Watarrka National Park

Watarrka National Park, synonymous with Kings Canyon, includes the western end of the George Gill Range.

Commercial motel and camping accommodation is the only option available for visitors wishing to stay overnight at Watarrka.

Kings Canyon Resort
Kings Creek Station
Kings Creek Wilderness Lodge

Emergency Radio Call Boxes

This is the quickest, most effective way of reaching a Ranger. There are 4 call boxes located along the Canyon Walk at: near the carpark at the beginning of the walk; the eastern side above the Garden of Eden staircase; at Kestrel Falls half way down the return loop section; and at the top of the northern climb (see map).

When to visit

The Park is accessible all year round.

The cooler months (April to September) are the most pleasant. Overnight camping in tents or campervans is not permitted in the National Park.

Most of Watarrka's visitors come to view the spectacular Kings Canyon with its towering vertical walls and pockets of 'lush' vegetation protected in sheltered gullies amidst the vast and harsh desert that surrounds the Park.

There are two walking tracks at the Canyon, both offering visitors an opportunity to escape the crowds and experience first hand the beauty and solitude of the Australian bush. Signs along both tracks highlight features of interest. There is also a walking track at Kathleen Springs. This walk is recommended for families and visitors with limited mobility. Signs along the track tell the story of centuries of Aboriginal culture and the recent cattle industry. It leads to a delightful spring-fed waterhole at the head of Kathleen Gorge. This is a cool moist place to sit and enjoy the areas tranquility. All walkers are advised to carefully read the information on the two walks before starting out. Safety is your responsibility.

The Kings Canyon walk has many steep sections and is recommended for reasonably fit and healthy walkers. Tracks are constructed to a suitable standard with stairs and boardwalks to make your walk safe and comfortable and to protect sensitive vegetation and waterholes. Information on other walking tracks in Watarrka is available from other Parks Service publications.

Access

The Park is located southwest of Alice Springs and can be reached via a number of routes: via the Stuart Highway,
• Lasseter Highway and Luritja Road (sealed roads). via Larapinta Drive through
• the West MacDonnell National Park. A Mereenie Loop pass is required to travel this route and is available from the Alice Springs Tourist Information Centre, Glen Helen Resort and Kings Canyon Resort. via the Stuart Highway, Ernest
• Giles Road (4WD essential) and Luritja Road.

This scenic landscape of rugged ranges, rockholes and moist gorges acts as a refuge for many plants and animals. This makes the Park an important conservation area and a major visitor

Picnic Tables

Located at the sunset viewing area at Kings Canyon and at the Kathleen Springs carpark and picnic area.

The Kings Canyon Rim Walk (6 kms loop, 3-4 hours)

After an initial steep climb the walk offers spectacular views from the Canyon rim.

Along the way are the weathered, buttressed domes of the ‘Lost City’ and the sheltered ‘Garden of Eden’ with permanent waterholes and lush vegetation.

This walk is suitable for fit, experienced walkers.

For safety reasons, the track must be walked in a clockwise direction.

This minimises traffic congestion, track erosion and vegetation degradation.

The Kings Creek Walk (2.6kms, one hour return).
The gentle slope of the track meanders up Kings Creek to a lookout point. This walk is suitable for families. Wheelchairs can access the first 700 metres.

Walking Track Markers
The walking tracks of the Canyon area are well sign posted with metal trail markers. The arrows are Orange for the Kings Creek Walk and Navy Blue for the Canyon Walk. Please conduct the Canyon Walk in a clockwise direction, in accordance with management, safety and interpretive signage.

The Giles Track (22 km, 2 days)
Traverses the top ofthe range from Kathleen Springs to Kings Canyon with a halfway entrance/exit point at Reedy Creek/Lilla.

Kathleen Springs Walk (2.6 kms, 1.5 hour return)
Leads to a delightful spring-fed waterhole, suitable for families and accessible to wheelchairs.

Bush Ethics
Watarrka, as with all National Parks is a protected area. Disturbance of plants, animals and natural features is an offence. It is prohibited to: break branches for fly swats; write or etch names on rocks; remove or displace the natural landscape i.e. rocks or flora. Cigarette butts, tissue paper and orange peel are three common and unsightly forms of litter. Care should be taken after heavy rains as gravel roads may become impassable.

Parks and Wildlife Commission
Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory Alice Springs Office Arid Zone Research Institute, Tom Hare Building South Stuart Highway, Alice Springs NT 0870
PO Box 1046 Alice Springs NT 0871
Ph: (08) 8951 8211 Fax: (08) 8951 8268

Hotels/Motels Accommodation
Fact sheet: http://www.nt.gov.au

Accommodation
Overnight camping in tents, caravans or motorhomes is not permitted in the National Park.

Camping and safari style cabins are also available at
Kings Creek Station
PMB 164 Alice Springs NT 0872
Ph: +61 (08) 8956 7474
Fax: +61 (08) 8956 7468
Email: info@kingscreekstation.com.au

Kings Creek Wilderness Lodge
Luxury tented cabins are available at Kings Creek Wilderness Lodge (tel 1800 891 121).

Kings Canyon Resort
Luritja Road, just 7 kilometres from Watarrka National Park
Rates: from $42-$214 per person, per night at Commercial accommodation, camping and bunkhouses are available at the Kings Canyon Resort (tel +61 (0)8 89567442).

Kings Canyon Resort offers an array of room types to suit any budget.
Offering great facilities including swimming pools and tennis courts, this sensitively designed resort is just 7 kilometres from Watarrka National Park, the home of the magical sandstone formation, Kings Canyon.

Commercial accommodation, camping and bunkhouses are available at the Kings Canyon Resort (tel +61 (0)8 89567442).

Parks and Wildlife Commission
Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory Alice Springs Office Arid Zone Research Institute, Tom Hare Building South Stuart Highway, Alice Springs NT 0870
PO Box 1046 Alice Springs NT 0871
Ph: (08) 8951 8211 Fax: (08) 8951 8268

Photographs Courtesy Of: NTTC - Northern Territory Tourism Commission.
Maps Courtesy Of: NTTC - Northern Territory Tourism Commission.
Photographs Courtesy Of: PJ B & M Hutchinson Private Collections
Information courtesy of Parks and Wildlife Service NT for the promotion of tourism for the Larapinta Trail.

Photographs Courtesy of NTTC - Northern Territory Tourism Commission
Information courtesy of Parks Northern Territory

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