Hinchinbrook Island National Park

Hinchinbrook Island National Park
Hinchinbrook Island, 2006
Hinchinbrook Island National Park
LocationQueensland
Nearest cityCardwell
Coordinates18°22′55″S 146°14′49″E / 18.38194°S 146.24694°E / -18.38194; 146.24694
Area399 km2 (154 sq mi)
Established1932
Governing bodyQueensland Parks and Wildlife Service
WebsiteOfficial website

Hinchinbrook Island National Park is Australia's largest island national park. It is situated along the Cassowary Coast in Queensland, Australia, with the state capital of Brisbane approximately 1,240 km to the south. Lucinda is 135 km or approximately 1.5 hours' drive north of Townsville, being the closest North Queensland provincial city. Cairns, a Far North Queensland provincial city, is 2.5–3 hours' drive north of Cardwell. The main geographical features in the park are the rugged Hinchinbrook Island, including Mount Bowen (1,121 m; 3,678 ft), The Thumb (981 m; 3,219 ft), Mount Diamantina (953 m; 3,127 ft) and Mount Straloch (922 m; 3,025 ft).

The park contains the Thorsborne Trail for hikers. Also within the park lies the ruined Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge. The resort closed in 2010 due to the Great Recession and was destroyed by Cyclone Yasi shortly after. The buildings have been ransacked by looters and vandals. The developer has gone broke and there is no airport, making access a problem for any future developer.