Mount Amos: treat wet granite as a closure
Why 3.6 km and “the best view” is still a hard no after rain — and what to do instead on Freycinet.
By Ian Piggott · Farming Domains · Unofficial guide · ~11 min read
Updated · re-check Parks Tasmania before travel
Best for: Anyone tempted by the Amos panorama in mixed weather
Unofficial guide — always verify track conditions, closures, fees and safety with Parks Tasmania. Place photos are Wikimedia Commons / CC where credited — not official Parks Tasmania imagery and not live conditions.
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Mount Amos summit view
Mikeybear · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Mount Amos sells itself on a map. Three-point-six kilometres. Best Wineglass panorama. Then the slab goes slick and you are on a climbing problem you did not pack a rope for.
Parks-style advice is blunt: experienced, fit walkers; dry rock; not when wet or likely to become wet. Believe it. Overnight rain can leave slabs dangerous after the lookout platforms feel merely damp.
This article is unofficial. It is not a live closure notice. If official pages say more, they win. If you have to ask whether the rock is dry enough, walk Cape Tourville.
Distance is lying to you
Mount Amos summit view
Mikeybear · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Grade 4 here means scrambling on exposed granite, not a long fire trail. Hands on rock. Exposed summit. Weather flips. Official-style planning figures: about 3.6 km return, three hours. The people who get into trouble are often fit enough to start and not practised enough to downclimb wet rock.
Same car park as the lookout. That does not make them the same walk. Groups who “did Wineglass yesterday so Amos should be fine” are the ones who get stuck on slick slabs.
Who this walk is for (and who should wait)
Good fit: experienced, fit walkers on a clearly dry day who want the widest Wineglass panorama and will turn around at the first slick slab.
Poor fit: children; older walkers who need formed steps; anyone in fashion sneakers; anyone starting after 2pm; anyone stacking this after the Hazards Circuit.
Wet rock is a hard no
Mount Amos is extremely dangerous when wet. Do not start if the rock is wet or likely to become wet. Turn around at the first slick slab. A shower that would only make the lookout “slick” makes Amos a no-go.
Check the sky before you leave Coles Bay. If rain is building, you do not owe the summit a visit. The lookout platforms still exist.
How to walk it when it is actually dry
Fill water at the Walking Tracks Car Park tap — there is none on the mountain. Follow the signed line. Use hands. Do not cut corners on granite. Allow the full three hours even if you are fit; slabs slow everyone.
The summit is exposed. Wind and weather change fast. Descend the same way. Knees and slick dust hit harder on the way down.
The replacement day
Cape Tourville lighthouse
Wj32 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wet or doubtful: Wineglass Lookout if you can manage Grade 3, otherwise Cape Tourville. Both are Freycinet. Neither requires you to pretend a slab is a staircase.
Sleepy Bay is a short rocky-coast add-on on the Cape Tourville spur if you still want granite without a scramble. Friendly Beaches is the long-sand Plan B if the icon car park is also a circus.
Failure modes worth saying out loud
“It’s only 3.6 km” → slick slab, no downclimb skill. Fix: lookout or Cape Tourville.
“We’ll do Amos after the circuit” → empty legs on exposed rock. Fix: one hard walk.
“It rained last night but the platforms are only damp” → Amos slabs can still be lethal. Fix: if you have to argue about dryness, do not start.
Where this sits in a Freycinet trip
A later-visit special, on a dry morning, instead of the circuit — not as well as. First visit: lookout. Quality visit: circuit or Amos, not both.
Trail how-to: Mount Amos page. Half-day without heroics: lookout + Cape Tourville itinerary. Then re-check official Amos notes the morning you walk.
FAQ
Tap a question to expand the answer.
We did the lookout yesterday in light rain. Is Amos OK this morning?
Only if the rock is dry. Overnight rain can leave slabs dangerous after the platforms feel merely damp. If you have to ask, walk Cape Tourville.
Is Amos just a harder lookout?
No. The lookout is a formed Grade 3 climb to saddle platforms. Amos is a Grade 4 scramble on exposed granite. Different walk, same car park.
Can we do Amos and the Hazards Circuit the same day?
Usually a poor plan. The circuit is 11 km / 4–5 hours Grade 4. Amos is a separate scramble. Pick one hard walk.
Is it OK for kids?
Official-style advice is not for children or older walkers who need formed steps. The lookout or Cape Tourville is the family product.
What if it clouds over on a dry day?
The climb is still real exercise and the rock can still be honest. Cloud scrubbing the panorama is disappointing, not a reason to invent a wet-slab descent. Turn around if weather is building.
More articles
- Freycinet Parks Pass vs camping: two systems, plus a peak ballot
How Tasmania Parks Pass entry, vehicle camping fees and the Freycinet peak ballot actually split — and why walker camps are a third system.
- Peninsula Circuit: plan water first, distance second
Why Freycinet’s 27 km circuit fails on empty bottles — Cooks Hut tank, no water at Wineglass camp, anti-clockwise advice and a realistic 2–3 day shape.
- Peak-season Wineglass: car park, crowds and a Plan B
What December–February school holidays and Easter actually do to the Walking Tracks Car Park — and how to still have a good Freycinet day.
- Hobart to Freycinet as a day trip: too long for most plans
Why a Hobart–Wineglass day is 12–14 hours house-to-house, who should not attempt it, and the honest lookout-only Plan B.
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Optional kit searches
Optional only — after the guide and official resources. Park fees and official Parks Tasmania bookings are never affiliated.
What to bring
Practical kit for granite walks, scarce water and coastal sun
- Grip hiking shoes / bootsSteep granite and loose gravel on the lookout, circuit and Mount Amos — fashion sneakers fail here
- Day pack 20–30 LWater is the bulk of the pack on Freycinet — carry more than you think
- Water bottles or bladder 2–3 LWater is scarce on tracks; refill at Visitor Centre, Honeymoon Bay and Walking Tracks Car Park only
- Sun hat + high SPFWhite sand, granite and open heath reflect UV; shade is limited on many sections
- Mosquito protectionRoss River virus risk is published for the area — take repellent, not just a hat
- Fuel stove (no open fires)Park is fuel-stove only. On Total Fire Ban days even gas/fuel stoves are banned — confirm on the day
- Light rain / wind shellCoastal weather flips; summit and lookout platforms get windy even on a “fine” Coles Bay morning
- PLB or satellite messengerSensible for Peninsula Circuit and remote sections; 000 needs mobile reception
- First-aid + blister kitGranite slabs and long beach sand punish hot spots — treat them early
- Power bank + offline mapsScreenshot Parks Tasmania pages and carry offline maps; in-park reception is patchy
- HeadlampCircuit and peninsula days run long; dusk wildlife driving is a real risk
- Spare socksBeach sections and creek crossings soak feet; dry socks keep the return civil
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