Jack Perkins Track and Lighthouse Walk

Distance: 2 kilometre return Difficulty: Moderate to difficult (short, but very steep) The starting point is at the Captain Cook Lookout. Before venturing down to North Smoky Beach, it is recommended to walk up to the lighthouse. The access is also very steep, a good warm-up for the Jack Perkins Track. From the lookout, the Jack Perkins Track is a signposted steep path that leads down to North Smoky Beach with a boardwalk at the last section above the beach. People often ask, who Jack Perkins was and here is the answer. Before the Trial Bay Gaol and Smoky Cape area became part of Hat Head National Park, it was a State Recreation Area managed by Trial Bay Gaol Trust. Jack Perkins (1937 - 1996), a local of South West Rocks, was an active member of the Trust. He was passionate about the protection of the area for the common good and could often be found swimming at North Smoky Beach. Credit: Macleay Walking Trails by Christa Schwoebel and John Cruickshanks