Rockhampton to Yeppoon drive: Distance & best road trip attractions

The Rockhampton to Yeppoon drive in Central Queensland is 41km long. Road trip attractions on the way include the Dreamtime Cultural Centre, Limestone Creek Conservation Area and Baga National Park.

The drive from Rockhampton to Yeppoon in Queensland is not long. Whether you bother to undertake it or not will depend largely on whether you’d prefer to stay in a reasonably large regional city or a holiday town on the coast.

The number one thing to do in Yeppoon is a Great Keppel Island day trip.

Both Rockhampton and Yeppoon are in the Capricorn region of Queensland, near the Tropic of Capricorn.

Rockhampton offers fascinating history walks and cave tours. To source the best Rockhampton accommodation deals, go here.

Yeppoon is the most appealing of the nearby coastal settlements. It’s where you go to for Great Keppel Island day tours, departing from the Keppel Bay Marina.

Rockhampton to Yeppoon distance and driving time

The Rockhampton to Yeppoon drive is 41km in distance, with a driving time of around 35 minutes. Obviously, it’s easy enough to cover the full Rockhampton to Yeppoon distance in one stint. But there are a couple of attractions you might want to stop at on the way.

Top experiences to book in and around Rockhampton

(Highly recommended ✅) Great Keppel Island day trip – with lunch.
Cathedral Cave tour at Capricorn Caves. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
90 minute Deep Vault Cave and Flower Pot tour at Capricorn Caves.
Time Safaris walking tour.

First up is the Dreamtime Cultural Centre, which is at the junction of the Bruce Highway and Yeppoon Road north of Rockhampton. The Dreamtime Cultural Centre delves into the culture of Central Queensland’s Indigenous groups, partially explaining traditions and mythology.

Limestone Creek Conservation Area

Shortly after the turning into Yeppoon Road, you’ll reach the Limestone Creek Conservation Area. This is primarily preserved as a wetland conservation area rather than a tourist destination, but you can get out and go for a stroll if you wish.

The Rockhampton to Yeppoon drive then skirts the northern edge of Mount Archer National Park. The tourist-friendly chunks of this national park, such as the Fraser Park Lookout, are best accessed east of Rockhampton, however.

Rockhampton to Yeppoon drive: Baga National Park

There is another national park on the way from Rockhampton to Yeppoon, though. Baga National Park near the hamlet of Mulara is tiny, and centred around a 221 metre-high volcanic plug called Baga. This was formerly known as Mount Jim Crow, but was restored to its Aboriginal name in 2018. Understandably, local Indigenous people were deeply unhappy about this significant landmark having a name linked to racist laws in the US.

There are no official walking tracks up Baga, but that doesn’t stop some people tackling the short but steep and scrambly climb anyway.

Perhaps more of interest are the lagoons around Hedlow Creek on Baga National Park’s south-western edge. These waterlily-filled lagoons are great for birdwatching.

From Baga National Park, it’s just a 15km drive into Yeppoon, where you can cool off in the Yeppoon Lagoon. You can also try Lammermoor Beach, Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary and spearfishing charters.