Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park

Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park is an outback paradise – a place of clear blue waterways, orange sandstone cliffs, and lush greenery that contrasts with the surrounding dry savannah. Tucked in far northwestern Queensland (250 km north of Mount Isa), the park spans 2,820 km² and includes the famed Lawn Hill Gorge as well as the Riversleigh fossil deposits:contentReference[oaicite:134]{index=134}:contentReference[oaicite:135]{index=135}. Boodjamulla means “Rainbow Serpent” in the local Waanyi language:contentReference[oaicite:136]{index=136}:contentReference[oaicite:137]{index=137}, reflecting the park’s cultural significance and the snake-like gorge carved by Lawn Hill Creek over millions of years. This creek, fed by spring water from the limestone plateau, forms a chain of deep emerald-green pools lined with pandanus, fig trees, and clumps of native palms – a true oasis amid the spinifex plains.

The park offers many experiences. Visitors can rent a canoe to paddle up Lawn Hill Creek through the gorge, passing beneath towering red cliffs and seeing waterbirds, turtles, and freshwater crocodiles along the way. At Indarri Falls, where the creek cascades over tufa terraces from one gorge section to the next, you can portage your canoe and continue upstream:contentReference[oaicite:138]{index=138}. Swimming is popular in the gorge’s refreshing waters (crocodiles here are the shy freshwater type). Several excellent walking tracks explore the gorge rims and plateaus, leading to viewpoints such as Duwadarri Lookout and the Island Stack – these give panoramic vistas of the gorge’s green ribbon amid the arid landscape. The park’s wildlife is abundant: wallabies, corellas, and olive pythons are commonly seen, and the gorge shelters over 140 bird species including the purple-crowned fairy-wren and buff-sided robin:contentReference[oaicite:139]{index=139}.

Camping is available at Lawn Hill Gorge campground, which has showers, toilets, picnic tables, and barbecue facilities (and is adjacent to the park information center). Advance bookings are essential. Another basic bush camping area exists at Miyumba (near the Gregory River) for awd adventurers. Boodjamulla also encompasses the world-heritage-listed Riversleigh fossil site, one of Australia’s most important paleontological areas. A short walking circuit at Riversleigh D Site introduces visitors to fossilized remains of ancient mammals (like 15-million-year-old marsupials) preserved in the limestone outcrops. Access to Riversleigh is via a separate road and is best in dry season.

Boodjamulla NP was established in 1985:contentReference[oaicite:140]{index=140} and has since become a bucket-list destination for those seeking Queensland’s outback beauty. The Waanyi people jointly manage the park, ensuring that cultural heritage – such as rock art sites and midden remains – are protected:contentReference[oaicite:141]{index=141}. After heavy flooding in early 2023, the park has been gradually reopening as of late 2025:contentReference[oaicite:142]{index=142}. The wait only increases the allure of returning to this timeless gorge where the Rainbow Serpent’s spirit lives on in the sparkling water and rainbow-hued cliffs.