and surrounding Tasman National Park hold significance for Tasmanian Aboriginal heritage and are valued for their natural coastal landscape, recreational camping tradition and as a gateway to the Three Capes Track and Cape Hauy area.