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Kings Canyon (Watarrka)

Be the first to review·1620km · 15h (fly to Alice Springs + drive 4.5h)

🚗 15h (fly to Alice Springs + drive 4.5h)📍 1620km💰 Free

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Best Time

May–Aug

Entry Fee

Free

Drive Time

15h (fly to Alice Springs + drive 4.5h)

Access

All vehicles

Start Rim Walk before 9am in warm months
Carry minimum 3L water
No shade on rim sections
First section is steep climb (500 steps)

The Rim Walk is one of Australia's great short walks — towering 100m sandstone walls, the Garden of Eden permanent waterhole, and vast desert views. Ancient cycad palms create an otherworldly atmosphere.

Plan your visit

In a national park, you'll usually need an NT Parks Pass, and campsites & some walks must be booked in advance.

Book a campsite Get a Parks Pass

Explorer Verdict

VerifiedFree entryWell equipped

Best for

Multi-day adventures, photography, wildlife

Skip if

You want a quick stop close to town

Time needed

Full day to 3+ days

Best season

May–Aug

NT Explorer verified

Last updated · 4 months ago

Where does this information come from?

Each location is scored from existing data: visitor ratings & review volume (social proof), official verification, amenities, safety warnings, access friction (permits/4WD), and how fresh the info is.

We show a score once a place has at least 5 visitor reviews. Until then the facts on this page come from official sources and site data — no score is invented.

Best Time to Visit

May–Aug

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May

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Oct

Nov

Dec

Getting There

Distance from Darwin1620km

Drive Time15h (fly to Alice Springs + drive 4.5h)

4WD RequiredNo

Facilities

ToiletsWaterCampingKings Canyon Resort

Safety Warnings

• Start Rim Walk before 9am in warm months

• Carry minimum 3L water

• No shade on rim sections

• First section is steep climb (500 steps)

Distance

1620km from Darwin

Drive Time

15h (fly to Alice Springs + drive 4.5h)

Best Season

May–Aug

Rating

No reviews yet

Safety Warnings

• Start Rim Walk before 9am in warm months

• Carry minimum 3L water

• No shade on rim sections

• First section is steep climb (500 steps)

Distance

1620km from Darwin

Drive Time

15h (fly to Alice Springs + drive 4.5h)

Best Season

May–Aug

Rating

No reviews yet

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Nearby Locations

Kings Canyon Creek Walk

Hiking

9.3km

Reedy Bluff

Lookouts

11km

Reedy Creek Campground

Camping

12km

Kings Creek Station

Camping

37km

Sun & light times

Kings Canyon (Watarrka) · ACST

Sunrise

05:23

Sunset

18:35

Day length13h 12m

Golden Hour AM

05:23 – 05:55

Golden Hour PM

18:04 – 18:35

Blue Hour AM

04:59 – 05:23

Blue Hour PM

18:35 – 19:00

Calculated with NOAA solar algorithm. Times are sun centre at the horizon (refraction-corrected).

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National Parks

1325km