About Kings Canyon
Kings Canyon is a major sandstone canyon in Watarrka National Park, about 300 km southwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Known as Watarrka to the Luritja people, it features sheer red rock walls over 100 metres high, a permanent waterhole at the Garden of Eden, and extensive walking trails. It is a central feature of the Red Centre and a key stop between Alice Springs and Uluru.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a dramatic desert canyon with towering sandstone cliffs, domed rock formations known as the Lost City, and the sheltered Garden of Eden waterhole with ferns and cycads. The main experiences are the 6 km Kings Canyon Rim Walk along the canyon rim with lookout points, and the shorter Kings Creek Walk on the valley floor. The landscape is arid spinifex country with limited shade, marked trails, stair climbs and viewing platforms.
Key highlights
- 01
Kings Canyon Rim Walk - 6 km circuit with panoramic views from the canyon rim
- 02
Garden of Eden - permanent waterhole surrounded by lush vegetation at the canyon base
- 03
Sheer sandstone walls rising over 100 metres above Kings Creek
- 04
Lost City - beehive-shaped sandstone domes on the plateau
- 05
Kings Creek Walk - 2.6 km return walk along the canyon floor to a lookout