West MacDonnell Ranges
Good to know
- Best time to go
- April to October for hiking; summer temperatures are extreme
- Budget
- $
- Accessibility
- not-accessible
- Coordinates
- Open in maps
The West MacDonnell Ranges extend 160 kilometres west of Alice Springs as a series of parallel quartzite ridges, gorges, and permanent waterholes important to Aranda (Arrernte) people across thousands of years. The Larapinta Trail traverses the full length of the range in 12 stages, connecting Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, and Ormiston Gorge — a broad canyon with a permanent waterhole and seasonal waterfall. Ellery Creek Big Hole, the westernmost cold spring-fed waterhole, offers swimming in clear, cold water set against terracotta cliffs.
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