Crater Lakes National Park Tropical North Queensland

Lake Eacham day-use area upgrade – have your say

Have your say on the proposed upgrades to the Lake Eacham day-use area.

Photo credit: Darren Jew ©Tourism and Events Qld

Take your canoe and kayak for a majestic paddle along the edge of the lake. Photo credit: © Tourism Tropical North Qld

Walking tracks through the rainforest provide secluded forest-fringed views of the lake. Photo credit: © Queensland Government

Lake Eacham day-use area upgrade

Consultation on the proposed Lake Eacham day-use area upgrade is now closed. Feedback from the consultation will be reviewed and inform the detailed design stage.

Lake Eacham, part of Crater Lakes National Park, is a biodiverse, culturally significant, rare and unique ecosystem located within the UNESCO Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area.

With good road access and close proximity to the Atherton Tablelands, the lake and fringing rainforest, provide exceptional recreational and tourism opportunities.

Day use activities associated with Lake Eacham include:

picnicking
swimming
non-motorised watercraft
short rainforest walks
wildlife spotting (day and night).

The Queensland Government is committed to providing safe and universal accessible opportunities for all park visitors, while protecting and conserving the natural and cultural values of this national park site.

With some of the Lake’s visitor infrastructure ageing, we have been working with First Nations peoples to develop a design for the upgraded day-use area with proposed changes to the carparks, picnic area, viewing decks and waterfront access zone.

The proposed new design will improve the visitor experience by:

providing universal accessibility across the site for increased recreational opportunities
improve site functionality by reducing visitor impacts and maintain visitor safety
sustainably repurpose existing facilities and utilising local natural materials and finishes
providing new opportunities to encourage visitors to learn about the unique cultural and natural values of the area.

Works are expected to be completed over the next three years and will be staged to ensure some visitor access is always maintained.

Proposed works

Accessibility: The proposed designs will incorporate barrier free access to include features such as water access for all abilities, wheelchair-friendly pathways, accessible restrooms, and inclusive picnic areas and lake viewing areas. Pavement changes of material, colour and texture at decision points, e.g. changes of direction and stairs will assist visitors with low vision.
Car park spaces: The current car park provides space for 46 cars and 2 coaches at three zones. Under the proposed concept plans, there will be the inclusion of 2 disability parking bays and an increase to 82 total car parks without changing the total carpark footprint.
Amenity facilities: The existing amenity facilities will be refreshed.
Water access: Water access for swimmers continues to be from multiple locations and to encourage a safe separation of watercraft and swimmers, a dedicated paddle craft launch using is provided.
Lawns and BBQ area: Lawns and BBQ area continue to be provided.
Retaining wall and lookouts: The current retaining walls and tracks near the tortoise lookout are unstable and do not meet standards. These will be replaced with an elevated lookout that will allow access to people with disability.
Landscaping and vegetation: The proposed design fits with the Landscape Class of the site which is a modified natural setting, combining durable manufactured materials with natural stone and increasing lakeside vegetation.
Lake walking track: Minor upgrades will be undertaken to address areas where the track is collapsing into the lake, track widening, and replacement of ageing boardwalk.
Signage: New signage will be installed to educate visitors on the significance of the natural and cultural values of this world heritage area and convey safety and directional information.

Current aged infrastructure

Concept video

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) has commissioned a concept video of the proposed upgrade. This is a concept video of what the upgraded new day-use area may look like.

Concept images

Consultation