About Mossman Gorge

Mossman Gorge is located in the southern part of the Daintree National Park, 80 kilometres north of the regional town of Cairns. It also lies nearby the farming town of Mossman. It is part of the traditional homeland of the indigenous tribe of Kuku Yulanji.

Much of the 56,500ha Mossman Gorge Section of Daintree National Park includes rugged, largely inaccessible slopes of the Main Coast Range and Carbine Tableland, adjoining Mt Windsor and Mt Lewis. It is these steep mountain ranges that trap moisture blown in from the ocean and ensure frequent rainfall, maintaining the rainforest and ultimately feeding the Mossman and Daintree Rivers.

Tall, dense rainforests clothe the lowlands and stunted windswept rainforests occupy the mountaintops. To the west of the Main Coast Range, open forest and woodlands grow on the drier western slopes. The park provides a home for a wonderful variety of rainforest animals including tree-kangaroos, musky rat-kangaroos and Boyd’s forest dragons.

Over millions of years, the Mossman River has carved a steep-sided valley from the upper reaches to the coastal lowlands. Through this valley, crystal clear water cascades amongst large granite boulders which have been washed down from the hills during times of heavy flood.

(Information courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency / Queensland Parks And Wildlife Service)