Daintree National Park Park

Address: Daintree National Park, Queensland, Australia

Website: https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/daintree

Hours: Open year-round

Admission: Free entry (Daintree River vehicle ferry charges apply)

Daintree National Park is a protected area in far north Queensland containing stretches of lowland tropical rainforest, coastal habitats and river systems that form part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. It is noted for high biodiversity and ancient rainforest lineages.

Key visitor experiences include boardwalks and guided walks at Mossman Gorge, wildlife cruises on the Daintree River, and the coastal rainforest and beaches at Cape Tribulation where rainforest meets reef. The park offers short walks, wildlife spotting and cultural experiences with local Aboriginal communities.

The Daintree rainforest has a long evolutionary history and contains many plant families with ancient origins; European settlement in the area dates from the 19th century and conservation recognition grew through the late 20th century with World Heritage listing of the Wet Tropics.

Daintree National Park sits on Queensland’s tropical coast north of Cairns, extending from the river systems inland to the coastal headlands around Cape Tribulation and the Coral Sea, roughly 100 kilometres north of Cairns by road.

• Age: Part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, the rainforest contains ancient lineages of plants and arguably some of the oldest surviving tropical rainforest on Earth.
• Unique pairing: The coastal section at Cape Tribulation is where rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef, an unusual juxtaposition of two World Heritage-listed ecosystems.

What to See#

• Mossman Gorge: A river gorge and visitor area with walking tracks and boardwalks through rainforest, known for its clear water and local Kuku Yalanji cultural connections.
• Cape Tribulation: A coastal rainforest and beach sector where the Daintree Rainforest reaches the Coral Sea, known as Cape Tribulation where rainforest and reef are in close proximity.
• Daintree River: The Daintree River and its estuarine reaches where guided cruises and wildlife spotting for birds and estuarine crocodiles commonly operate.

Daintree National Park is north of Cairns in Queensland. Drive north from Cairns on the Captain Cook Highway through Mossman and use the Daintree River vehicle ferry to cross into the Daintree region; driving time to Daintree Village or Cape Tribulation is typically about 1.5-2 hours from Cairns. Regular tours and shuttle services operate from Cairns and Port Douglas, and once in the park many attractions are accessible via short walks from parking/visitor areas.

• Plan your Daintree approach around the Daintree River Ferry timetable and fare; the single-lane cable ferry is the regular crossing point and can queue at peak times.
• Head into the park early in the day to beat tour-bus arrivals and increase your chances of wildlife sightings along rainforest boardwalks and coastal lookouts.
• Book a guided night or dawn walk with an accredited local guide if you want to see nocturnal species and learn about the rainforest's unique ecology - many animals are most active outside daylight hours.