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Explore Boodjamulla National Park (Aboriginal Land)
Words Hema Maps Editorial, Julija Zivanovic and Robert Crack Pics: Robert Crack
With Queensland’s Boodjamulla National Park recently reopening after a two-year closure, it’s the perfect time to explore the park and everything it offers tourers. Read on for the details.
Kayaking on Lawn Hill Gorge, Boodjamulla National Park (Credit: Robert Crack)
We recently shared the exciting news that Boodjamulla National Park in Queensland’s Gulf Country has reopened to visitors following a two-year closure. If you missed that piece, you can catch up here. Otherwise, welcome to a deep dive on one of Queensland’s most scenic national parks.
What to expect
Situated in Queensland’s dusty northwest highlands, Boodjamulla National Park (Aboriginal Land) is a lush oasis boasting scenic highlights, rich vegetation, emerald waters and countless offroad exploration opportunities.
The Traditional Owners of Boodjamulla National Park are the Waanyi People. The park is cooperatively managed by Waanyi Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC) and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).
Out here, on the jagged edge of northwest Queensland, something extraordinary and beautiful breaks through the red dust.
It’s not just another gorge. It’s a winding, emerald artery flanked by orange cliffs and ghost gums. It’s called Boodjamulla (Bujumala – Rainbow Serpent Country), according to the Waanyi people who walked this land long before any wheels did.
You might have glimpsed it during the blockbuster Crocodile Dundee Tourism Australia ad which aired at the 2018 Super Bowl. But seeing it on-screen and being in it — listening to frogs echo across still water at dusk — are two different things entirely.
Access from the north (the Savannah Way) is via various unsealed routes through Hell’s Gate Roadhouse (Cliffdale Station) or Doomadgee.
From Mount Isa, Qld, it’s a long haul northwest. From the Barkly Highway, take the Thorntonia Yelvertof Road turnoff (Gregory – Burketown sign) about 118km from Mount Isa and follow it north for just over 55km until you reach a T-intersection where you turn right onto the Gregory Downs Camooweal Road.
If travelling from the Northern Territory or Camooweal in Qld, the Gregory Downs Camooweal Road turnoff is just out of Camooweal, past The Drovers Camp. This road is unsealed and suitable for 4WD vehicles only. It has many bulldust holes and corrugations, so towing a caravan here is strongly discouraged.
If towing an offroad caravan or camper trailer, we recommend driving to Cloncurry (east of Mount Isa) and taking the Burke Developmental Road north to Four Ways (don’t miss grabbing a burger and cold drink at Burke and Wills Roadhouse), then the Burketown Road/Wills Developmental Road to Gregory Downs. Free camping is available at Gregory River Bridge Camping Area, operated by Burke Shire Council.
The next 100km or so along the Gregory - Lawn Hill Road is riddled with bone-jarring corrugations and bulldust bowls. We took more than two hours to drive it in the opposite direction without towing. If you’re towing a caravan, consider yourself warned — you might be chasing a caravan repairer when you get to Mount Isa.
You might even want to leave your caravan secured at Gregory River Bridge Camping Area and drive to and from the national park each day. Yes, this adds fuel cost, but your van will thank you.
If you’re chasing solitude, starlight and sandstone, you’re heading the right way.
Boodjamulla National Park (Aboriginal Land) holds many layers — geological, cultural and wild. It’s not just a pretty waterway. It’s also a fossil trove. The Riversleigh World Heritage Area is buried in the southern end of the park, home to ancient megafauna remains.
Middle Gorge, Lawn Hill Creek (Credit: Robert Crack)
Camping options
Wugudaji-Adels Grove Camping Park
The dust may give way to flooding among melaleucas at Lawn Hill Creek, just short of the privately owned Wugudaji-Adels Grove Camping Park, which lies just outside the park boundary. There’s a permanent waterhole on Lawn Hill Creek that expands greatly with late-season rains.
The site of present-day Boodjamulla National Park was once tropical wetland, eroded over millions of years into rugged escarpments with sheer sandstone walls up to 60m high. Permanent water and rocky hills have created a savannah-tropical micro-environment contrasting sharply with the surrounding flat, dry country.
A few hundred metres from sparse grassy plains where willy-willies roam are deep waters fringed by palms, rainforest trees and water lilies.
A closed society of freshwater crocodiles, northern snapping turtles, wallaroos, possums, bats and countless birds and reptiles call Boodjamulla home.
Wugudaji-Adels Grove is soft-core outback. Accommodation options include shady sites or ensuite rooms, plus amenities blocks, laundry facilities, a camp kitchen and a shop for food and other various items. They sell diesel, unleaded fuel, ice creams, ice and coffees, and can arrange canoe hire or tour bookings. Please note, some amenities (such as a cafe, pizza oven and food truck) are only available during peak season.
Lawn Hill Gorge camping areas
Lawn Hill Gorge (trailer) camping area and Lawn Hill Gorge (tent) camping area are right in the thick of it. They feature bore water, cold showers, flushing toilets and provide a good base for hiking and paddling. Book ahead online via Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).
The tent camping area has only four tent-only sites, unnumbered, so it’s first in, best dressed. The trailer camping area accommodates campervans, camper trailers and caravans, but rigs longer than 12m overall are too long to camp here. Wood fires are not permitted — it’s fuel or gas stoves only. Generators are not allowed either.
Please note, Lawn Hill Gorge camping areas have not yet reopened and are scheduled to reopen in October 2025. Check Park Alerts before setting off.
Miyumba Camping Area
Miyumba Camping Area near Riversleigh is a back-to-basics bush camp. It’s approximately 55km southeast of Lawn Hill Gorge. BYO water and loo paper, and open fires are not permitted. It’s the quietest spot of the lot. Access will require a 4WD and there’s camping suitable for tents, offroad caravans and camper trailers.
Traditional Owners, the Waanyi People
In December 1984, Lawn Hill Gorge was officially gazetted as Lawn Hill National Park. Before this, it was part of Lawn Hill Station, leased to the Lawn Hill Riversleigh Pastoral Holding Company.
Around a century after cattle were first brought into the Lawn Hill Creek area, Brazilian cattleman Sebastiao Maia took over the lease of Lawn Hill Station. Less than ten years later, he ceded more than 12,000ha of the cattle property to the Queensland Government specifically so it could become a national park.
Today, Waanyi Advancement Limited and its subsidiary, Waanyi SPV Pty Ltd, own 51 per cent of the Lawn Hill and Riversleigh Cattle Stations.
In March 1992 the park was extended to include the Riversleigh fossil sites, previously part of Riversleigh Station, later inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1994.
In February 2003, the national park was renamed Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park.
The Waanyi People filed numerous native title claims in the 1990s. The long road to native title culminated in June 2023 when 79,000 hectares of Boodjamulla National Park were returned to them.
On that day, Waanyi Lore Man and chairman of the Waanyi Prescribed Body Corporate Alec Doomadgee said: “My people had occupied Boodjamulla for thousands of years and it is integral to our culture and Country. We stand on the shoulders of Great Waanyi Warrior men and women who have led our struggle to take back our Land, Boodjamulla. Waanyi People, together, can benefit from our Land in a positive way. We look forward to a brighter future and creating opportunities for our people our way, working respectfully and cooperatively with the Queensland Government after Waanyi People’s unanimous decision to approve these agreements for the hand back of Boodjamulla today. In partnership with QPWS, Waanyi People look forward to building awareness of Boodjamulla and enhancing visitor knowledge and experience on Waanyi Country. The Waanyi Tribe has occupied Boodjamulla Gorge for 30,000 years. This has been proven through carbon dating. It’s only right that we, the Waanyi people, have a voice in how it is run over the next 30,000 years.”
Riversleigh World Heritage Area
The Riversleigh World Heritage Area is internationally renowned for its remarkable fossil record. As Australia’s richest site for fossilised mammals, it has revealed hundreds of extinct species, shedding light on a time when the region was a lush rainforest teeming with life.
The only part of Riversleigh open to the public is the D Site, where visitors can follow a self-guided walking trail through an ancient landscape. For a deeper dive, head to the Riversleigh Fossil Discovery Centre in Mount Isa, featuring immersive displays, a fossil preparation lab and guided tours.
Riversleigh is jointly managed by the Riversleigh World Heritage Advisory Committee (RWHAC), Australian Government, Queensland Government and the Waanyi people — Traditional Custodians of this culturally rich Boodjamulla Country. Their connection to the land spans more than 30,000 years.
Ongoing research at Riversleigh expands our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems and offers crucial lessons about environmental change, making it a site of global scientific and cultural importance.
Riversleigh and South Australia’s Naracoorte form the Australian Fossil Mammal Sites World Heritage Area — two of the world’s most important windows into prehistoric life. Riversleigh features fossils dating back 10–30 million years, including rare and extinct species such as marsupial moles, marsupial lions, tree-climbing crocodiles and giant birds.
Riversleigh’s fossils reveal how Australia’s unique wildlife evolved in response to climate shifts and environmental pressures. Its limestone-rich waters enabled exceptional fossil preservation. Strong legal protections and active management plans, including input from Traditional Owners, scientists and local communities, ensure their conservation.
UNESCO World Heritage-listed Australian Fossil Mammal Site, Riversleigh (Credit: Robert Crack)
Exploring Boodjamulla on foot
The scale of Boodjamulla is best appreciated by combining early morning hikes up rocky plateaus and drifting on the gorge in a rented canoe (or your own) during hot afternoons.
The Lawn Hill Gorge camping area provides direct access to five of the seven walking tracks. Walking here is remote and unforgettable — but only for those ready to travel safely, responsibly and with full respect for Country. Don’t be fooled by short trail lengths — these tracks bite back with steep ridgelines and shaley climbs. But the views repay the effort.
For switchbacks with serious panorama payoffs, try the Island Stack Track, while the Upper Gorge Lookout Track is a visual stunner.
For the moderately fit, the 4km Island Stack Walk is a must-do. It starts with a staircase climb, then eases into an easy loop around a large rock island in the gorge’s heart. Starting early with a head torch rewards you with an unforgettable sunrise.
Short but steep, the Indarri Falls Walk is a 3.8km return track with gradual climbs and a steep descent. It scales the gorge heights, offering dizzying views of the falls and deep waters below. Reward yourself with a swim.
For water-level magic, rent a canoe and let the current lead. The gorge opens slowly — twisted paperbarks overhang, freshwater crocs sun themselves and cliffs glow burnt orange by late afternoon.
Bring a dry bag for your camera or better yet, a waterproof action cam — you’ll want that mid-gorge shot with cliffs rising on both sides.
On foot or afloat — go early and take a decent break in shade midday. Heat and exposure are real here, even in winter. Besides the Wild Dog Dreaming Track and Botanical Walk Track, natural shade is limited, so bring your own, including a broad-brimmed hat.
Preparation
When to visit? Forget summer — it’s brutally hot and often flooded.
The dry season (May–September) is golden: warm days, crisp nights and fewer bugs. Note that during the wet, sections such as Riversleigh and Miyumba close for safety.
Pack warm. Overnight temps can dip below 5°C.
Don’t skimp on preparation. Boodjamulla is officially part of Tropical North Queensland tourism, but this is outback Queensland. Fuel, food and potable water stops are few and far between, as is mobile reception. Prep accordingly.
Travel can be unpredictable during the wet season (October–April), when creek levels rise quickly and isolate visitors for days. Extra food supplies are strongly advised.
Check road conditions with the Department of Transport and Main Roads and monitor weather updates via the Bureau of Meteorology. Park facilities, including wheelchair-accessible areas, may reopen in stages after wet season floods — check QPWS Park Alerts for updates.
Stay safe by wearing sun protection, avoiding midday heat and sticking to designated walking tracks. Outback Queensland heat is extreme, with rock surfaces radiating heat. Start activities early and carry at least 4L of drinking water per person daily.
Do not drink directly from Lawn Hill Creek due to high calcium carbonate levels; use supplied water sparingly.
Freshwater crocodiles inhabit the creek. They are usually shy but can become aggressive if provoked. Keep a respectful distance and avoid disturbing them. If you don’t stand on one or annoy them, they will leave you alone to enjoy your dip.
O'Shannassy River crossing (Credit: Robert Crack)
Top End and Gulf Atlas & Guide
Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park is featured in the recently released 1st Edition Top End and Gulf Atlas & Guide, covering the Gulf Country region where the park is found.
The guidebook provides extensive, up-to-date info on the Top End and Gulf region, including five of the TOP 4WD trips and 22 atlas pages. It features detailed national park and track inset maps — all field checked by the Hema Map Patrol/Hema Alpha Team — visitor info, history and culture, best campsites, trip planning tips and more.
This easy-to-use guidebook takes the difficulty out of planning a road trip to this incredible part of Australia. The Hema 1st Edition Top End and Gulf Atlas & Guide ($59.95) is available now on the Hema Maps website and at leading retail stores.
Explore unforgettable Country
Some places you drive through. Others you feel in your bones and soul. Boodjamulla National Park is the second kind. It’s sacred, still and unforgettable.
Get out there before everyone else catches on.
(Credit: Robert Crack)
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