Kalkajaka National Park Park

Address: Kalkajaka National Park (near Cooktown), Cape York Region, Queensland, Australia

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

Hours: Open 24 hours (parkland); visitor access subject to local park advisories

Admission: Park access free; no formal entrance fee, but access is regulated by Queensland Parks and may have guidelines

Kalkajaka National Park, often called the Black Mountain, is a protected area on the east coast of Far North Queensland, Australia, notable for a vast mass of dark granitic boulders. It is recognised for its unusual geology and local cultural significance.

The park’s main feature is a dense jumble of black granite blocks that form steep talus slopes and narrow fissures; visitors go primarily for short walks to viewing points, photography and to study the rock formations. Formal visitor facilities are limited and there are no developed campgrounds inside the park.

The boulder field is a natural formation created over geological time by the fracture and weathering of igneous rock; it has also long been regarded as culturally significant by local Aboriginal people. The area has been managed as a Queensland national park to protect its geology and cultural values.

The park sits on the Cape York Peninsula region of Far North Queensland near the town of Cooktown, within a coastal savanna landscape. Access is by sealed and unsealed roads from the coastal settlements; terrain around the park is rugged and sparsely populated.

• Safety: The boulder field contains deep, often hidden crevices; walking off marked paths is hazardous and rescue access is difficult.

Kalkajaka National Park is about 60 km south of Cooktown in northern Queensland. Access is by sealed and unsealed roads from Cooktown; the park has a small turnout and walking areas-check Queensland Parks for current access advisories and safety information.

• Wear sturdy boots: the park's labyrinthine boulder fields are deceptively treacherous and cliffs are loose.
• Do not enter caves or gaps between boulders-people have been injured; stay on marked paths and follow park signage.