• Spotlight at night for white-lipped tree frogs and other nocturnal animals. Photo credit: © Tamara Vallance
• Enjoy the tranquillity of Gordon Creek. Photo credit: Ian Holloway © Queensland Government
• Look for the Cape York form of the Australian brush-turkey with its mauve wattle. Photo credit: © Tamara Vallance
• Gordon Creek camping area is a shady area on the bank of Gordon Creek. Photo credit: Gary Featonby © Queensland Government

Relish a quiet day relaxing around your shady camp by the bank of Gordon Creek. Breathe in the cool air and listen to the many birdcalls in the rainforest. Explore the surrounding forest trails for exciting birdwatching. Look for iridescent riflebirds, raucous palm cockatoos and vibrant eclectus parrots. You may even see a cassowary!

After dark, grab your torch and venture quietly into the rainforest. Listen for rustling tree branches, look for eye shine and you may be rewarded by glimpses of a green python or common spotted cuscus. Unwind around the camp fire by night, surrounded by nocturnal bush sounds.

Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park (CYPAL) is jointly managed by the Northern Kuuku Ya'u Kanthanampu Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC Land Trust and the Queensland Government.

Getting there and getting around

Gordon Creek camping area is in Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park (CYPAL), about 200km north of Coen on Cape York Peninsula.

• From the park entrance, drive 19.5km along Portland Roads Road to this camping area.
• You can access the park from the south via the Peninsula Developmental Road or from the north via the challenging and unpredictable Frenchmans Track.
• For both routes, you need a high clearance 4WD with recovery gear and extra supplies; and you need to be proficient in four-wheel driving.
• On Frenchmans Track your vehicle also needs a snorkel; and you should be experienced in challenging 4WD conditions.
• If you're towing a trailer, take the Peninsula Developmental Road route; neither route is suitable for towing caravans.
• Alcohol restrictions are in place in many of Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and apply to the towns and areas around Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park (CYPAL). For the latest information on restrictions, see Community alcohol limits. The camping areas in the park are outside the alcohol restriction zone.
• Read 4WD with care for important information on 4WD safety and minimal impact driving.

Peninsula Developmental Road

• Turn off the Peninsula Developmental Road onto Portland Roads Road, 35km north of the Archer River Roadhouse (175km south-west of Weipa), and drive 83km along this well-formed gravel road to the park entrance.

Frenchmans Track

• Turn off the Telegraph Road onto Frenchmans Track, 22km south of Moreton Telegraph Station, and drive 52km to the intersection with Portland Roads Road, then turn left onto Portland Roads Road and travel a further 13km to the park entrance.

Before you visit

Opening hours

Gordon Creek camping area is open 24 hours a day. Check-in to your camp after 2pm and check-out by 11am on the day of departure.

Check park alerts for the latest information on access, closures and conditions.

Seasonal closures

The park may be closed during the wetter summer months.

Camping area features

• Features: a shady and sheltered area in the rainforest on the bank of Gordon Creek—a great spot for birdwatching.
• Location: near the Gordon Creek crossing on Portland Roads Road—sites one and two are on the southern side of the creek while sites three and four are on the northern side.
• Map: Rainforest, Cooks Hut and Gordon Creek camping areas map (PDF, 137.3KB)
• Access: the camping area can be reached by four-wheel-drive vehicles and off-road trailers only.
• Number of sites: four numbered sites. Camp sites are very popular during peak periods. Campers should plan their visit and obtain an e-permit well in advance.

Site	Maximum vehicles	Maximum people	Site dimensions	Other comments
1	One car and trailer.	6	9m x 10m	Near site 2, on the southern bank of Gordon Creek.
2	One car and trailer.	6	9m x 10m	Near site 1, on the southern bank of Gordon Creek.
3	One car and trailer.	6	9m x 10m	Near site 4, on the northern bank of Gordon Creek.
4	One car and trailer.	6	9m x 10m	Near site 3, on the northern bank of Gordon Creek.

• Camp sites are suitable for: tent camping beside your car and camper trailers.
• Camp site surface: dirt.
• Shade: all sites are shady and sheltered.
• Facilities: none. A hybrid toilet is located at Cooks Hut camping area (about 800 m away).
• Open fires: allowed (except when fire bans apply) in existing fireplaces only. Fuel stoves recommended.
• Generators: generators that operate at a noise level less than 65dB(A) at 7m are permitted between 8am and 7pm only.
• Essentials to bring: adequate food and drinking water, equipment for treating water, rubbish bags, insect repellent, screened tents or mosquito nets, a fuel stove and adequate fuel and spare parts for your vehicle. Read more about before you visit.
• Bookings: book online, or by phone prior to arrival. Camp sites are very popular during peak periods. Campers should plan their visit and obtain an e-permit well in advance.
• Mobile phone coverage: not available.

Upcoming camping area availability

Visiting safely

For more safety information see Visiting Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) safely and camp with care.