Visit these national parks near Rockhampton

Head north-east past Yeppoon and you’ll feel the salty breeze switch to pure rainforest air in Byfield National Park. Breathe it in.

This is a park that has it all. And if you have a 4WD, you can access every corner of its diversity (though you can see a lot without one, too). Take in coastal scenery, explore massive sand dunes, camp by rainforest edged waterways, and cool off with a swim in Stony Creek. If you’re here with a 4WD, a visit to Five Rocks Beach is a must-do.

Mount Archer National Park

Mount Archer towers over Rockhampton’s skyline, so take a closer look with a visit to this national park on the city’s doorstep.

The park covers over 4000hectares of open forest and eucalypt woodland to explore, but the best thing to do is to make it to the peak. Standing 604 metres above sea level, it offers sweeping views of the city and surrounding countryside, and you can get to the summit either by car or sweat it out on the 11km walking track.

Keppel Bay Islands National Park

Take to the water and explore the glistening Southern Great Barrier Reef at Keppel Bay Islands National Park. There’s 18 islands in the Keppel Group, and Great Keppel Island is the crowning jewel.

Soak up the scenery and snorkel along coral reefs and through schools of tropical fish on a day tour with Freedom Fast Cats. Or get on island time with a longer stay to discover all the things to do here; soak up the sun on its 17 white-sand beaches, hike up Mount Wyndham, or discover the island's rich Aboriginal heritage and abundant native wildlife on the full-day Lighthouse Walk.

Capricorn Coast National Park

Prefer to take in ocean views with both your feet on dry land? A day trip to Capricorn Coast National Park  will bring you to some of the region’s best coastal walks and lookouts. There’s four separate sections of the park to explore, but begin with Bluff Point where you can picnic, take the easy 2km walking track to Turtle Lookout, where you’ll often spot sea turtles in the waters below.

Mount Etna Caves National Park

No, we’re not steering you towards Sicily, but this national park was named after the famous Italian volcano. And you can be walking through its deep limestone caves and rainforest within 30 minutes of jumping in the car in Rockhampton.

Mount Etna Caves has an intriguing history, used for mining in the early 1900s and then commando training during World War II. It became a national park in 1975 to protect its unique structure and the rare fauna that reside here; the national park is home to 80% of Australia’s rare little bent-wing bats and vulnerable ghost bats.

Explore the park on foot, have a BBQ picnic in the day-use area and in summer, join a ranger-guided tour to Bat Cleft to experience thousands of tiny bats fly past you.

Nearby you’ll also find the impressive Capricorn Caves, which you can explore on guided walking tours (or even abseil if you’re feeling adventurous).  

Carnarvon National Park

You’ll want a few days up your sleeve to make the most of Carnarvon National Park. It’s a seven hour drive from Rockhampton into this outback oasis, but the journey will be absolutely worth the 200-million year old destination: dominated by towering sandstone cliffs, vibrant gorges teeming with ancient plant life, and thousands of indigenous rock artworks.

The best way to see the park is to complete the 20km Main Gorge Track – so plan to camp in the park, book into Takarakka Bush Resort or kick back at nearby Wallaroo Outback Retreat for a weekend of glamping between soaking up one of Queensland’s most sacred and special places. Check out this complete guide before you go.