Pillar Point & Three Bays Walk

How to get there

1. Base Tidal River; follow current park map and visitor centre advice for the day’s combination.
2. Peak parking pressure mirrors Squeaky Beach — early start or accept a shorter lookout-only plan.
3. Fuel and water sorted before you leave the hub; headlands are poor places to discover empty bottles.

How to do it (step by step)

1. Choose short lookout-only or full multi-bay ambition before you leave the car — say the choice out loud.
2. Carry water and wind layer; headlands are exposed even when Norman Beach feels mild.
3. Stay behind barriers at cliff edges; supervise children tightly at lookouts.
4. Do not shortcut through vegetation for photos — scars last longer than your visit.
5. If wind becomes unsafe or the group is slowing, reverse early; bays will still be there tomorrow.

Pick the ambition before the trailhead

Pillar Point alone can be a satisfying lookout objective for mixed groups. Three Bays-style extensions are a longer coastal day with more exposure and time. Mixing them without a plan is how groups run late into heat and wind.

Verify signed distances and open combinations on the day. This guide will not invent kilometre guarantees while track works and diversions exist.

Coastal exposure culture

Headland wind is not optional reading. A shell you left in the car at Tidal River does not help at the lookout. Sun and UV on granite are harsh even on cool days.

Cliff edges need the same rules you use at any coastal lookout: no climbing barriers, no “just for the photo” on the wrong side of the fence.

How this sits with Oberon and Squeaky

Use Pillar/Three Bays when icons are done and you want more coast without overnight packing. After Oberon, prefer a short lookout version unless recovery was excellent.

Squeaky can pair as a short sand stop the same day only if parking and energy allow — not as a mandatory stack.

Map (orientation)

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