Jardine River National Park

Jardine River National Park is near the tip of Cape York.

It is the northernmost national park in Cape York, and the northernmost national park in the whole Australia.

It is quite a large park - its southernmost parts are near Captain Billy Landing and Elliott Creek about half way up the Old Telegraph Track, and its northernmost end is at the mouths of Jackey Jackey Creek and Escape River in Newcastle Bay.

National park. ©cape-york-australia.com

Jardine River
The park almost covers the whole Jardine River catchment. It protects the upper parts of the river, which is mostly wide and shallow, and has a thriving population of deadly saltwater crocodiles.

The river. ©cape-york-australia.com

Animals
Like Iron Range and other national parks and places in Cape York, many of the plants and animals in Jardine River National Park are found nowhere but it Cape York and New Guinea.

Eclectus parrot, cuscus, green tree python and palm cockatoo are only some of the examples.

Crocodile warning signs. ©cape-york-australia.com

Plants
The park does not protect tropical rainforests as does Iron Range National Park. It has a tropical, green vegetation with a lot of grass trees, but it is not exactly rainforest, more like tropical savannah.

It has many vast swamplands, and the highest variety of mangroves in the whole Australia. Along the creeks and in other wetter places are tropical pitcher plants and other carnivorous plants. Cape York is the only place in Australia where these are found.

Grass trees aka Blackboys. ©cape-york-australia.com

Things to Do
There are no real bush walking tracks in this national park. Instead there are some good drives (some through soft sand, where it is easy to get bogged so be careful), where you can discover the park.

Bird watching is quite good with imperial pigeons, paradise kingfishers, red-bellied pittas and many more. Mammals are easiest seen when spotlighting night time.

Driving through the park. ©cape-york-australia.com

Camping
There are some great places to camp in this park, particularly along the Old Telegraph Track; at Sadd Point and Captain Billy Landing; and both the northern and southern bank of Jardine River. Generators are not permitted; campfires are allowed but must be well controlled.

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