Edmund Kennedy National Park is within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Few parts of north Queensland's wet tropics can boast the range of vegetation types found in this park.

Lying along the coastline, just north of Cardwell, Edmund Kennedy National Park contains areas of low coastal rainforest, eucalyptus forest, melaleuca woodland, sedge swamps and extensive mangrove swamps.

This section of coastline is just as explorer Edmund Kennedy found it. In 1848, he and his party of 12 men landed at Tam O'Shanter Point, about 35 kilometres north of the park, to begin their ill-fated expedition to Cape York.

Many of the mangrove species known to occur in Australia are found in the park. The red beech, with its distinctive red, flaking bark and large yellow flowers, along with pandanus and melaleucas are common. The rare Arenga palm, only known from a few locations in Queensland, also grows here.

Much of the wildlife is nocturnal although birds and reptiles may be seen during the day. The park is home to the endangered Mahogany Glider. Orioles, sunbirds, black butcherbirds and honeyeaters are common. The nesting mounds of orange-footed scrubfowl can be seen along the edge of the walking tracks.