View of the West MacDonnell Ranges from the Mount Sonder lookout at sunset (Image Trung Nguyen)
Discover eight must-see wonders of the East and West MacDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs — from ancient gorges to offroad tracks, waterholes and Dreaming sites.
In the final part of our Alice Springs series, we head out into the East and West MacDonnell Ranges, a natural playground of red-rock landscapes, offroad tracks, wildlife and ancient heritage that draws visitors from far and wide.
Missed the first two parts? Part one explored the top 10 attractions in and around Alice Springs itself, including gems like the RFDS tourist facility, Araluen Arts Centre and Standley Chasm, while part two covered five fantastic bush camps (with bonus attractions) within 200km of town.
Now it’s time to delve into the East and West MacDonnell Ranges and discover eight standout wonders featuring offroad adventures, bush walks, hidden waterholes, cultural sites and everything in between.
Some of these locations are 4WD only, so plan to either make day trips from Alice or set up a basecamp further out for exploring the ranges.
Why visit the East and West Macs?
Stretching out on either side of Alice Springs, the East and West MacDonnell Ranges are raw, dramatic and endlessly photogenic. Towering gorges, sparkling waterholes, striking cliffs and ancient geological formations define the landscape.
The Larapinta Trail runs through both ranges, offering experienced hikers an epic immersion into this beautiful region while casual walkers can undertake the shorter trail sections. Whether you’re searching out the best bush camp (there are many, just check which are caravan-friendly) or leaving your caravan back in Alice to explore with just your 4WD, the East and West Macs provide a true taste of Central Australia.
Many sites hold deep cultural significance to the Arrernte Traditional Owners, with Dreamtime stories still alive in the land, and there are many cultural tours on offer to gain deeper appreciation of the land and its heritage.
Ormiston Gorge (Image Robert Crack)
The ideal time to visit is between April and September, when temperatures are milder and the dry-season skies are at their clearest. And don’t forget, a NT Parks Pass is required for visits to the East and West MacDonnell Ranges and Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park (this is different from the pass for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park).
The East and West Macs are chock-full of beautiful gorges, waterholes and geological wonders, so this list only skims the top of what there is to explore (and our 200km radius still applies, with one small exception).
East MacDonnell Ranges
Stretching around 150 km east of Alice Springs, the East MacDonnell Ranges reveal a rugged, colourful landscape brimming with walking trails, waterholes, rock art and camping spots. While often overshadowed by its western counterpart, the East Macs are no less spectacular, offering a mix of easily accessible sites alongside remote, 4WD-only adventures for those seeking a more off-grid experience.
East MacDonnell Ranges
Yeperenye / Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park
Starting off easy, just 14km east of Alice along the sealed Ross Highway, Emily and Jessie Gaps are easily accessible, culturally significant features of the East Macs. The gaps form part of the caterpillar Dreaming story, which tells the story of how Alice Springs came to be, with rock art at Emily Gap illustrating the Arrernte creation tales. Visitors are asked to respect the site — no touching or photographing the rock art, and climbing is not permitted.
Facilities include toilets, picnic areas, fire pits (only in Jessie Gap), walking trails and informative signs. Always stay on the designated road and tracks and respect the land and cultural site. Pets aren’t permitted and there are no bins, so take your rubbish with you.
Emily Gap, East MacDonnell Ranges
The 7.2km walking trail connects Emily Gap and Jessie Gap
The park’s 7.2km Yeperenye Trail was completed in 2021 by a local Aboriginal group (who did it by hand) with the guidance of cultural supervisors to protect the cultural and spiritual sites. The trail allows walking, cycling and wheelchair access between the two gaps, with rest stops and interpretive signs along the way.
Bird and wildlife enthusiasts will enjoy spotting budgies, honeyeaters, brown falcons, whistling kites, desert lizards and other reptiles.
The park is open all year and is all-vehicle accessible, making it the perfect short stop before venturing deeper into the East Macs.
N'Dhala Gorge Nature Park
Heading further east, N'Dhala Gorge Nature Park is 96km from Alice along the Ross Highway. While the majority of the drive from Alice is sealed, the final section from Ross River Resort is unsealed and 4WD-only, with some creek crossings, so leave your van back at camp for this one.
The gorge is home to approximately 6000 petroglyphs dating back as far as 10,000 years that tell the history of the Arrernte people. The carvings trace similar Dreamtime stories to the artworks found in Emily Gap and deserve similar respect.
The beautiful drive into N'Dhala Gorge Nature Park (Image Glenn Marshall)
Petroglyphs at N'Dhala Nature Park (Image Emma Warren and Sam Richards)
A 1.5km return walking trail (allow around an hour) leads you through the gorge and past engravings and rare plants like the Hayes wattle.
The park’s campground is suitable for tents and offroad camper trailers, but visitors need to bring their own water, supplies and book online before arrival. Facilities include toilets, picnic tables and fire pits. There are no bins, so take your rubbish with you. Fires outside designated areas, firewood collection, pets, generators and drones are not permitted.
N'Dhala Gorge is a lovely blend of cultural history, natural beauty and rugged adventure, offering a glimpse into the Red Centre’s deeper stories.
N'Dhala Gorge waterhole (Image Matt Williams)
Arltunga Historical Reserve
Located about 110km east of Alice Springs, Arltunga was Central Australia’s first town. Born from the 1887 gold rush the reserve’s restored stone buildings, scattered ruins and interpretive signs reveal the brief but hard-lived history of the miners and pioneers who made the hard 600km journey from the Oodnadatta railhead to etch out a life here. The location was named a Historical Reserve in 1977.
Access from Alice Springs is via the Ross Highway (76km sealed) and 33km of gravel road. The reserve is open all year, but it’s best visited in the cooler months, as roads can be tricky after rain.
Entering Arltunga Historical Reserve (Image Sandy Guy)
The old police station and gaol at Arltunga Historic Reserve (Image Emma Warren and Sam Richards)
Walking tracks throughout the reserve link key historic sites like the Government Battery Cyanide Works and the old police station. And if you want to try your hand at fossicking, get a permit and head to the designated area nearby to see what you can find.
The reserve has basic facilities, including shaded picnic areas, toilets and barbecues. There’s no camping available, but nearby Trephina Gorge and N'Dhala Gorge are suitable for caravans or tents.
Beyond its gold rush history, Arltunga offers more than 30km of 4WD tracks through stark, desert country, making it a great spot for those who like kicking the adrenaline into gear and experiencing a rougher side of the East Macs.
Ruby Gap Nature Park
Ruby Gap, 150km east of Alice (38km from Arltunga), is remote, rugged and largely untouched. Its claim to fame is being the site of Central Australia’s first mining rush in 1886, when explorer, surveyor and miner David Lindsay mistook garnets for rubies, sparking a mining rush that quickly dried up and left behind a legend and name to remember Lindsay’s folly by.
These days, visitors come for solitude, dramatic cliffs, waterholes and off-grid camping rather than gemstones.
Getting to the park requires a high-clearance 4WD, so you’ll need to leave your caravan back in Alice or at your chosen East Macs basecamp. The last 38km along the Binns Track from Arltunga Historical Reserve is tough going and takes around 90 minutes, with riverbeds and rocky sections that can become impassable after rain.
Ruby Gap Nature Park
For those who don’t mind swapping their caravan mattress for a tent or swag, there’s camping available at Ruby Gap. The camping area is basic but beautiful, situated along the sandy banks of the Hale River. Facilities are non-existent, so you’ll need to be self-sufficient and bring your own water and firewood and take all your rubbish with you. A personal locator beacon (PLB) or satellite phone wouldn’t go amiss. Camping must be booked online before you arrive (you can’t pay onsite).
One of the key park highlights is Glenn Annie Gorge. It’s a 5km return walk from Ruby Gap to reach the long waterhole nestled among towering cliff walls. Birdwatchers will be in their element, with Australian reed warblers, black-fronted dotterels, painted finches, zebra finches, bush stone curlews and Australasian grebes calling the area home. The waterhole is also great for swimming, so bring your sunnies and togs, and get ready to soak up the serenity.
If you’re up for a longer walk, Fox’s Grave is an 8km return trail from Ruby Gap via Glen Annie Gorge to the lonely grave of failed miner F.H. Fox who ended his life after finding out his prized rubies were only garnets.
The cliffs, ochre sands and deep blue skies of Ruby Gap make it a special place to visit, and with the chance of finding garnets chips in the sand it puts a different meaning on a Red Centre ‘hidden gem’.
Trephina Gorge
Now, we did cover Trephina Gorge in part two of our series due to its fantastic bush camping, but it deserves a mention here as one of the key highlights of the East Macs, whether you’re camping or not.
Located about 95km east of Alice, it features quartzite cliffs, sandy creek beds and two main gorges: Trephina and John Hayes Rockhole. And best yet, it’s a bit quieter than some of the West Macs’ more popular offerings like Standley Chasm, which we covered in part one.
Trephina Gorge
The road to the park is sealed almost the entire way, with a final 5km unsealed stretch that is 2WD-accessible in dry conditions. But John Hayes Rockhole can only be reached by 4WD or on foot.
Of the park’s four campgrounds, Panorama is the only caravan-friendly option. But there are facilities aplenty, with toilets, potable water, gas and wood barbecues and picnic areas. Fires, firewood collection, generators, drones and pets aren’t allowed. And remember to book your campsite online before arriving.
John Hayes Rockhole (Image Robert Crack)
Walking trails range from short strolls to the Ridgetop Trail that leads to John Hayes Rockhole. Don’t miss seeing Australia’s largest ghost gum, a 30m tall giant estimated to be more than 300 years old, and enjoy spotting rock wallabies, zebra finches and red-browed pardalotes among the trees.
As one of the main caravan-friendly camps in the East Macs, Trephina Gorge makes for the perfect basecamp for exploring nearby highlights.
Australia’s largest Ghost Gum tree in Trephina Gorge
West MacDonnell Ranges
On the other side of Alice Springs, the West MacDonnell Ranges — part of Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park — sprawls across 161km west of town, a wonderland of dramatic gorges, red-rock escarpments and peaceful waterholes like Roma Gorge (high-clearance 4WD only), Ormiston Gorge (caravan-friendly camping available — check it out here) and Standley Chasm.
And as mentioned, you’ll need a NT Parks Pass (unless you’re a NT resident), which you can get online here.
West MacDonnell Ranges (Image Sean Scott)
Birthday Waterhole
One Wes Macs highlight you won’t want to miss is Birthday Waterhole. Located around 65km west of Alice on the Hugh River, this is a lesser-known attractions for four-wheel drivers seeking a quiet spot to explore.
From Alice Springs, head west along Namatjira Drive and turn off for the 14km high-clearance 4WD track to the semi-permanent waterhole. The track includes creek crossings and rocky patches (drop your tyre pressures if you need to). Soft-roaders and caravans aren’t recommended, but a suitable offroad camper trailer can make the trek.
Heading to Birthday Waterhole
Once you reach the waterhole, you’ll be treated to a beautiful scene of river red gums leaning over the banks, rainbow fish and frogs hiding in the water and desert birds darting among the trees.
There’s camping available, but spaces are limited and bookings are essential. If you want to bring your caravan part of the way, Ormiston Gorge and Ellery Creek Big Hole are two nearby West Macs gems with caravan-friendly camping.
Birthday Waterhole is perfect for a quiet afternoon, a night under the stars or as a base for a longer Larapinta Trail walk.
Ellery Creek Big Hole
If you’re looking for a great spot to set up your van in the West Macs and enjoy some classic Red Centre landscapes and chilly waterhole fun, then Ellery Creek Big Hole should definitely be on the list.
About 90km west of Alice Springs, this waterhole is one of the most popular and picturesque spots in the West Macs. Accessed via a 2WD gravel road and surrounded by tall red cliffs, the permanent waterhole and sandy Ellery Creek is a favourite for picnics, bushwalking and swimming.
Ellery Creek Big Hole (Image Robert Crack)
Also known as Udepata, Ellery Creek Big Hole is a sacred site for the Central and Western to the Arrernte Traditional Owners, and as a permanent water source it has long served as a meeting place for the people and features in local Dreaming stories.
To gain a true appreciation of the geological formations, with rocks carved over thousands of years of floods, take the 3km Dolomite walk. Ellery Creek Big Hole also offers access to Sections 6 and 7 of the Larapinta Trail.
People swimming in Ellery Creek Big Hole (Image Julien Viry)
There’s also caravan-friendly camping available — just book online in advance. Facilities include barbecues, picnic area, public toilets and a car park.
Mount Sonder (Rutjupma)
Despite being a bit further than our 200km limit from Alice, Mount Sonder (Rutjupma) is worth including in your West Macs adventure, especially if you’re already checking out Ellery Creek Big Hole and Ormiston Gorge.
Mount Sonder is the fourth-highest peak in the Northern Territory (1380m above sea level) and marks the western end of the Larapinta Trail. And before you baulk at the estimated 6–7-hour hike to the summit, there is a somewhat shorter 5km/2–2.5hr return hike to a lookout that starts at Redbank Gorge and still offers fantastic views.
Hiking towards the summit of Mount Sonder (Image Emma Warren and Sam Richards)
If you’re up for the challenging, longer hike to the summit, expect panoramic views, plenty of local wildlife including grey-headed honeyeaters, lizards and birds of prey, and desert vegetation that shifts to round-leafed mallee and native pine the higher you climb.
Camping is available at Redbank Gorge’s two campgrounds (Woodland is suitable for caravans) — check out part two where we went into more detail.
Exploring Alice Springs and beyond
We’ve only scratched the surface of the best things to see and do in the East and West MacDonnell Ranges and the wider Alice Springs region. There’s so much to love about the Red Centre, but travelling here is not for the unprepared.
Make sure you (and your 4WD and caravan) are up to the task, and always carry plenty of water, sun protection, recovery gear and extra fuel. Even trips in the cooler months between April and September can still get warm in the Red Centre, particularly if you’re spending a lot of time in the outdoors.
And don’t forget to have backup maps to keep you on track:
And if you’ve got the time to spare, don’t jet off to your next bucket-list destination. Take the time to explore Alice Springs itself — there’s a lot more to this town than the media often suggests.
All up, it’s a region that proves the Red Centre’s true magic lies off the highway.
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10 reasons you should visit Alice Springs, NT
5 campgrounds within 200km of Alice Springs
8 wonders of the East and West MacDonnell Ranges, NT