Cape Nelson State Park is a small park (243ha) some 11 km south west of Portland.  It is perched on the cliff tops between Nelson and Bridgewater Bays.  Vegetation is predominately Soap Mallee (Eucalyptus diversifolia) and Sallow Wattle (Acacia longifolia) with an understory of tea-tree, correa, heaths, sedges etc.  On the cliffs the larger trees give way to wind-sculptured heath, correa and daisy bushes of various species.  Several gravel roads pass through the park and the excellent Sea Cliff nature trail takes you through all the habitats.

A wide range of bush birds can be found here.  Honeyeaters are particularly common with Singing and New Holland Honeyeaters and Eastern Spinebills seemingly everywhere.  Superb Fairy-wrens, White-browed Scrubwrens, Brown Thornbills and Silvereyes frequent the dense understory.  Crimson Rosellas and Common or Brush Bronzewings are frequently encountered along the tracks.  Two special birds in the park are Southern Emu-wren and Rufous Bristlebird.  In winter the dense acacia and tea-tree thickets resound with the calls of the Bristlebird and occasionally one will show itself briefly on a track.  It is likely that Beautiful Firetails occur in the park but so far I haven't found them here.

The cliff top is an excellent vantage point for seabirding.  I haven't been able to identify many species but it is common to see Black-browed Albatross and Australasian Gannet.  On the rocky bases of the cliffs you can often see Black-faced Cormorants and occasionally hear Little Penguins.  If you are lucky you may also see a whale. A recent highlight was the sighting of several Great Skuas from the cliffs.  The lighthouse on the cape is open to the public (sometimes) and you can stay in the keeper's cottage which sleeps eight.