Annan River (Yuku Baja-Muliku) National Park

Annan River (Yuku Baja-Muliku) National Park is located just south of Cooktown on Cape York’s east coast. Gazetted in 2006, the park covers the catchment of the lower Annan River and its mangrove-fringed estuary. It is named jointly for the river and the Yuku Baja-Muliku people, the area’s Traditional Owners. The park’s landscapes range from coastal rainforest and gallery forest along the river to paperbark wetlands and eucalyptus woodlands further inland.

This park plays a critical role in protecting habitat for the region’s wildlife. The Annan River’s floodplains and wetlands support a rich array of waterbirds, and the adjacent forests are home to species like the southern cassowary and papuan frogmouth. The river itself has healthy populations of estuarine species such as saltwater crocodiles and barramundi. The park also conserves stands of melaleuca (paperbark) forest and mangroves that are important for coastal ecological processes.

As a relatively new and culturally significant park, Annan River NP is managed in partnership with the Yuku Baja-Muliku people. This ensures the protection of important cultural sites and story places along the river. Public access is limited, as there are no visitor facilities or formal tracks. A permit is required to travel through the park, and there are no designated camping or picnic areas. The focus is on conservation – especially of the Annan River’s water quality and the subtropical rainforest remnants it nourishes – rather than tourism. Visitors to nearby Cooktown can learn about the river and traditional culture through local Indigenous tours, while the park itself remains a quiet refuge for wildlife.