West MacDonnell National Park stretches 161km west of Alice Springs in Northern Territory. It is famous for its spectacular gorges, chasms and permanent water holes, offering numerous opportunities for hiking and camping. The park is part of the Red Centre, and as such is often visited together with Kings Canyon and Uluru. Driving through the West MacDonnell Ranges is a sightseeing by itself. Those ancient red colour rippled ranges look quite picturesque. Presently, the park is also known as Tjoritja.
Tyler’s Pass
Our journey (in July 2025) began at Tyler’s Pass, perched at the western edge of the West MacDonnell National Park. This elevated rest area offers sweeping 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape—including the striking, eroded rim of Tnorala (Gosses Bluff), a dramatic remnant of an ancient impact crater.
Redbank Gorge campground
West MacDonnell National Park offers a variety of camping options, and we chose to stay at Redbank Gorge, which is on the western side. Access is via a 5 km unsealed dirt road off the sealed Namatjira Drive. Redbank Gorge has two campgrounds: Woodland Campground, which is suitable for all vehicle types, and Ridgetop Campground, which is more suited for tents and swags.
We stayed at Woodland Campground and really enjoyed it. It’s relatively small, offering a sense of privacy and quiet. Facilities include toilets, BBQs, picnic tables, and campfire pits. There are no rubbish bins and you cannot bring your dog there.
The campground is very reasonably priced—especially compared to WA rates. We paid $25 per night for a family of four. (in 2025). Note that park entry fee also applies.
Redbank Gorge
The gorge itself is located 1.8 km from Woodland Campground, making for a short drive to explore its stunning features. The Redbank Gorge walk is a 2km return trail of moderate difficulty. Beginning at the car park, it descends gently to a dry, sandy creek bed. The path winds through rocky terrain, flanked by white ghost gums and framed by towering red cliffs—leading to a tranquil waterhole. It is serene and peaceful.
A ghost gum glowing white against ancient red rock and soft spinifex grass at Redbank Gorge. It is quiet, mysterious, unforgettable. There’s something haunting and sacred in the stillness of the outback.
This is the view of Mt Sonder’s southern side, from Redbank Gorge.
Finke 2 Mile Bush Camp
Just below the Mt Sonder Lookout, nestled along the banks of the Finke River, lies Finke 2 Mile Bush Camp—a rustic, no-facilities site for self-sufficient travellers. What it lacks in amenities, it makes up for in serenity and awesome views.
Campers can choose any spot along a 3km stretch of riverbank, with shady trees and pebbled edges perfect for a quiet stay. It’s 4WD-access only, and you need to book online before arrival. Camping fees apply, and there’s no mobile reception—so plan ahead.
We didn’t stay this time, but made a note: this peaceful riverside camp is one to consider for future trips, especially if you’re seeking solitude beneath the ranges.
Ormiston Gorge
In our opinion, this is perhaps the most picturesque of all the places that we visited in the Red Centre. The gorge’s striking combination of red, textured rock and white, powdery ghost gums reflected in the waterhole made it truly unforgettable. When the sun hits the gorge just right, it creates a dramatic contrast—shadowed foregrounds giving way to sunlit cliffs in the distance.
We took the Ghost Gum Walk up to the lookout, then followed the trail along the edge of the gorge and down to the waterhole. At that point, the only way forward was across the icy waterhole, which sees so little sun it never really warms up. So, with teeth clenched, boots in hand, and pants rolled up, off we went. Initially our two sons tried to build a bridge across, but eventually gave up and had to step into the freezing water too. Shortly after the initial numbing of our feet wore off, it actually felt invigorating—like a cold plunge for the soul. And after a few days without a shower, a foot wash was a welcome bonus.
The views continued to amaze and delight as we made our way back to the car park. Though there was one more section where you would either need to swim or get wet. We chose differently. Following our kids’ lead, we managed to climb up and over a rock. It was easy for them, of course, but they had to help us down the other side. 😊
It was quite the adventure—and absolutely worth it.
Spinifex pigeons are common at Ormiston Gorge. You can see many of them at the car park. It is probably the most beautiful pigeon I’ve seen.
Ochre Pits
Another attraction in the West MacDonnell National Park is colourful ochre pits. The rocky outcrops where they occur, look like a layered cake with white, yellow, orange, red and brown colours. Since ochre is still mined and used by Aboriginal people, it is considered a sacred site. With this in mind, please look but do not touch.
A gentle 300m walk leads to the viewing platform, with the option to wander further along the dry creek bed. Facilities include an info shelter and toilets at the car park. Easy access off the main road.
Ellery Creek Big Hole
Ellery Creek Big Hole is a spectacular permanent waterhole carved into the gorge by Ellery Creek, nestled in West MacDonnell National Park. It’s a beautiful spot for swimming—though we skipped that part. There’s a picnic area and a paid campground just steps from the waterhole, with toilets and BBQs for a comfortable stay.
Simpsons Gap
The closest to Alice Springs attraction in the West MacDonnell National Park is Simpsons Gap. As the name suggests, it is a gap between two rocks, with a permanent waterhole, which is home to including the black-footed-rock wallaby. We haven’t seen the wallaby, as they normally come out at dawn and dusk and we were there in the middle of the day. The Simpsons Gap is a very beautiful place and offers opportunity to admire the ancient landscape dotted by white ghost gums.
There are excellent facilities at Simpsons Gap, which include toilets, drinking water, bbqs, information shelter, mobile phone boost station. Simpsons Gap is easily accessible via sealed road.
