Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon is a gorgeous place. It features ancient sandstone walls, modeled by the elements and rising up 100m to a plateau of rocky domes. This scenic landscape of rugged ranges, rock-holes, and moist gorges act as a refuge for many plants and animals, thus making the Park a significant conservation area as well as a major attraction of central Australia.

Kings Canyon and the natural park around it, Watarrka National Park, is about 330 km southwest of Alice Spring. You can get there with any 2WD vehicle. We went to Kings Canyon the second day of our little trip, but from Ayers rock (about 4 hours drive). There are two main walks at the canyon, the easiest one going into the creek, the longest one going around the rim of the canyon. There is also a third easy walk (see below for maps of the area).

The Kings Canyon rim walk has many steep sections and is only recommended for reasonably fit and healthy walkers. Along the track are stairs and boardwalks to make your walk safe and comfortable and to protect sensitive vegetation and waterholes. It is by far the best walk of the 3, providing you with wonderful scenery, vertical cliffs and water ponds.

The Kings creek walk is an easier walk that is suitable for the families.

The Kathleen springs walk is a pleasant walk suitable for families and accessible to wheelchairs.