Home / Oceania / Australia / Kings Canyon: a spectacular canyon in the Australian desert

Kings Canyon: a spectacular canyon in the Australian desert

This post is also available in: Deutsch

Kings Canyon is a spectacular canyon located in Watarrka National Park in central Australia. The canyon is located 440 km south-west of Alice Springs about 300 km north-east of Ayers Rock (Uluru). Kings Canyon is a spectacular area of the Australian desert formed by red cliffs up to 100 meters high. The plateau above the rocky walls of the canyon is covered with characteristic rocky domes. The canyon is spectacular and certainly worth a thorough visit.

Some areas of the park are sacred to Australian Aborigines, these areas are to be avoided so as not to offend the Aboriginal population. The canyon has breathtaking views, including areas where it is possible to admire overhangs of a few hundred meters. Among the most interesting attractions are the rock formations called Lost City and Garden of Eden.

TREKKING PATHS

The park can be visited via three beautiful paths. In particular there are two itineraries that can be easily covered. The first, the Kings Creek Walk, has a length of 2 km (round trip) which is accomplished with a walk of about 1 hour. This path runs along the bottom of the river gorge until it reaches a platform overlooking the canyon walls.

The most beautiful path is the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, a 6 km long circular path. After climbing to the top of the rocky wall you have spectacular views of the canyon and the surrounding area. This path allows you to visit the park in its entirety. The path continues until some panoramic points from which you can have breathtaking views of the domes of the lost city and the rocks of the so-called Garden of Eden. To walk the whole circular path, it takes 4 to 5 hours of walking.

For the more adventurous, the third path, Giles Track, is 22 km long and connects Kings Canyon with Kathleen Springs.

This post is also available in: Deutsch