The 11 Best Magnetic Island Walks (With Distances)

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Let’s discuss one of my favourite topics – the best Magnetic Island walks.

One of the best things about living on Magnetic Island is the walks. For a small island, there are abundant walking tracks to enjoy. 26 kilometres of walking trails, in fact. They take you through Magnetic Island National Park, along the coast, and even past koalas! Here are the best Magnetic Island walks based on personal experience.

Check out this handy Magnetic Island walks map

Table of Contents Show

What you need before hiking on Magnetic Island

Here are my must-haves for these Magnetic Island walking tracks:

1. Good shoes

Most of these Magnetic Island bush walks are dirt and involve climbing over rocks. So I highly recommend investing in a good pair of trail shoes. The Asics Gel range is the bomb dot com! I’ve seriously bought the same pair multiple times because I love their traction and ankle support.

Selfie of me in walking gear on the Forts Walk on Magnetic Island — Enjoying the Forts Walk in my Asics shoes (of course!)

2. Water

Please do not go on any of these Magnetic Island walks without a bottle of water. Our tropical paradise is warm year-round, and heat stroke affects many people in summer. Drinking water also isn’t accessible on most of these trails.

3. Sun protection

Speaking of the heat, protect yourself from the sun with a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. You’ll thank me!

4. A charged phone

How else would you capture the gorgeous views?

Best Magnetic Island walks

1. Forts Walk

Distance: 4 km return

Want to see Northern Australia’s largest population of koalas in the wild? Head to the Forts Walk. Arguably the most popular Magnetic Island walk, I do the Forts Walk weekly. Like, I literally did it this morning! It’s a dirt track with some steps, but keep your eyes peeled for koalas.

Fun tip: Most locals will draw an arrow in the dirt or make one out of sticks if they spot a koala.

As the name suggests, this walk includes World War II forts. Follow the signs and enjoy this historical journey back in time. From the Forts Walk, you can enjoy views of the Palm Island Group to the north and Bowling Green Bay National Park to the south.

2. Radical Bay

Distance: 6 km return

Now, a road from the Forts Junction carpark connects Arthur, Florence, and Radical Bays. But you can only reach Arthur Bay by car—the rest you must go on foot. Radical Bay is beautiful, but this road is anything but 😅. There are multiple hills and potholes (read: craters). So, if you want to go on an adventure, this is a great place to start! Don’t miss the lookouts along the way.

Fun tip: Arthur Bay is known for its snorkelling, and my personal favourite is the Arthur Bay lookout.

3. Forts Walk to Florence Bay

Distance: Depends

Connecting the Forts Walk to Florence Bay is a newer set of steps—about 1000 steps, in fact. The distance depends on your starting and finishing points. For example, when I feel energetic, I start and end at the Forts Junction carpark! I head down the road to Florence Bay, go up the steps, and then walk down the Forts Walk. Altogether, it takes me approximately 1.5 hours.

4. Nelly Bay to Arcadia – Gabul Way

Distance: 5 km return

I will probably say this more than once, but this is one of my favourite Magnetic Island walks. The sea views from Gabul Way are ah-mazing! Then, you can walk along Geoffrey Bay, looking back over your shoulder to see Castle Hill dominating the Townsville skyline (as seen below).

I finish at Alma Bay and then sometimes walk through the streets of Arcadia before heading back along Gabul Way. This is an easy walk, but Gabul Way has its hilly moments.

Looking over the ocean toward Townsville from Geoffrey Bay on Magnetic Island. — Don’t forget to take a break at Geoffrey Bay while in Arcadia

5. Nelly Bay to Arcadia

Distance: 5 km one way

Another way to get from Nelly Bay to Arcadia is through the rainforest and over a bushy ridge, starting at the end of Mandalay Avenue. At one point, the track branches, and you can either head to Horseshoe Bay or Arcadia.

On the way to Arcadia, don’t miss the Sphinx Lookout. It’s an extra 400-metre return trip, but the view is worth it.

Horseshoe Bay Beach on Magnetic Island — The reward at the end – Horseshoe Bay Beach

6. Arcadia to Horseshoe Bay

Distance: 4.6 km one way

This is the same trail. But instead of heading to Nelly Bay from the end of Endeavour Road in Arcadia, you walk over the hill to Horseshoe Bay. Another rugged trail, you get some great views over Horseshoe Bay along the way. You can stop at the Forts Walk or continue along Horseshoe Bay Road to the beach if you have the stamina!

7. Horseshoe Bay to Balding Bay

Distance: 3 km return

The Balding Bay track from Horseshoe Bay got a makeover this year, and I’m yet to take a spin. But it starts from the eastern end of Horseshoe Bay Beach, and you go down over a creek and up over a hill before branching off to Balding Bay. You can also continue onto Radical Bay and follow the road mentioned above to Florence and Arthur Bays if you seek a full-day adventure.

Sunsets over Horseshoe Bay — Time this walk over sunset 😍

8. Horseshoe Bay Beach

Distance: approximately 4.5 km return

I wouldn’t call this a designated Magnetic Island walk, as it doesn’t follow a trail. But I love walking along the sand from the boat ramp to the end of Horseshoe Bay Beach. It’s a reasonable distance, and on a clear day, you won’t be surprised to see a turtle peeking its head up to say hello or a stingray floating past in the shallows.

9. Hawkings Point

Distance: 1.2 km return

Hawkings Point is a short but steep walk from the end of Picnic Street in Picnic Bay. You also stand on a boulder at the top, so ensure you wear good trail shoes. It’s a great spot to watch the sunset over Townsville. But the 360-degree island views are breathtaking any time of day.

Fun tip: Another option is Sails Rock or Tom Thumb Lookout. Starting at Yule Street in Picnic Bay, it’s less than a kilometre return. But the views over Picnic Bay, Cockle Bay, West Point and Townsville are spectacular, especially at sunset.

10. Nelly Bay to Picnic Bay

Distance: Depends

Another one of the Magnetic Island walks I like to do weekly. Now, the distance depends as you can start anywhere in Nelly Bay. A path on Sooning Street goes over the hill to Picnic Bay and offers one of my favourite views. From there, you can take some steps to a residential street and continue until you reach Picnic Bay Beach.

I typically start from around the Jungle Club in Nelly Bay and walk all the way to Picnic Bay, which is usually 5 kilometres or a one-hour walk.

11. Picnic Bay to West Point

Distance: 16 km return

I haven’t ticked the longest Magnetic Island walking trail off my list yet. But you can follow the road from Picnic Bay to West Point. You’ll pass multiple ecosystems, including mangroves, beaches, tidal wetlands, grasslands, and swamps.

The Magnetic Island walk I don’t recommend

Quite a few blog posts mention the Horseshoe Bay Lagoon. But I’m here to say you can skip the lagoon. It’s a desolate, smelly wetland, so you won’t miss anything.

Sea and green hill views on Magnetic Island. — More Forts Walk views

FAQs

How long does the Forts Walk take on Magnetic Island?

This is a weekly walk for me, and I can jog it in less than an hour. But if you want to go slow, spotting koalas and taking in the views, I’d say it takes 1.5 hours.

Can you walk around Magnetic Island?

Technically, yes, you can walk around Magnetic Island. But if you want to get from Arcadia or Nelly Bay to Horseshoe Bay easily, you’ll want to rent a car or hop on the bus.

Can you walk from Nelly Bay to Arcadia?

Yes! I highly recommend walking from Nelly Bay to Arcadia along Gabul Way for the most beautiful views.

I hope you enjoy these Magnetic Island walks!

If you need more local tips for Magnetic Island, check out my guides:

Thank you to Asics for partnering with me on this post.