Kings Canyon
Northern Territory
Kings Canyon is located within the 71,000 hectare Watarrka National Park, pretty much half way between Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayers Rock). It is a truly spectacular place to visit and will be one of your highlights of the region.
If you are driving, there are 2 roads into Kings Canyon. The first is on the Mereenie Loop Road, which is 337kms from Alice Springs via the West MacDonnell Ranges. 197kms of the road is unsealed however so you will need a 4WD to get through it. The other option is via the Stuart Highway, which is approximately 460kms from Alice Springs. This road is sealed all of the way so you only require a 2WD vehicle.
If you are coming from Uluru, it is approximately a 310km drive, all on sealed roads.
Kings Canyon Walks
Kings Creek Walk
The Kings Creek Walk is a 2km return walk, give yourself about an hour to complete it. The track meanders up the Kings Creek, following a rocky bed to an elevated viewing platform, giving you amazing views of the sheer walls of Kings Canyon. If you are not much of a walker or have young children, then this walk should be suitable for you.
Kings Canyon Rim Walk
The Kings Canyon Rim Walk is a 6km loop, taking about 3 to 4 hours to complete. This is a much more difficult walk, and you should have a reasonable level of fitness to take it on. Once you do start, don't be put off by the 500 step steep climb to begin the walk, as once you are up the top, the ever changing landscape is stunning.
As you walk around the rim, you will find yourself walking through the weathered beehive shaped domes called The Lost City.
Further around you come across spectacular views on top of the canyon, before descending down into the "Garden of Eden", a lush pocket of cyads around a natural pool. This is basically the half way point, with the second half looking towards the Northern walls, where you can see the sheer size of the Kings Canyon walls you have just walked over.
There are a couple of other walks you can do that are close to Kings Canyon.
Kathleen Springs Walk
This is a 2.6km return walk which will take around 1.5 hours to complete. It is a pleasant track leading to a spring-fed waterhole at the head of a gorge. The walk is sitable for families and accessible to wheelchairs.
The Giles Track
The Giles Track is a 2 day trek covering 22kms. The track traverses the top of the George Gill Range from Kathleen Springs to Kings Canyon. There is an exit point at Reedy Creek / Lilla, which is about the half way point.