Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park

When you travel to the Red Center and Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park visiting Kings Canyon is a fantastic addition to your travel plans. Please consider though that Kings Canyon is over 300km from the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park and while many tourists to the Australian Red Center undertake day trips from Uluru to Kings Canyon I cannot advise this. Make sure you have the time to visit Kings Canyon as a seperate destination from Uluru and not as a little additional one-day trip. It is too much travel time and not enough Kings Canyon time if you join a day trip excursion from Uluru - although these trips are being offered at the resort center of Yulara.

If all you have is an extra day or half day to visit Kings Canyon from Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park the only sensible way to visit Kings Canyon is by Air. In fact it is a spectacular way to see Kings Canyon, the view from the air is simply fantastic and you can book a variety of air tours at Yulara to take you from Ayers Rock to Kings Canyon and back. While the Kings Canyon views from the air impress you will miss out on hiking through Kings Canyon itself.

Therefore my favorite approach is to Travel to Kings Canyon with 2 nights on site so you have a full day at your disposal. If you not only have enough time but also enough cash I still recommend keeping an air adventure on your itinerary - book a helicopter flight once you get to Kings Canyon.

Just like Ayers Rock is part of the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park - Kings Canyon is within the Watarrka National Park. Kings Canyon is a spectacular canyon carved 270m deep into the rocks of Watarrka National Park. Kings Canyon harbours remnant vegetation from the distant past, plants left over from prehistoric times when Kings Canyon was not a lonely oasis in a desert but part of a wet tropical landscape with spectacular ferns and palms. This is why Kings Canyon and Watarrka National Park is an extremely important conservation area harbouring over 600 plant and animal species of which many cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. The sheer red rock face of Kings Canyon shelters dense forests of ferns, palms and cycads from the relentless Northern Territory desert conditions. Kings Canyon has been constantly inhabited for the past 20,000 years by the Luritja tribe and was only discovered in 1872 by Ernest Giles and John Muir in 1873

The rim walk at Kings Canyon

The ring walk is the highlight of your Kings Canyon trip. The walk is a bit demanding but any reasonably fit hiker carrying sufficient water will complete it within not much more than 3 hours. The Kings Canyon Rim Walk takes you to all the best views, from the domes of "The Lost City" which reminds you very much of the Western Australian Bungle Bungles to the "Garden of Eden" which is the perfect place for your extended break at the permanent waterholes. If you don't think you can handle the 3-4 hours Rim Walk of Kings Canyon choose the easier and much shorter Kings Creek Walk which takes you into the Canyon itself. In fact it is a beautiful walk and also recommended for those who do complete the Rim Walk. It takes about an hour to complete. Given the midday heat present at Kings Canyon particularly during the summer months it is very advisable to start your Rim Walk around Kings Canyon early in the morning so you will be back before the heat starts kicking in.

Kings Canyon Watarrka National Park - How to get there

If you come visit Kings Canyon from Uluru you simply follow the Lasseters Highway until you turn off onto the Luritja Road which brings you to the Watarrka National Park. If you start out from Alice Springs you have a couple of choices, you can either follow the Stuart Highway and turn onto the Ernest Giles Road and then Luritja Road. Alternatively you take the scenic router through the Western MacDonnell Range by taking the Mereenie Loop. You do need to obtain a permit to use the Mereenie Loop to access Kings Canyon but it is easily obtained.

Kings Canyon Accommodation

Kings Canyon Resort offers several types of accommodations, restaurants and cafes. If you prefer camping and cabins choose Kings Creek Station which also has a small shop selling basic supplies. Both accommodation offerings are close to Kings Canyon and the start of your hiking adventures..

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