The Archer River Roadhouse is an excellent place to stay, whether you’re looking for a place to rest for the night or somewhere to relax for a day or two. Without a doubt, this was one of our favourite roadhouses we camped at during our Cape York trip. The Archer River Roadhouse camping grounds are spacious, green and shady and the amenities are clean and in good working order. Plus, you’ve got an excellent roadhouse on site and the gorgeous Archer River to swim in.
The roadhouse offers camping and caravan sites as well as motel rooms and being pet friendly; it is perfect for all kinds of travellers.
Keep reading below for everything you need to know about staying at the Archer River Roadhouse. You can also check out our YouTube video here, which shows some of the highlights of the Archer River Roadhouse.
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Where is the Archer River Roadhouse?
Set along the banks of the Archer River, the Archer River Roadhouse is located on the Peninsula Development Road, 65 km north of Coen, 166 km south of Bramwell and 200 km southeast of Weipa – making it the ideal rest stop for those on the road in Cape York.
Archer River Roadhouse Camping and Accommodation Options
The Archer River Roadhouse offers both campsites and motel rooms which are discussed briefly below.
Camping and Van Sites
The Archer River camping grounds here are lovely and green, with large trees providing lots of shady areas. There is only unpowered camping here and they are not designated sites – so you’re welcome to choose your own spot.
You’re also allowed to have fires at your campsite and your dog too.
Archer River Roadhouse camping fees are $10 per adult and $5 per child per night.
Rooms
As well as camping other Archer River Roadhouse accommodation includes some great little motel style rooms. These are perfect for those that aren’t camping or just need a night off from setting up. There are rooms that can accommodate a single traveller right up to spacious family rooms with a queen and a couple of single beds.
Rooms come with a fridge, tea and coffee making facilities, fan and air conditioning. Outside each of the rooms is a small table and chairs. Guests can make use of the nearby shared bathroom facilities.
Archer River Camping Facilities
Despite being a cheap campground, you’ll find great amenities at Archer River – which are briefly covered below.
Restaurant and Store
The Roadhouse here serves up some excellent meals – we ate here one night during our stay and were all super impressed with our food. Their burgers are pretty famous here too.
There is also a licensed bar and a great little outdoor dining area – perfect for unwinding after a day on the road.
The Roadhouse also supplies fuel and has a small store selling basic grocery items like drinks, snacks and other basic items that you may need.
While you won’t get any service (even with Telstra) out here, you can purchase internet here for $5 for 24 hours. We did this and found it worked really well – even out at our campsite, although we were camped fairly close to the roadhouse.
Amenities Block
There are two amenity blocks on the property – one large one close to the Roadhouse and one smaller one further back on the property. The larger one has three showers and three toilets and during our stay we always found the showers and toilets to be really clean and tidy – in much better condition than some of the other roadhouses we stayed at.
Laundry
Within the large amenities block, there is a small coin operated laundry. There is also a clothesline in front of the amenities block for hanging up washing.
Archer River
One of the best things about staying at the Archer River Roadhouse is being able to cool off in the crystal clear Archer River. The river is just 150 metres or so down the road from the roadhouse.
The river area is quite expansive, with some areas providing shallow streams you can sit in while enjoying a beer with your mates. Other areas are deep enough so you can have a proper swim. But, of course, conditions are seasonal, so it really depends on the time of year you visit as to what you’ll get.
Archer River Roadhouse – Our Verdict
The Archer River Roadhouse was easily one of our favourites in Cape York and we weren’t the only ones who said this. The whole reason for our stay here was lots of other travellers we met recommended it.
The campgrounds are really nice, with lots of grassy areas and big shady trees. You’ve got super clean amenities, an excellent roadhouse serving delicious meals and of course, the crystal clear Archer River – the perfect place to chill out.
Definitely put the Archer River Roadhouse on your Cape York itinerary.
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Hopefully you found this guide on staying at Archer River Roadhouse helpful. We’ve got a range of guides for staying in Cape York, such as camping in Laura, Bramwell Station and Punsand Bay.
