Blackwood National Park

Blackwood National Park is tucked away in the upper Burdekin River region of North Queensland, about 330 km west of Mackay and 415 km south of Townsville:contentReference[oaicite:107]{index=107}:contentReference[oaicite:108]{index=108}. At just 16 km², it’s one of Queensland’s smallest national parks, created in 1991 to protect remnants of brigalow scrub and dry vine thicket on the slopes of the Gregory Range:contentReference[oaicite:109]{index=109}:contentReference[oaicite:110]{index=110}. The park is named for the native Blackwood tree (Acacia argyrodendron), which grows here alongside brigalow and belah in dense thickets. Rugged hills and narrow gorges characterize the terrain, which was once part of Mount Hope pastoral station:contentReference[oaicite:111]{index=111}.

There are no roads or tracks into Blackwood National Park. It is essentially a scientific reference area rather than a recreation site. Camping and fires are not permitted within the park:contentReference[oaicite:112]{index=112}, and there are no picnic areas or lookouts. The nearest settlement is the tiny locality of Mount Coolon to the east; from there the Gregory Developmental Road passes by the park’s vicinity. Travellers on that highway wouldn’t realize a national park is nearby, as it is un-signposted and has no public access points. The intent is to leave Blackwood NP undisturbed to conserve its flora and fauna.

Despite minimal access, the park’s value is notable. It contains a scenic mix of rugged hills and gullies vegetated with a mosaic of open eucalypt woodland on ridges and dense brigalow/lancewood scrub in sheltered areas:contentReference[oaicite:113]{index=113}. Over 80 bird species have been recorded here:contentReference[oaicite:114]{index=114}, including squatter pigeons and varied sittellas. The threatened brigalow scaly-foot (a legless lizard) is believed to inhabit the leaf litter of the park’s scrub:contentReference[oaicite:115]{index=115}. By excluding development, Blackwood NP serves as a baseline to compare against grazed lands in the region. The park’s few human visitors are usually researchers or QPWS rangers conducting fauna surveys or weed control (managing invasive prickly pear and rubber vine). For everyday nature enthusiasts, simply knowing parks like Blackwood exist – quietly safeguarding pieces of Queensland’s natural heritage – is reassuring, even if we never set foot in them.