Editing Drysdale River National Park

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Drysdale River National Park
| state                  = wa
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = File:King george Falls drop.jpg
| caption                = The King George Falls in June 2008
| image_alt              = 
| local_map              = yes
| zoom                   = 8
| coordinates            = {{coord|15|09|41|S|126|46|35|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief                 = yes
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| map_alt                = 
| nearest_town_or_city   = [[Kalumburu, Western Australia|Kalumburu]]
| area                   = 4482.64
| area_footnotes         = <ref name="ParkAreas">{{cite journal|year=2010 |title=Department of Environment and Conservation 2009–2010 Annual Report |journal=Annual Report |pages=48 |publisher=Department of Environment and Conservation |issn=1835-114X |url=http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/content/view/6139/2345/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111124319/http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/content/view/6139/2345/ |archive-date=11 January 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref>
| established            = 1974
| established_footnotes  = 
| visitation_num         = 
| visitation_year        = 
| visitation_footnotes   = 
| managing_authorities   = [[Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)|Department of Environment and Conservation]]
| url                    = https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/park/drysdale-river-national-park
}}
'''Drysdale River National Park''' is a national park in the [[Kimberley (Western Australia)|Kimberley]] region of [[Western Australia]], {{convert|2168|km|mi|0}} northeast of [[Perth]].

The park lies about {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}} south of [[Kalumburu, Western Australia|Kalumburu]] and {{convert|150|km|abbr=on}} west of [[Wyndham, Western Australia|Wyndham]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.about-australia.com/travel-guides/western-australia/australias-north-west/attractions/natural/drysdale-river-national-park/|title=About Australia Travel Guides - Drysdale River National Park|year=2008|access-date=16 December 2008}}</ref>

The park is the largest and least accessible in the Kimberley, with no public road leading to it and no [[airstrip]] within its boundaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bushwalkingholidays.com.au/pdf/drys1.pdf|title=Drysdale River National Park|year=2007|access-date=16 December 2008}}</ref> Access to the park is gained via the track from Carson River Station from the Kalumburu Road. Permission must be obtained from the Kalumburu [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] Corporation prior to entering the park. There are no visitor facilities or marked walk trails in the park. Rangers do not patrol the park and no food, fuel or mechanical services exist within the park or at Carson River Station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.derbytourism.com.au/pages/national-parks/|title=Derby Tourism|year=2008|access-date=5 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410041240/http://www.derbytourism.com.au/pages/national-parks/|archive-date=10 April 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The park is a good example of untouched Kimberley, wilderness featuring open woodland, [[Canyon|gorges]], cliffs, and the pools, [[waterfall]]s and [[Stream|creeks]] of the [[Drysdale River]]. The park is home to two large waterfalls, Morgan Falls and Solea Falls, with numerous smaller falls along the course of the river.

The area provides habitat for many rare plants and animals. Almost 600 species of plants are known to exist within the park. About 30 of these plants are aquatic and swamp varieties that inhabit the permanent pools found along the [[Drysdale River|Drysdale]] and [[Carson River (Western Australia)|Carson]] Rivers. About 25 species of [[fern]] also inhabit the area, two of which are not found elsewhere. Species such as fan palms, [[Eucalyptus herbertiana|kalumbaru gums]] and paperbarks are also found along the watercourses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naturebase.net/component/option,com_hotproperty/task,view/id,68/Itemid,755/|title=Department of Environment - Park Finder|year=2010|access-date=5 May 2010}}</ref>

A variety of fauna also exist within the park, including over 100 species of [[bird]]s, [[sugar glider]]s, [[bat]]s, [[wallaby|wallabies]], and [[salt water crocodile]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.about-australia.com/travel-guides/western-australia/australias-north-west/attractions/natural/drysdale-river-national-park/|title=About Australia-Drysdale River National Park|year=2010|access-date=5 May 2010}}</ref>

The [[traditional owners]] of the area that the river flows through are the [[Ngarinjin]], [[Miwa people|Miwa]] and [[Wilawila]] peoples.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ausanthrop.net/resources/ausanthrop_db/detail.php?id_search=392|title=AusAnthrop Australian Aboriginal tribal database|year=2009|access-date=30 April 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080530201811/http://www.ausanthrop.net/resources/ausanthrop_db/detail.php?id_search=392|archive-date=30 May 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The first European to visit the area was a surveyor with a squatting company, CA Burrowes, who did so in 1886. Both [[Frederick Slade Drake-Brockman|Brockman]] and Crossland visited the area in separate expeditions in 1901. The first vehicular track was constructed through the region during an expedition and survey in 1954; it ran from [[Gibb River|Gibb River Station]] to Kalumburu. The park was gazetted in September 1974, using the boundaries recommended by the [[Australian Academy of Science]] committee on National Parks in 1955.<ref>{{cite AHD|106017|Drysdale River National Park|date=2010|accessdate=27 November 2010}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Protected areas of Western Australia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{National Parks of Western Australia}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:National parks of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Kimberley (Western Australia)]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1974]]
[[Category:1974 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Kimberley tropical savanna]]