Larapinta Trail

The Larapinta Trail crosses more than 230 kilometres of Central Australia, tracing the ranges west from Alice Springs through Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park. Divided into 12 sections, it can be tackled as an end-to-end trek or experienced through shorter walks across rocky ridgelines, deep gorges, dry riverbeds and sheltered waterholes. Beginning at Alice Springs Telegraph Station, the trail extends west towards Mount Sonder. Individual sections range from 8.9 kilometres between Ormiston Gorge and the Finke River to almost 29 kilometres, yet distance alone does not determine difficulty. Exposed quartzite ridges, steep climbs, rocky terrain and sheltered valleys can make sections of similar length feel very different. Some of Central Australia’s best-known landscapes lie along or close to the route. Simpsons Gap and Standley Chasm appear earlier in the journey; further west, Ormiston Gorge, Redbank Gorge and Mount Sonder become major landmarks. Together, they range from narrow rock walls and waterholes to exposed ridgelines and elevated desert views.