What To Expect At Kings Canyon Australia in the Northern Territory

Planning A Visit Through The Northern Territory to Kings Canyon

While we were in Uluru, we decided to take a day trip and explore the Northern Territory further. If you don’t have a vehicle, this is easily done with a tour from Uluru, but it is a very long day that begins around 4:00 am and will have you back in Uluru approximately 13 hours later.

This blog will tell you about our personal experience and what to expect at Kings Canyon Australia on a day trip.

Highlights of Kings Canyon

How Far Is Kings Canyon From Uluru?

While on our tour, our bus driver covered 600 km. That is the distance from Uluru to Kings Canyon and return. So this is not a quick trip! It took us approximately 3 hours to the first stop.  The pick-up is very early at 4:00am which means a lot of the first drive is done in the dark.

We were very glad to have an experienced driver since many animals were walking across the road including cattle, camels and dingos. Many people dozed while our driver drove carefully and capably.

As the sun was coming up and the day was starting, we made our first stop at Kings Creek Station for a nice hot breakfast and toilet break. This station was originally started in 1981 by Ian Conway who was an expert camel catcher. He built his business on this property from nothing and became the largest camel exporter in the country. It has since been sold in 2019 and now offers a cafe and camping accommodations.

From this point, it was a short drive to the Watarrka National Park.

✅ If you are looking for an operator to take you safely to Kings Canyon – check out this tour that we took. It included comfortable transportation, breakfast, a choice of walks, and a few stops along the way.

Kings Canyon Walks

Having previously visited Manyara National Park in the East Africa Rift, which is also dry and desert like, we weren’t sure what exactly would be available to explore in this arid landscape. However, upon our arrival at the park, we were given an orientation.

The Watarraka National Park is made up of 3 different deserts. Inside are 650 different plant species with 60 of them designated as rare or relic. Some are noted as being from 200 million years ago.

This is a very remote location and it was important to understand the safety rules. We were instructed by our guides to stay on paths where indicated and what the emergency phones along the routes looked like. 

In this park, there are three different designated trails within the canyon area:

✦ Kings Canyon Rim Walk is a 6km loop taking 3-4 hours and is a grade 4 (moderate to difficult)

✦ South Wall Return Walk is 4.8km following the same trail out and back. It takes 2 hours and is a grade 3 (moderate).

✦ Kings Creek Walk is 2km following the same trail out and back. It takes 1 hour and is a grade 2 (easy).

How Difficult is the Kings Canyon Rim Walk?

This was the ultimate question! Our tour had two guides with us as the group would be split into two – one that would do the Rim Walk and one that would do the Kings Creek Walk.

Our initial plan had been to do the Rim Walk. The only consideration was whether I could manage it with my knee which can be an issue if I overdo it with climbing and walking on uneven ground. This was a decision we also had to make when visiting Sete Cidades in the Azores and deciding to walk or drive the 12km crater rim.

Our guide advised that we could start with the Kings Canyon Rim hike and if after the first 200 steps up the canyon wall, it was proving to be too much, we could bail out and still join the Creek Walk. If we continued past that point we would be committed for the full morning. We thought that was a great idea.

The first part of the Rim Walk is a series of uneven, natural stone steps with no railing. There are approximately 500 steps and it is very steep with no real safe areas for taking a break. We set off with the group and climbed the initial 200 steps.

At the first available landing, we reassessed. While we thought we could likely keep going, we made the tough decision to go back down to ensure I didn’t ruin my knee and risk having pain for the remainder of the 4 weeks we were going to be travelling.

We waved the group off and watched as many struggled to start up the next section of even steeper steps.

While I was initially disappointed, there are some things we just have to accept that are limitations. I wasn’t willing to chance an injury that might impact the rest of our trip. Plus it was super hot already and we honestly started to question our ability to continue in such hot weather, given it was already over 32 degrees and this was just the start of the walk along the trail.

Our guide was kind enough to give us a few pictures that really highlight the beauty of the Canyon from the Rim Walk including extreme vertical drops and the area known as the Garden of Eden. I have to admit that the views of the canyon are pretty spectacular and if you are a keen walker, then this would definitely be the route to take when visiting.

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Taking The Kings Creek Walk

After climbing back down the steps, we joined the group on the floor of the canyon and proceeded with a walk along the creek bed.

Surprisingly there is no actual creek visible as it is located two metres under the ground. On the walk, we learned about the interesting vegetation that survives in this dry and hot area. 

The canyon is still quite active in its formation with rocks falling from the face of the cliffs on a regular basis. In fact, the lookout point at the end of the Creek Walk has been moved out significantly from its original position after a large boulder came down and crushed the platform!

So to keep visitors safe, a new platform has been created further out from the canyon edges in a more open space. And unbelievably the materials were all hand carried in for the new lookout point.

Probably the most fascinating parts to see from this vantage point are the incredible sheer cliffs. From many points, you can see the walls of the canyon and numerous layers of sandstone showing how they have formed over millions of years. 

The trail is mostly flat terrain with some areas requiring walking up and over large stones. It was leisurely and took approximately 1 1/2 hours with the guide stopping to talk and describe what we were seeing.

Important Things To Know When Visiting

✅ This park does require a separate park pass. It is not included in the pass that you purchase to visit Uluru. You can purchase the Northern Territory Park Pass online at this link.

✅ Taking the trails in this area requires starting to walk early.  The trail for the Rim Walk will be closed after 9:00am if the temperature is forecasted to reach 36 degrees. You certainly don’t want to travel all that way to find out the trail has been closed. So make sure to plan accordingly.

✅ Drinking water is essential for these walks. The rule of thumb is 1 litre of water per hour of walking. So the Rim Walk requires a minimum of 3 litres per person. Come prepared to carry that amount of water with you and be sure to drink it to stay hydrated!

Do You Have To Walk To See The Canyon?

If you would like to save some time and aren’t interested in walking the canyon, you can take a scenic plane ride from Uluru to Kings Canyon. We learned about this after the fact and likely would have looked at this as an option since the flight is only two hours and you get to see many of the major sights in the red centre with panoramic views.

✅ Looking for a scenic flight? This is a 5 star tour option with full commentary to explore this beautiful area. Travellers say the ride gave a wonderful perspective and was incredibly memorable.

The other option is to take a helicopter tour if you are already in the Kings Canyon area.

Kings Canyon Walk Map

As mentioned there are several trails around Kings Canyon. Below is the map of the main ones that explore either from above or within the canyon.

Is Kings Canyon, Australia Really Worth Visiting?

This is a beautiful area of Central Australia and we are glad we saw it. However, if you aren’t able to do the more difficult walk around the rim of Kings Canyon, we feel the long day trip isn’t worth it. The walk on the creek bed was nice but not as great of an attraction as seeing the canyon from above.

You need to be a keen hiker and able to tolerate the high temperatures as much of the walk is in full sun. If you aren’t into the very long bus ride and challenging hike, then definitely consider the plane ride to explore this beautiful area.