How to spend three days exploring Lawn Hill Gorge in Boodjamulla National Park

Did you know Queensland boasts five of Australia’s 19 UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites?

While most of them hug the coastline, Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park (currently closed) is distinctly different. As the home of the internationally significant Riversleigh Fossil Fields, this UNESCO site is an outlier, hiding in the remote north-west corner of Outback Queensland.

To find it, you need to get about as close as you can to the Northern Territory border without crossing state lines, in the outback’s Gulf Savannah. And when you get here, emerald waters, lush vegetation, dramatic sunburnt-red cliffs, abundant wildlife and cultural sights await.  

This is a place where nature's majesty will stop you in your tracks. But whether you're a traveller who wants to pause and take it all in, or dive into as many adventures as possible, this guide to three days in Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park will show you the way. 

Day 1: From rodeo capital to rocky outcrops

Thinking about joining the 40,000 adventurous folk who make 4WD tracks to explore here each year? First, you need to decide whether you'll visit Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park as part of an epic outback road trip, or instead fly into Mount Isa and take the shorter drive to get here. 

If your day begins in Mount Isa, you've got around 400km of bitumen and unsealed roads between you and your destination - and you'll need a car that can handle the drive. 

This is Outback Queensland, however, where the journey is all part of the adventure. Take the opportunity to take your time: the drive clocks around 5 hours but a slight detour to Gregory Downs Hotel is a must. Built on the banks of the flowing Gregory River, this iconic low-set Queenslander-style pub serves a great pint and parmy. Once you've had your fill, all that separates you and your accommodation tonight is a sharp left and 90km drive.

You’ll arrive with enough time to settle into your accommodation for the next two nights, before catching sundown over this magical part of Savannah Country.

Out here, there are two main options for where to stay. If you're a self-sufficient camper and want to stay as close to the action as possible, there is one camping area at Lawn Hill Gorge in the national park, with separate areas for tents and camper trailers.

Prefer a few extra amenities? Nearby - around 10km from the park entrance - Wugudaji Adels Grove spans 80 acres of beauty on Lawn Hill Creek and offers two campgrounds, along with ensuite cabins and bunkhouse-style 'Bushranger Quarters' that feature all-important air conditioning. 

An oasis in the outback, it has everything you need for three days in Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park: a small store that carries all the essentials, fuel, camp kitchen, a restaurant and bar open from lunchtime daily, espresso coffee, laundry and more. For those who plan to explore as much as possible, there's a tour desk on site to book excursions into the park, canoe hire, hiking trails, plus fishing spots and swimming in the creek. 

Do as much or as little as you like this evening: simply being immersed in the bushland here will set you at peace. 

Day 2: Discover Lawn Hill Gorge

Rise early today and you'll be rewarded with a golden outback sunrise, a great precurser to the views to come as you spend the day exploring Lawn Hill Gorge from all angles. 

If you're camping within the national park, you won't have to travel far this morning: most of the park's walking trails begin from the campground. Staying at Wugudaji Adels Grove? Bus trips into the Gorge depart hourly - just book a ticket at the tour desk. 

Lace up your hiking boots for some fun: trails here range from a quick 600m walk to a 7km return hike. If you're up for the distance, the 7km Upper Gorge track offers some of the best views of the gorge and Aussie bushland along the way. 

This hike can be challenging, and takes roughly two hours to complete. During hotter weather it's best to complete this walk in the morning, and bring plenty of drinking water with you. 

The 2km return Wild Dog Dreaming Track will give you fascinating insight into Waanyi culture, as the trail traces Lawn Hill Creek to an important cultural site with ancient Indigenous rock engravings and rock paintings. From here, head uphill to Island Stack, where you can get an iconic photo opportunity overlooking Middle Gorge.

With views over Boodjamulla’s windy, emerald waters it’s easy to see how Boodjamulla earnt its name, directly translating to Rainbow Serpent Country in the local Indigenous language.

After lunch, it's time to see the gorge from the water. Nothing can quite describe the feeling of being dwarfed by Boodjamulla's stark red cliffs as you drift through sparkling waters. 

Wugudaji Adels Grove offers two different ways to hit the water: onboard a solar powered pontoon boat (1-hour or 2-hour tours available), or by your own paddle-power instead - simply rent canoes from the tour desk.

You’ll want to make sure you’ve packed your bathers: a perk of the Gulf Savannah is warm temperatures all year round.

The views keep rolling through to sunset, as you return to Wugudaji Adels Grove for nibbles atop Harry’s Hill, the highest peak on the property overlooking the Constance Range. Let cheese and nibbles roll into a two-course supper at Albert’s onsite licensed restaurant, where you can meet new guests who may have arrived today, whether by self-drive adventure, charter plane or even helicopter.

Day 3: See the ancient fossils of Riversleigh

From larger-than-life landscapes to the finer details, perhaps the best of your three days in Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park is saved for last.

Today, you'll discover the Riversleigh Fossil Fields, the section of this national park that Sir David Attenborough labelled as “extraordinary”. In fact, the world’s most famous naturalist celebrated Riversleigh’s World Heritage status by announcing it as one of the top four most important fossil deposits in the world.

Spend the morning at Riversleigh World Heritage site on a 4WD tour with Wugudaji Adels Grove, taking in Middle Gorge and the northern-section of the gorge and cascades – a small section of the 10,000-hectare area that makes up the Riversleigh Fossil Fields.

Explore fossils dating back 15-25 million years, some of the best documentation of Australia's evolutionary journey: evidence that the animals found on earth today are cute and cuddly compared to the fanged, clawed mega-fauna that once walked these parts.

After exploring Riversleigh’s rocks, return to Mount Isa in the late afternoon to connect with flights home. Or, join one of these outback drives which depart from Mount Isa: Matilda Way or Overlanders Way.