Kings Canyon Rim Walk

Kings Canyon Rim Walk is a 6 km loop in Watarrka National Park, starting and finishing at the Kings Canyon car park. It’s graded Grade 4 (moderate to difficult) and typically takes 3–4 hours at a steady hiking pace.

The route’s hardest part comes right out of the start: a steep climb up a run of about 500 steps to get you to the canyon rim. Plan on deliberate footing from the start, since the rest of the walk keeps you along the cliff-edge trackline.

Once you’re on top, the trail follows the rim for long stretches, with viewpoints across the surrounding desert country and down into the canyon. Midway through, you reach the Garden of Eden, a permanent waterhole set within surrounding plant life.

Garden of Eden is a key landmark but swimming is not permitted there. The Rim Walk is also associated with the “Lost City” sandstone dome area on the rim circuit.

Hot conditions are a real constraint in the Red Centre: on days forecast to hit 36°C or higher, you must begin the Rim Walk before 9:00 am, and entry after that is not permitted for safety reasons.

Location-wise, Kings Canyon (also known as Watarrka) sits in the Northern Territory of Australia, about 321 km southwest of Alice Springs, within Watarrka National Park.

More information: Wikipedia, Kings Canyon Rim Walk | Northern Territory, Australia, Kings Canyon Rim Walk - Discovery Parks