What Is The Nearest Town To The Daintree Rainforest?

The nearest town sitting right on the southern edge of the Daintree National forest is Mossman. The Mossman River is the cutoff of the Daintree National Forest and is well known for the Mossman Gorge. On the Northern side of the Daintree rainforest, the nearest town is Wujal Wujal.

The Mossman Gorge is a great place, for swimming, kayaking, and floating down. It has a bus service that is able to take you to the Gorge if you don’t want to walk. Otherwise, it is a 3-kilometre walk to the top from the visitors centre. However, you can’t fish in the Mossman Gorge.

If you’re wanting to camp the nearest area to do so is in Cape Tribulation at Noah Beach camping area, you must hold a camping permit and have to book camping sites ahead of time which you can find on the parks and recreations site.

What Towns Are In The Daintree?

Located in North Queensland lies the town of Daintree, The Daintree is a town itself and does not have towns within it. It is an area located 56 kilometres from Port Douglas and 11 Kilometres from Cairns. The Daintree lies within the Daintree National Forest.

The name Daintree comes from a gentleman by the name of Richard Daintree who was a British geologist that was travelling through North Queensland in the 1860s.

The Daintree just to give hindsight as to how big it is, has 13 mountains, 12 creeks, 5 beaches, and 3 Bays. The Daintree Rainforest is an intermittent narrow strip covering 17,000 hectares.

The towns that are in the Daintree National Forest are Wonga, Lower Daintree, Syndicate, Dedin, Spurgeon, Kimberley, Forest Creek, Cow Bay, Diwan, and Cape Tribulation. Outside of the intermittent areas of the Daintree National Forest are several other towns.

What City Is Daintree National Park In?

There is no specific city that the Daintree National Park is in due to it stretching over 17,000 hectares and comprises of several small towns. The closest major city to the Daintree Rain Forest is Cairns and the historical town of Cooktown where the first “white settlement” is known to have been.

Where Does The Daintree Rainforest Start And End?

The Daintree Rainforest starts from the Mossman River in Mossman on the Southern edge to the Bloomfield River in Degarra on the Northern edge. It goes as far inland as the Palmer River and Mulligan Highway. It lies along the Coral Sea which makes up the Great Barrier Reef.

Can You Live In The Daintree Rainforest?

There is a village within the Daintree Rainforest where people inhabit the land, but this does not mean that just anyone can move here. In fact, the villagers that live on this part of the land are fully self-sufficient and live completely off-grid to protect the land they live on.

This is mainly because it is a world heritage site and many precautions must be taken in order to live there. Some of the many precautions and things they must think about are the Structures, driveways, water sources, power systems, erosion, waste management, and weed control.

As well as the protection of the many endangered species and animals that live on the land. These include the cassowary and dingoes.

So in short, yes you can live in the Daintree National Forest village but only as long as you abide by the rules set out by the Douglas Shire Planning Scheme. It is recommended that before choosing to just move in that you speak with the other residents to decide whether this type of off-grid living is for you.

Can You Stay In The Daintree?

With there being so much to explore within the Rainforest, Cape Tribulation, and the Great barrier reef it is smart to spend several days and book accommodation close by.

So the answer is yes you can stay in the Daintree Rainforest and there are several great options to stay at that feel like an escape from reality and give you that full tropical experience.

The most recommended place to stay in the Daintree Rainforest is Silky Oaks Lodge, but do bear in mind this place comes at a hefty price of around $495 per person per night for two adults in their Rainforest Retreat. This place would ideally be suited to those looking for a honeymoon location or couples escape.

Although you can take your family to this location is all dependent on what your budget is. Silky Oaks Lodge is located by Mossman’s Gorge and as mentioned before has a free shuttle bus to take you to the top, but do keep in mind it stops running around 4:30 pm.

Don’t let this turn you away though from staying in or around the Daintree Rainforest as there are many more affordable options for you to stay at such as camping, caravan parks, cabins, and hotels available.

There will be peak time pricing and off-peak pricing so if you are not bothered by weather and prefer the colder months then it is suggested to visit between June to August, otherwise, you can battle the summer heat between December to February.

We have been able to find fares as low as $113 for 2 night stay for two adults at PK’s Jungle Village during the month of June. Or for a family of 5 at the same location, it’s around $267 for 2 night’s stay.

Can You Visit Daintree Rainforest On Your Own?

If you’re a solo traveller and wondering if the Daintree Rainforest is the right place for you to explore on your own, then wonder no more.

The Daintree Rainforest is perfect for solo travellers to explore alone. There are so many opportunities and places to see, that you are likely to see many other like-minded travellers exploring the area.

So although you may be “alone” you are not truly alone. You can hop on a bus to travel to the different areas, take your campervan and stop at each location at your leisure. Some places you may want to hit are Mossman Gorge and float in the creek, Go bungy jumping with Skypark Cairns, and look for wild Cassowaries as you hike up Mount Sorrow Ridge.

Whatever you choose to do as a solo traveller, family, or couple looking for a great escape any time of the season, then the Daintree Rainforest should definitely be on your bucket list of things to do. With many free activities for the whole family to enjoy everyone can discover something new.

The bonus of the Great Barrier Reef being close by is just another adventure you can get out to do, making the Daintree National Forest a great stopping place to go out in all directions to see what Far North Queensland has to offer.