Cedar Bay National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cedar Bay National Park Queensland
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Cedar Bay National Park
Cedar Bay National Park Location in Queensland
Nearest town or city	Cooktown
Established	1977
Area	56.5 km2 (21.8 sq mi)
Managing authorities	Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Website	Cedar Bay National Park
See also	Protected areas of Queensland

Cedar Bay was once a special protected area in Queensland, Australia. It covered about 56.5 square kilometers (that's like 5,650 soccer fields!). This area was known as a national park, which means it was set aside to protect nature and wildlife.

In 2015, Cedar Bay became part of a bigger national park called Ngalba Bulal National Park. Now, it's known as the Mangkalba (Cedar Bay) section of this larger park.

Where is Cedar Bay National Park?

This amazing park is located far away, about 1,522 kilometers northwest of Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland. It's also about 40 kilometers south of a town called Cooktown.

Getting to Cedar Bay is an adventure! You can only reach it by boat or by walking a long way. The park is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland, which is a World Heritage Site. This means it's recognized globally for its unique natural beauty and importance. The local Aboriginal people, the Eastern Kuku Yalanji, call this area Mangkal-Mangkalba.

A Look at Cedar Bay's Past

The Cedar Bay area has an interesting history. Back in the 1870s, people came here to dig for tin. You can still see some of the old tin mining remains near a place called Black Snake Rocks.

In 2007, a big change happened for the park. About 2,000 square kilometers of land, including Cedar Bay, was given back to the Aboriginal people of Cape York Peninsula. This happened because of a special agreement called a Native Title claim from 1994. Before it became part of the larger Ngalba Bulal National Park, Cedar Bay was known as Mount Finnigan National Park.

What Can You Do at Cedar Bay?

Cedar Bay National Park is home to some of Australia's most northern tropical rainforests. These forests are full of amazing plants and animals.

If you love watching birds, this is a great place to visit! You might spot unique birds like cassowaries, which are large, colorful birds, or tiny yellow-breasted sunbirds. Other birds you could see include double-eyed fig-parrots, mangrove kingfishers, beach stone-curlews, and pied imperial-pigeons.

You can go bush camping in the park, but remember that fishing and collecting things are not allowed. There's only one walking track in the park. It used to be a path for donkeys used by the tin miners. This track is quite challenging, so it's only for people who are very fit!

See also

In Spanish: Parque nacional Bahía Cedro para niños