About Camooweal Caves
- Getting there and getting around
- Park features
- Camping and accommodation
- Things to do
- Things to know before you go
- Staying safe
- Looking after the park
- Park management
- Tourism information links
- Further information
Getting there and getting around
The caves are not accessible to visitors.
By road, the park is 8 km south of Camooweal. Take the Urandangi Road south of Camooweal and turn left into the park. From this boundary, the caves car park is 14 km and the camping area 16 km.
Access by conventional vehicle is possible in dry weather although some difficulties may be experienced at creek crossings or on rocky sections. The road is not suitable for conventional vehicles towing caravans. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended.
Do not attempt to access the park during or after wet weather as the road can be impassable. Contact the Department of Transport and Main Roads to find out about local road conditions and the Bureau of Meteorology for weather reports and forecasts.
Wheelchair accessibility
There are no wheelchair-accessible tracks or facilities in the park.
Park features
The 13,800 ha of semi-arid Barkly Tablelands that make up Camooweal Caves National Park are characterised by open eucalypt woodland, spinifex, turpentine wattle shrubland and extensive areas of Mitchell grass plains. The park provides a stopover for weary travellers to camp and refresh in a remote bush setting. A variety of birds including waterbirds and woodland species can be seen in the park at different times of the year.
The caves and sinkholes formed when water percolated through 500 million year-old layers of soluble dolomite creating caverns linked by vertical shafts up to 75 m deep. Visitors should be extremely cautious around the edge of the sinkholes. The caves are not accessible to visitors.
- Read more about the nature, culture and history of Camooweal Caves National Park.
Camping and accommodation
Camping
The Caves waterhole camping area is 16 km from the park entrance beside the seasonal Nowranie Waterhole on Nowranie Creek. Facilities include a pit toilet and picnic tables in a shelter. Camping permits are required and fees apply.
- Find out more about camping at the Nowranie Waterhole camping area, Camooweal Caves National Park.
- Book your camp site online.
- If you cannot book online, see camping bookings for other options.
Other accommodation
The township of Camooweal has a caravan park and a hotel. Holiday accommodation in Mount Isa includes a selection of tourist parks, hotels and motels. For more information see the tourism information links
Things to do
Enjoy the short walk to the caves. Photo: Gary Featonby, NPRSR.
There are sheltered picnic tables in the camping area. Photo: Gary Featonby, NPRSR.
Look for water monitors. Photo: Tamara Vallance.
Walking
There are two short walks in Camooweal Caves National Park.
Little Nowranie Cave walking track (Grade: easy)
Distance: 70 m return
Time: allow about 10 mins walking time
Details: from the southern end of the car park, take this short track to the Little Nowranie Cave entrance. Access to the cave is not permitted. Take care on the rock faces around the entrance.
Great Nowranie Cave walking track (Grade: easy)
Distance: 220 m return
Time: allow about 30 mins walking time
Details: walk to Great Nowranie Cave from the eastern end of the car park. Access to the cave is not permitted. Take care on the rock faces around the entrance.
Picnic and day use areas
Sheltered picnic tables and a pit toilet are provided at Nowranie Waterhole camping area.
Viewing wildlife
Most animals in the park rest during the day to avoid the heat, making dawn and dusk the best times to look for wildlife. Ridge-tailed monitors can be seen amongst the rocky outcrops where they feed on insects and small lizards.
The seasonal waterhole attracts waterbirds including spoonbills, cormorants, herons and ducks. Look for water monitors basking on logs beside the water. A variety of woodland bird species can also be spotted.
Other animals are nocturnal. Within the protection of the caves, ghost bats and other insect-eating bats roost, emerging after dark. Owls also roost in these caves, feeding on small nocturnal mammals like long-haired rats.
Things to know before you go
Essentials to bring
To enjoy your time at Camooweal Caves National Park remember to bring:
- a first-aid kit
- fresh water for drinking and washing
- a fuel stove
- a sealable container for rubbish as bins are not provided.
Opening hours
Camooweal Caves National Park is open 24 hours a day.
Permits and fees
A camping permit is required for camping in Camooweal Caves National Park. Fees apply. A tag with your booking number must be displayed at your camp site. .
- Book your camp site online.
- If you cannot book online, see camping bookings for other options.
Permits are required for commercial or organised group activities. Contact us for further information.
Pets
Domestic animals are not permitted in Camooweal Caves National Park.
Climate and weather
This area has distinct wet and dry seasons, with unpredictable monsoonal rains falling between October and April. From May to September it is cooler and drier, making this the best time to visit the park. South-easterly winds at this time of the year help to make conditions more hospitable. Temperatures can be extremely high for the rest of the year, regularly exceeding 40 °C in the summer. Weather forecasts are available from the Bureau of Meteorology. For more information, see the tourism information links.
Fuel and supplies
Fuel and supplies can be purchased 8 km north of the park at Camooweal or 189 km south-east at Mount Isa. For more information, see the tourism information links.
Staying safe
- Always carry water, wear a hat and sturdy footwear, and try to walk in the cooler part of the day.
- Take care around sink hole entrances.
- Stay well clear of cattle.
- Carry sufficient water at all times.
For more information, please read the guidelines on safety in parks and forests.
Looking after the park
Parks and forests protect Queensland's wonderful natural diversity and scenery. Help keep these places special by following these guidelines.
- Leave pets at home—domestic animals are not permitted in national parks.
- Remember, this is a national park—everything is protected.
- Do not feed wildlife or leave food or scraps around the camping area.
- Use a fuel stove—fires are not permitted on the park.
- Rubbish bins are not provided. Do not bury rubbish—take it when you leave.
See caring for parks for more information about protecting our environment and heritage in parks.
Park management
Camooweal Caves National Park is managed to conserve the natural and cultural values of the area. It protects a representative section of the Barkly Tableland landscape of Mitchell grassland and spinifex, as well as the dolomite underground cave systems. The park is important for the Indjilandji-Dhidhanu people who have dreamtime legends associated with the area, in particular the sinkholes, and ask that you show respect when visiting.
A grazing lease is current on this national park.
Tourism information links
Outback @ Isa Visitor Information Centre
www.outbackatisa.com.au
19 Marian Street, Mount Isa QLD 4825
Phone: 07 4749 155 or 1300 659 660
Email: info@outbackatisa.com.au
For tourism information for all regions in Queensland, see Queensland Holidays.
Further information
Last updated 4 May 2012