Esk
Location of Esk River mouth in Queensland
Location
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
Region	Far North Queensland, Wet Tropics of Queensland, Cape York Peninsula
Physical characteristics
Source	Great Dividing Range
• location	below Dowlings Hill
• coordinates	15°35′20″S 145°16′30″E / 15.58889°S 145.27500°E / -15.58889; 145.27500
• elevation	356 m (1,168 ft)
Mouth	Walker Bay, Coral Sea
• location	south of Cooktown
• coordinates	15°31′50″S 145°16′04″E / 15.53056°S 145.26778°E / -15.53056; 145.26778
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	20 km (12 mi)
[1]

The Esk River is a river in the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland, Australia.

Course and features

The river rises below Dowlings Hill, sourced by runoff from the Great Dividing Range, and flows north across the mostly uninhabited coastal plain. The Esk River enters the Annan Forest Reserve and flows through a wetland dominated by mangroves.^[2] At its river mouth, the Esk River is joined by the Annan River and together the two rivers discharge into Walker Bar and then onto the Coral Sea approximately 7 kilometres (4 mi) south of Cooktown.^[3] The river descends 356 metres (1,168 ft) over its 20-kilometre (12 mi) course.^[1]

Much of the Esk River catchment lies within protected area tenure. As of 2013^[update] the river appeared to be in a healthy condition with limited siltation and only infrequent pockets of erosion.^[4]

Floods in 1910 recorded the Esk River as 12 feet (3.7 m) over the normal river height.^[5]