Lake Eacham - Protected Area Status

Protected Area Status

Lake Eacham (Yidyam) is the centrepiece of the 4.89 km² (1,210 acres) Crater Lakes National Park, with a dense rainforest and thousands of small animals. It is therefore a protected area under Queensland State legislation (Nature Conservation Act 1994), and, as such, the natural and cultural resources most closely associated with the Lake are protected and managed by the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service.

The lake has an average depth of 65.5 metres (215 ft) and is considered by locals as being ideal for swimming, canoeing, bushwalking, and bird watching. No motor boats are allowed on the lake. It features a pontoon great for diving into the deep water. A large grassy area is terrific for picnics, sunbathing, or just watching children as they play in the shallow water near the edge of the lake. There is a circuit walk around the lake that takes around 45 minutes. There are also a few families of turtles that can usually be seen just to the left of the pontoon