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Cooktown
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Beaches, Waterfalls & Swimming Holes | National Parks & Walking Trails | Scenic Drives & Lookouts | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Cycling in Cooktown
Enjoy three family-friendly cycle trails, heritage sights and coastal scenery
National Parks & Walking Trails | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Keatings Lagoon (Mulbabidgee) Walk
The 390 metre Mulbabidgee walk was developed with local Gungarde
4WD Adventures | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | National Parks & Walking Trails | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Black Mountain National Park, (Kalkajaka N.P.)
Mysterious granite mountains, rich in Kuku Yalanji myths and legends
4WD Adventures | Fishing & Boating | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | National Parks & Walking Trails | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Cape Melville National Park
Remote coastline, granite boulders and sandstone escarpments
4WD Adventures | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | National Parks & Walking Trails | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Cedar Bay National Park
Remote coastal park south of Cooktown, with rainforest, beaches and wildlife
4WD Adventures | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | Island & Reef Experiences | National Parks & Walking Trails | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Hope Islands National Park
Two coral cays: mangrove-fringed West Hope and sandy East Hope Island
4WD Adventures | Fishing & Boating | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | National Parks & Walking Trails | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park
Vast Cape York wetlands with waterbirds, crocodiles and barramundi
4WD Adventures | Beaches, Waterfalls & Swimming Holes | Fishing & Boating | History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | Island & Reef Experiences | National Parks & Walking Trails | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Lizard Island
Six islands in the Great Barrier Reef, with beaches, trails and snorkelling
4WD Adventures | National Parks & Walking Trails | Scenic Drives & Lookouts | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Mount Cook National Park
A steep 2km trail climbs Waymbuur to a lookout with Great Barrier Reef views
4WD Adventures | National Parks & Walking Trails | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Cooktown Botanic Gardens
One of Queensland's oldest regional botanic gardens, in a 62ha reserve
4WD Adventures | Island & Reef Experiences | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Great Barrier Reef
Explore vibrant coral reefs, tropical fish and pristine waters near Cooktown
4WD Adventures | Beaches, Waterfalls & Swimming Holes | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Waterfalls
Scenic Cooktown waterfalls offer picnics, swimming holes and day trips
Aboriginal Tours | Beaches, Waterfalls & Swimming Holes | Fishing & Boating | History & Museums | National Parks & Walking Trails | Scenic Drives & Lookouts | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Cooktown Highlights Itinerary
Plan three nights for history, Aboriginal tours, fishing and Cape York
4WD Adventures | Scenic Drives & Lookouts | Wildlife & Birdwatching
The Great Tropical Drive Daintree Explorer Trail
A classic 4WD route from Mossman to Cooktown via the renowned Bloomfield Track
4WD Adventures | History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | National Parks & Walking Trails | Scenic Drives & Lookouts | Wildlife & Birdwatching
The Great Tropical Drive Discovery Trail
2-day Cooktown–Laura loop through Lakefield National Park and Quinkan country
4WD Adventures | National Parks & Walking Trails | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Bicentennial National Trail
A 5,330km self-reliant trail linking 18 national parks from Cooktown
History & Museums | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Vera Scarth-Johnson Gallery
Explore Vera Scarth-Johnson’s botanic works and Banks Florilegium engravings
4WD Adventures | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Birdwatching in and near Cooktown
Explore four habitats and 150 bird species on Cooktown day trips
4WD Adventures | Beaches, Waterfalls & Swimming Holes | Fishing & Boating | Island & Reef Experiences | National Parks & Walking Trails | Scenic Drives & Lookouts | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Beaches
Explore deserted beaches, reef snorkelling, fishing and spectacular views
4WD Adventures | National Parks & Walking Trails | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Bird Life
Explore 321 bird species, including 18 found only on Cape York, year-round
History & Culture | History & Museums | Indigenous Culture & Heritage
Cooktown History Centre
Explore Cooktown history through stories, photos, archives and research
History & Culture | History & Museums | Indigenous Culture & Heritage
Museums and Galleries
Explore Cooktown’s heritage buildings, museums, galleries and local art
4WD Adventures | Aboriginal Tours | Guided Tours & Cruises | History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | National Parks & Walking Trails | Scenic Drives & Lookouts | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Rossville Retreat Indigenous Tours
Learn bush medicines, foods and Kuku Nyungkul culture with Mooks
History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage
Cook’s Landing – Fast Facts
Endeavour's ordeal, repairs, first contact and reconciliation in Cooktown
History & Culture | History & Museums | Indigenous Culture & Heritage
Cooktown Cemetery
Explore diverse historic graves, cultural stories and gold rush mysteries
History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage
Cooktown Railway
Gold rush railway from Cooktown to Laura, operating from 1885 to 1961
History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage
The Gold Rush
The 1873 Palmer River gold rush transformed Cooktown into a boomtown
History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | Scenic Drives & Lookouts
Grassy Hill – The Lighthouse
Built in 1886, Grassy Hill lighthouse guided ships through Cooktown's reef
History & Culture | History & Museums | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | Island & Reef Experiences
Mary Watson
A tragic 1881 escape from Lizard Island ended in thirst and loss
History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | Scenic Drives & Lookouts
The Story of Mungurru and Wahalumbaal birri
An Aboriginal tale of how Mungurru shaped the Endeavour River
History & Culture | History & Museums | Indigenous Culture & Heritage
The Normanby Woman
Mystery surrounds the fair-skinned woman captured near Byerstown in 1887
History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage
H.M.B. Endeavour – Reconciliation Rocks
On these rocks, eleven Guugu Yimithirr men and James Cook restored peace.
History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage | Scenic Drives & Lookouts
Grassy Hill – The Radar Station
Grassy Hill’s vantage point hosted ship-to-shore radio and wartime radar
Fishing & Boating | Guided Tours & Cruises | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Endeavour River
Cruise ancient mangroves and rainforest to spot wildlife and crocs
4WD Adventures | Fishing & Boating | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Fishing near Hope Vale
Fish Cape Bedford reefs and wrecks, or explore the McIvor River
4WD Adventures | Fishing & Boating | Wildlife & Birdwatching
Fishing near Laura
Remote Cape York waters offer wild barra, jacks and superb mud crabbing
Aboriginal Tours | Guided Tours & Cruises | History & Culture | History & Museums | Indigenous Culture & Heritage
Aboriginal Rock Art
Explore ancient rock art galleries and guided Aboriginal cultural tours
Aboriginal Tours | History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage
Aboriginal Culture Cooktown
Explore Guugu Yimithirr history, art and culture through local experiences
History & Culture | Indigenous Culture & Heritage
Captain James Cook
Cooktown's history spans Cook's 1770 landing and the Palmer River Gold Rush