About Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park
Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park is Queensland's second-largest national park, located on Cape York Peninsula in the Shire of Cook, north of Laura. Covering extensive savanna, wetlands and river systems including the Normanby, Morehead and North Kennedy rivers, it is renowned for exceptional wildlife, birdlife and fishing. The park preserves former Lakefield pastoral station landscapes and significant Aboriginal cultural sites, offering remote 4WD camping and nature experiences.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a vast, remote savanna and wetland landscape with braided rivers, billabongs, grasslands and open woodlands. Access is by high-clearance 4WD on unsealed tracks. Activities centre on camping at designated campgrounds, birdwatching, wildlife viewing, photography and fishing in tidal reaches. Facilities are basic and the environment is wild, with estuarine crocodiles present in waterways and seasonal track closures in the wet season.
Key highlights
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Queensland's second-largest national park at approximately 5,370 sq km
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Extensive wetland and river systems of the Normanby, Morehead and North Kennedy rivers
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Outstanding birdwatching with over 300 recorded species including waterbirds and raptors
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Remote bush camping and four-wheel-drive touring through savanna landscapes