[5] The North Branch of the river rises below Honeysuckle Flat at an elevation of 160 metres (520 ft) and flows generally west and then south for 20 kilometres (12 mi) before forming confluence with the South Branch to form the Endeavour River.

[6] Having been formed by the South and North Branches, the Endeavour River rises below Flaggy at an elevation of 39 metres (128 ft) and flows generally east towards its mouth with the Coral Sea at Cooktown, flowing through the Endeavour River National Park for the last few kilometres of its course.

Cook and his crew remained for almost seven weeks and made contact with the local Guugu Yimithirr people.

Botanical specimens were also collected by Allan Cunningham after he arrived on HMS Mermaid, captained by Philip Parker King on 28 June 1819.

It is one of the northernmost towns on the east coast of Australia and was founded in 1873, around the site of Cook's landing, as a port to service the newly discovered Palmer River goldfields.