Granite outcrops, open eucalypt woodland and clear, flowing streams are the striking features of these parks and this reserve.

The parks and reserves in this special area feature two magnificent waterfalls cascading over huge granite boulders, and the impressive Clohesy River fig tree.

Dinden National Park straddles the Lamb Range—the string of mountains behind Cairns. Rainforest cloaks the wetter eastern side of the range where Lake Morris, the main water reservoir for Cairns, is situated. Eucalypt woodland occupies the drier rain-shadowed areas on the western slopes. Between these two contrasting vegetation types runs a strip of a rare forest type known as wet sclerophyll.

A number of birds, such as the eastern yellow robin, the white-cheeked honeyeater and white-naped honeyeater, are residents of the wet sclerophyll forest of these two national parks. Endangered northern bettongs are also found in Davies Creek National Park and parts of Dinden National Park. These rat-kangaroos, smaller than a rabbit, are found in very limited areas of North Queensland and these parks support their main population. Researchers recently discovered southern brown bandicoots in Davies Creek National Park—a long way from the nearest known population on Cape York Peninsula.

In Dinden West Forest Reserve, Emerald Creek rushes out of the rainforest-clad heights of the Lamb Range and down into open eucalypt woodland. Here the waters of the creek tumble over granite boulders, forming the picturesque falls that plunge into placid pools.

Bottlebrush trees sprout from between the rocks, their red flowers giving a splash of colour to the scene in season. Smooth-barked water gums lean over the creek, the trunks of some interestingly twisted by the battering of floodwaters.

Near the creek, look for dragonflies and damselflies. These captivating insects are a common sight around sunlit sections of the creek. You may even see the giant petalurid dragonfly, the largest dragonfly in Australia.