Ultimate West MacDonnell Ranges Itinerary

If you’re planning a trip to Central Australia and looking for a West MacDonnell Ranges Itinerary, you won’t be disappointed by what this beautiful area has to offer.

Considered an oasis in the outback, the West MacDonnell Ranges (Tjoritja) stretch over 160 km and provide a unique experience in the Australian Red Centre. 

From towering gorges, spiritual stories intertwined with nature and croc free safe places to swim, this area is full of surprises that will challenge any preconceived ideas about what the Australian Outback looks like,

West MacDonnell Ranges itinerary

The whole route takes approximately 3 hours to drive (without stops) so with an early start, this West MacDonnell Ranges Itinerary can be done as a day trip from Alice Springs, or as a multi-day trip in its own right.

Below is a quick map of the route, which you can also get on your phone by clicking this link.

Simpsons Gap

Simpsons Gap is your first stop on your West MacDonnell Ranges tour, and your first glimpse into this unique landscape. It takes around 20 minutes (24 km) to reach the car park from Alice Springs, where you’ll then have a short walk to the watering hole.

There wasn’t much water when we visited in the middle of summer, but it didn’t matter since swimming is prohibited at Simpsons Gap. Nevertheless, with the towering cliffs it offers a great relief from the sun.

There are several short walks you can take around Simpsons Gap, where you’ll see various native plants and trees, as well as the occasional black-footed wallaby if you’re lucky!

Fun fact: Known as Rungutjirpa to the Arrernte Aboriginal people, Simpsons Gap was the mythological home of a group of giant goanna ancestors.

Standley Chasm

You’ll find your next stop on this West MacDonnell Ranges itinerary only 30 minutes from Simpsons Gap.

With an entrance fee of $12 per person (on top of the cost for your Northern Territory Parks Pass) it’s the only ticketed attraction along this route.

Once you’ve purchased your entrance ticket at the kiosk, you’re able to explore the 3 metres wide and 80 metres high gorge on a self guided walking tour, or you can join an aboriginal guide where you’ll be told Dreamtime Stories and learn more about the area’s cultural heritage.

The walk is an easy 2.4km loop trail through native bushland and plenty of wildlife spotting opportunities thanks to the nearby natural spring!

Quick tip: The best time to visit Standley Chasm is around noon when the sun is shining directly down on the chasm, setting the rock walls on fire with vibrant orange and red light. 

If you want to extend your stay and have the chasm practically to yourself, you can pay extra to camp which will also give you after-hours access to the park. This starts at $25 a night for an unpowered camp site.

Image By Stephan Mabbs

Ellery Creek Big Hole

40 minutes from Standley Chasm is one of my favourite places in the West MacDonnell Ranges: Ellery Creek!

The last little way to the car park is unsealed, but as long as you’re not in a low sports car, or travelling during the rainy season, you’ll be fine! There’s ample parking and from there, it’s just a short walk to the water.

Noted as being the only permanent watering hole in the West MacDonnell ranges, it’s also one of the few swimmable watering holes on this itinerary. However, even in the middle of summer the water is extremely cold.

We spent quite a bit of time relaxing at Ellery Creek since we were the only people there for the majority of the morning. 

If you want to see more of this beautiful part of the ranges, the 3km Dolomite Walk is a great option! It takes around an hour to complete and is relatively easy to moderate in difficulty.

Serpentine Gorge

It’s just a short 15 minute drive to your next stop in the West MacDonnell Ranges however, 3km of the road is unsealed. While it’s rough in places, unless you’re in a large vehicle it is easily doable when it’s dry. Again, we managed in our rickety old camper.

From the carpark, it’s roughly a 1km walk to the watering hole whose shade offers a nice relief from the sun. You cannot swim at Serpentine Gorge.

After visiting the beautiful Ellery Creek Big Hole, Serpentine Gorge might be a bit disappointing. When we visited there was barely a trickle of water running through the bottom but the short walk to the lookout really turned that around.

It only takes 15 minutes to reach the lookout but the walk is steep, climbing over 800m in that short time. Keep your eyes peeled for the local birdlife, wallabies and plenty of lizards here too!

Ochre Pits

A 300m walk from the car park will bring you to the Ochre Pits, a beautiful hand-dug mine that has exposed incredible natural patterns in the rocks.

Ochre has been mined here by the local Arrernte people for thousands of years. It’s this hand-mining process that has exposed the patterns that we see today. 

The Ochre here, or natural clay, is still used during ceremonies to this day but please respect this sacred area and refrain from taking some for yourself.

It’s a relatively short stop, but worth it if you have the time!

Ormiston Gorge

Ready to visit the outback’s only beach? Known as Kwartatuma by the Arrernte people, there are incredible dreamtime stories related to Ormiston Gorge that make this place even more special if you take the time to read them, or ask about them on your Aboriginal guided tour at Standley Chasm.

As you can imagine, this is a really popular spot during peak season with many choosing to spend a full day here to relax and unwind at this hidden inland beach. However, if you explore beyond the water the area really opens up to you.

There are various walks to do around here, from the short 2.5 km Ghost Gum Walk to the multi day 18 km Bowmans Gap walk, there’s an option for every time limitation!

For $10 per person, per night, you can use the campsite to extend your stay even further and make the most of the area once the crowds have gone.

Glen Helen Gorge

Glen Helen Gorge was another highlight of our trip to West MDonnell Ranges with a beautiful walk to the water and an ideal place to top up on fuel/water if you needed to.

However as I update this post I see the resort where we parked is now closed, so I’m unsure whether you can access the Gorge now. It’s marked as temporary but the latest review sounds as though it won’t be opening any time soon.

I believe there is a detour track from the car park which allows you to still access the water without crossing the now private property but please look out for official signs when you get there.

Photo by Christian Bass

Mount Sonder Lookout

Many people wizz past this beautiful lookout and miss it completely, make sure you’re not one of them and mark this stop on your map now.

Not only does the Mount Sonder Lookout offer incredible views over the West MacDonnell Ranges and surrounding areas, but it’s a common spot to see wild camels and wild horses!

It’s an easy walk from the car park and while there’s no camping allowed, it’s quick to get to from the nearby camp spots if you want to watch the sunrise or sunset from here (which we highly recommend!)

Redbank Gorge (4×4 access)

For the final stop on this West MacDonnell Ranges itinerary, we’re going to take the road for a bit longer than most people who visit the area to see Redbank Gorge.

This sort of hidden gem is often overlooked due to only being accessible via a 5km dirt road, including 2 creek crossings and a steep hill towards the end. I’ll be honest, this is what also put us off from visiting, Mo did an incredible job on our outback road trip, and although the creeks were likely dry when we visited, we didn’t want to push our luck and end up stuck in what felt like the middle of nowhere.

From the car park there’s a 1.2 km walk to the watering hole which you’ll likely have all to yourself!

Photo by Christian Bass

How Many Days Do You Need?

This West MacDonnell itinerary can be done as a day trip from Alice Springs if you set off early. 

However, you’ll be able to do more of the walks and explore at a more relaxed pace if you do this trip across two or three days!

We did this route in a day but really wish we’d spent longer and done more of the walks around Ormiston Gorge. Even though it was pretty quite while we were here, it would have been nice to see a sunrise or sunset from one of the many lookouts.

Do you need a permit to visit The West Macdonnell Ranges?

Yes, you’ll need to purchase a Northern Territory Park Pass inorder to access any of the national parks in the Northern Territory.

This pass starts at $10 per person for a day pass, but rise to $60 per person if you want to purchase a pass that will last you an entire year.

You’ll then also have to pay extra if you want to see Standley Chasm or camp at any of the sites within the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Do You Need a 4×4?

For the most part, no, a 4×4 isn’t necessary if you drive to the West MacDonnell Ranges from Alice Springs. 

However, you will need an offroad vehicle if you want to do the full loop continuing past Redbank Gorge to Hermannsburg

West MacDonnell Camping Options:

You’re not short of camping in the West MacDonnell Ranges. For most of these sites you will need to book in advance using this website. There’s varying facilities but we always recommend having enough water on you to last the whole trip, just in case!

Ellery Creek Big Hole Camping: 2wd access. $4 per person. Water, toilets & BBQs

Ormiston Gorge Camping – 2wd access. No booking necessary, $10 per person at the kiosk, first in first served. Toilet, showers, water, shelter & BBQs

Standley Chasm: Electric hookup, after hours access. $18.50 including Gorge entrance. Water, washing machines, toilets, showers, cafe & shop.

Redbank Gorge Camping: 4wd access. $4 per person. Toilets, water & BBQs

Finke River Two Mile bush campground

Serpentine Chalet bush campground

Hugh River bush campground

For free camping, there’s also Point Howard Lookout or Neil Hargrave Lookout. There are no facilities here so please remember to take your rubbish with you.

Know Before You Go:

Even though this route only takes you a couple of hours away from Alice Springs, you’ll still be travelling through the outback and need to be prepared for all eventualities. Especially if you’re travelling during a time where extreme weather is a risk,

Here are some of the key things to know before you travel to the West MacDonnell Ranges: 

• The road is mostly a sealed track
• Take drinking water. There are water points along this route, especially at campsites but there’s no guarantee that there will actually be water available
• You can visit basic cafes at Standley Chasm & Ormiston Gorge
• There’s limited phone signal along this route
• Now that Glen Helen is closed, there are no fuel stations
• The swimmable watering holes offer croc free waters which was a relief after being in Far North Queensland & Darwin!

Best Time To Visit West MacDonnell Ranges:

We did our entire outback road trip through the middle of summer, which meant we landed in West Macdonnell Ranges around late December. Unsurprisingly, we had a quiet time on this itinerary as very few other people tend to drive between Darwin and Adelaide during the summer.

However, would we recommend it? Probably not! It was so. Damn. Hot. and sleeping in an un-air-conditioned van was hard! (not to mention our fridge struggled to stay cold!) So unless you have a vehicle that is set up for the heat I wouldn’t recommend visiting through summer. It’s also worth noting that January is listed as the wettest month for this part of the country so if you are travelling around this time you’ll need to be careful of flooding.

The best times, and busiest times, to visit would be through the cooler months (April-September) but you’ll still need to take plenty of water & be aware of any weather changes.