Guide to Kings Canyon, Australia: Rim Walk & Travel Tips
A trip through the Australian Outback wouldn’t be complete without visiting Kings Canyon, one of the most spectacular places in the Red Centre, alongside Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park.
In particular, the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, which takes you around the edge of the canyon, is one of the best hikes you can do in Australia. It’s worth making the trip to Kings Canyon for this hike alone!
If you’re not sure whether to include Kings Canyon in your Australian Outback road trip itinerary, keep reading to discover what this unique part of the Red Centre has to offer.
Views from the top of Kings Canyon
KINGS CANYON AT A GLANCE:
📍 Location: Watarrka National Park, Northern Territory
🚗 From Uluru: ~300 km / 3–3.5 hours
🚗 From Alice Springs: ~450 km by the sealed route
🥾 Main hike: Kings Canyon Rim Walk (6-7 km, 3-4 hours)
💪 Difficulty: Grade 4 / moderate to difficult
🌡️ Hot-weather restriction: Start before 9 am when forecast temperature is 36°C+
WHERE IS KINGS CANYON & HOW TO GET THERE
Kings Canyon is one of the main tourist attractions in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is located in Watarrka National Park, around 450 kilometres southwest of Alice Springs and approximately 300 kilometres from Yulara, making it a popular stop on a Central Australia road trip.
The area is known for its rich Aboriginal history, spectacular rock formations and a surprising variety of wildlife.
To get to Kings Canyon, you’ll generally be travelling from either Alice Springs or Yulara (where Uluru is). Both towns can be reached by car or by plane from Australia’s major cities.
Getting to Kings Canyon from Uluru / Yulara
To drive to Kings Canyon from Uluru, leave Yulara following the Lasseter Highway east and turn left at the intersection with Luritja Road, driving towards the Red Centre Way.
The sign at the turn towards the Red Centre Way
Around 6 kilometres before reaching Petermann, you’ll find a turn-off to the right towards Kings Canyon. The entire route is sealed and suitable for 2WD vehicles.
The drive from Yulara to the car park at Kings Canyon is around 300 kilometres and takes roughly 3–3.5 hours without stops. This is a fairly straightforward drive, although there isn't much along the way, so make sure you have enough fuel and supplies before setting off.
Getting to Kings Canyon from Alice Springs
If you're travelling from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon, you have two main options.
The shorter and more scenic option is to travel west through the West MacDonnell Ranges and continue along the Mereenie Loop, which is part of the Red Centre Way. This route is around 375 kilometres, 160 of which were unsealed when I did this roadtrip myself. A 4WD is essential, and you'll need a Mereenie Loop Pass to travel this section of road, which can be obtained at the visitor centre in Alice Springs.
If you're travelling in a 2WD, the alternative is to take the longer sealed route. Head south from Alice Springs along the Stuart Highway, then turn onto the Lasseter Highway at Erldunda (as if you were heading towards Uluru) before joining Luritja Road towards the Red Centre Way. This route is approximately 475 kilometres in total.
The Red Centre Way is currently being progressively upgraded and sealed, with the NT Government planning works on the Outer Mereenie Loop as well.
Be careful with wildlife when driving on these roads, specially after sunset. Personally, I just don't drive in the dark in the Outback.
THE KINGS CANYON RIM WALK
If you’ve made it all the way to Kings Canyon, you definitely shouldn’t miss the Kings Canyon Rim Walk. This spectacular hike takes you around the edge of the canyon and is one of the highlights of visiting Watarrka National Park.
The walk takes around 3 to 4 hours and covers 6-7 kilometres, although you may spend longer if, like me, you want to stop at the many viewpoints along the way. And I definitely recommend stopping at all of them — the views over the canyon are incredible!
The climb up to Kings Canyon is said to have 1000 steps!
The beginning of the walk is the most challenging part, with a steep climb up to the top of the canyon. It's tough! But once you reach the rim, the hardest part is behind you and you can focus on enjoying the scenery and discovering the different landscapes along the way.
About halfway through the walk, you can take a detour down to the Garden of Eden, a natural rockhole surrounded by lush vegetation at the bottom of the gorge. You’ll need to descend a series of stairs from the main track to reach it. Sadly, swimming is not permitted in the waterhole, which has important cultural significance for the Traditional Owners and is also an important habitat for wildlife.
Views of the sheer canyon walls from one of the Rim Walk viewpoints
The trail is well signposted with blue arrows and must be completed in a clockwise direction. There’s a map at the start of the trail that you can photograph and refer to along the way, or you can download the official Watarrka National Park walking tracks map here.
My main advice is to start your walk early, take plenty of water and protect yourself from the sun (nothing new, right?). The Rim Walk is particularly challenging in hot weather, as there is very little shade along the route. On days when the forecast temperature at Watarrka is 36°C or above, you must start the Rim Walk before 9 am — you won’t be allowed to begin the walk after that time.
OTHER WALKS IN KINGS CANYON
The car park at the start of the Kings Canyon Rim Walk is also the starting point for several other walks, each marked with arrows of a different colour. The area also has a picnic area, toilets and a spot where you can watch the sunset.
Kings Canyon Walks
Kings Canyon Creek Walk
A pleasant walk along the creek at the bottom of the canyon, with the impressive sandstone walls rising above you as you make your way along the gorge. The trail ends at a lookout where you can take in the surrounding landscape and look out for some of the local birdlife.
It’s a good option if it’s too hot for the Rim Walk, or if you’re simply looking for an easier hike. The 2.6-kilometre return walk takes around an hour and follows the orange arrows.
Kings Canyon South Wall Walk
The South Wall Walk is a good alternative if you don't have enough time for the full Rim Walk or don't feel up to the steep initial climb.
It also begins with a fairly steep climb, although it's more manageable than the ascent at the start of the Rim Walk. Once you’re up, the trail offers great views of the canyon and its impressive rock formations.
The walk continues for around 2.4 kilometres before reaching a gate, at which point you turn around and return the same way. Allow around 1.5 hours for the walk and follow the green arrows.
Descending Kings Canyon South Wall
Kathleen Springs
If you'd rather take it easy and escape some of the heat, you can drive to Kathleen Springs, around 7 kilometres from the Kings Canyon car park.
The trail to the spring is mostly flat and relatively easy, making it a good option for a more relaxed walk. It takes around an hour to complete the 2.6-kilometre return walk, although you can simply turn around whenever you like.
Swimming is not permitted at Kathleen Springs, as the area has important cultural significance for the Traditional Owners.
WHERE TO STAY & CAMP NEAR KINGS CANYON
There are several options for camping near Kings Canyon, as well as the Kings Canyon Resort, where you can also stay in a room or glamping tent if you don't have your own camping gear.
The app I recommend for finding places to stay on road trips around Australia is CamperMate. It's free to download (for now) and includes thousands of campsites, caravan parks and free camping spots, as well as useful information such as facilities, reviews and offline maps.
For more advice on free camping in Australia, check out this post.
Free Camping Near Kings Canyon
One free option for spending the night near Kings Canyon is Salt Creek Rest Area, located along Luritja Road. It's a spacious rest area with picnic tables, an unfiltered water tank, rubbish bins and a firepit area. There are no toilets, so make sure you have the appropriate facilities for your vehicle and check the current camping rules before staying.
It's further away from Kings Canyon than the paid options, but it can be a good choice if you're travelling on a budget and are fully self-sufficient.
Having a campfire at Salt Creek Rest Area
Paid Campgrounds Near Kings Canyon
There are two paid camping options near Kings Canyon.
The outback-style option is Kings Creek Station, located around 36 kilometres from Kings Canyon. Its campground has both powered and unpowered sites, as well as toilets, hot showers and laundry facilities. There's also a swimming pool, shop and a café/restaurant at the station.
The closest option to Kings Canyon is the campsite at Discovery Resorts – Kings Canyon, located just 7 kilometres from the entrance to Watarrka National Park. The campground offers both powered and unpowered sites, with access to the resort's facilities, including a swimming pool, bar, restaurant, convenience store and petrol station.
HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU NEED TO VISIT KINGS CANYON?
You can easily adapt your visit to Kings Canyon depending on how much time you have. If you’re not in a rush, I’d recommend spending a couple of days in the area, so you can take your time with the different walks and enjoy the surroundings without having to rush from one place to another.
But if you only have one day in Kings Canyon, I’d make the Kings Canyon Rim Walk your priority. The walk around the top of the canyon is by far the most spectacular experience and, in my opinion, the main reason to visit Kings Canyon.
If you're coming from Uluru, I recommend arriving the day before and camping nearby. That way, you can get an early start the following morning, before the heat sets in, and have the afternoon free to relax or continue on to your next destination. That's what I did during my 4,130 km Red Centre roadtrip!
IS KINGS CANYON WORTH VISITING FROM ULURU?
If you're planning a trip through Central Australia to visit Uluru, you might be wondering whether it's worth making the extra drive to Kings Canyon and adding more kilometres to your road trip. In my opinion, absolutely!
The scenery around Kings Canyon is spectacular, and the walks are a little challenging but still very manageable if you're reasonably fit. And then there are the Outback sunsets, which are hard to beat.
Even the drive there is part of the experience. The landscape changes as you leave Uluru behind, and simply being out on those long, empty Outback roads is one of the things I enjoyed most about travelling through Central Australia.
So, if you have the time, I’d definitely add Kings Canyon to your itinerary rather than visiting Uluru and heading straight back.
>> En este post tienes más información y consejos para combinar tu visita a Kings Canyon con el Parque Nacional Uluru Kata-Tjuta.
ORGANISED TOURS TO KINGS CANYON FROM ULURU
If you're visiting Uluru without your own transport, you can also join an organised tour to Kings Canyon, with transport from Uluru and guided walks included, like this one.
Another option worth checking out if you're travelling on a backpacker budget is this 4-day group tour covering Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon, camping along the way. It looks like a great way to explore the Red Centre without having to worry about driving or organising your own accommodation. You can take a look at the tour here!
Different rock formations in Kings Canyon
Kings Canyon is a must-visit stop on any trip through Central Australia. Between the incredible scenery and the experience of walking along the edge of the canyon, it’s a place that’s well worth adding to your itinerary. You won't get these views anywhere else in Australia!
And if you have more time to explore this area, check out my more detailed Australian Outback road trip itinerary for more ideas and tips on what to see and do along the way.
See you out there!
>> No olvides viajar por Australia con un buen seguro de viaje. Aquí tienes un 5% de descuento para tu viaje como turista. Y te recomiendo este seguro de viaje para una Work & Holiday.
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