Mary River National Park

Sunset at Fogg Dam, Mary River National Park, NT. Photo credit: Tourism NT

Mary River National Park

It’s one of the Northern Territory’s most beautiful areas. It’s also a world-class bird watching destination, but the Mary River National Park is a haven for far more than twitchers.

Pack the tent, pull on the boots and explore Mary River, a park that teems with dingoes, water buffalo, wallabies, snakes, monitors and, of course, lots of crocs.

There are plenty of campsites with facilities in the park. We love Couzen’s Lookout camping area. It’s next to the Mary River, and at the nearby lookout you can sit and enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets on earth.

Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve
This wetland system has boardwalks through part of it, so you can visit all year round (although dry season is the best time to see the resident wading birds). The boardwalks lead to observation platforms giving you stunning views of the wetland in all its glory.

Barramundi fishing at Rockhole
Similar to its more famous neighbour, Yellow Waters in the Kakadu, Rockhole is less of a tourist attraction and more popular with locals as a result.

Cruise the billabongs
Explore Mary River’s freshwater billabongs and you’ll find them full of wildlife. It’s well worth taking a cruise (and your camera). The walking tracks through the Monsoon and prehistoric-feeling Paperbark forests offer every budding photographer the chance to take a stunning shot.

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Getting Back To Nature

You’ll find the park about an hour’s drive east from Darwin, along the Arnhem Highway.

We’d suggest visiting Mary River National Park in the dry season (May to Oct) as many of the roads are unsealed and may become impassable during the wet (Nov to Apr).