Edmund Kennedy National Park covers mangroves, melaleuca swamp, and coastal heath on the southern outskirts of Cardwell, protecting a remnant of the coastal vegetation that once bordered much of this section of north Queensland. The park is named for explorer Edmund Kennedy, who launched his ill-fated 1848 Cape York expedition from near this location.
The park is more ecologically than scenically impressive — the vegetation types are threatened and the birdlife is excellent (wading birds, raptors, migratory shorebirds), but it doesn't have the dramatic landscapes of the inland forest or the offshore island. The Kennedy Memorial, a modest monument commemorating the expedition, is accessible by a short walk.
The adjacent foreshore and Cardwell Jetty area is better for casual visitors — a shaded esplanade with good views across to Hinchinbrook Island and a jetty where water taxis depart for the island.