Mereenie Loop

The road

The Mereenie Loop is the scenic back route from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon, bypassing the sealed tourist highway and going instead through the West MacDonnell Ranges and the Finke River country on an unsealed red dirt track. The drive passes through Tylers Pass in the West MacDonnells - a rocky gap in the range with views north to the spinifex plains. Glen Helen Gorge and Ormiston Gorge are accessible from the sealed highway section before the loop begins. The unsealed section climbs through mulga woodland and drops to dry river plains, the road surface varying from smooth compacted red dirt to corrugated bulldust. The Mereenie Loop crosses Aboriginal land and a permit is required - obtained at the visitor centres in Alice Springs or Glen Helen. Kings Canyon at the other end is one of Australia's most dramatic sandstone formations: a 270-metre-deep canyon with the Garden of Eden - a natural sandstone amphitheatre with permanent water - in its upper sections.

The region

The West MacDonnell Ranges and Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon) are both on Arrernte and Luritja country. Permits for the Mereenie Loop can be purchased at Glen Helen Homestead, Alice Springs Desert Park or Hermannsburg Community Store. The loop connects two of the most popular attractions in the Red Centre - the Macdonnell gorges and Kings Canyon.

Before you go

Mereenie permit required - purchase before departure. Fuel at Alice Springs, Glen Helen Homestead (limited) and Kings Canyon Resort. Carry 20+ litres of water. Summer (November to March) temperatures exceed 45C and the track is not recommended. The road can be very corrugated in the middle of the dry season after heavy traffic. No mobile coverage throughout.

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