Summary:
In the heart of the Australian outback, follow the weathered rim of an impressive sandstone gorge to a lush oasis.

From the parking area, the clear trail along Kings Creek quickly approaches the high canyon wall, and the steep climb begins. Once at the top, the trail crosses the eroded sandstone plateau of the north rim, through a ‘Lost City’ of crevices, rock domes and overhangs. Arrows point to viewpoints at the edge of the rim, where you can peer down to the canyon floor below or stare at the endless desert in all directions.

After crossing the barren plateau, you emerge onto wooden boardwalk and descend to the lush vegetation of the Garden of Eden. This permanent spring is an oasis of ferns, shrubs and trees – but be warned, you may be sharing it with plenty of fellow hikers.

Before climbing the wooden steps away from the Garden, detour off the main track by following the creek for about 1 km to a dry waterfall at the head of the gorge. From here, the view stretches the length of Kings Canyon.

Retrace your steps and leave the waterhole by the wooden stairs. The trail now heads onto the southern rim, where you can peer over the edge for probably the best views of the gorge. It is now a gradual descent through rocky, arid canyon country back to the parking area.

If you would like a closer look at the boulder-strewn canyon floor, take the 2.6 km out and back Kings Creek Walk that also starts from the parking area. This is particularly pleasant in the cool of evening, when the birds are at their most active. The easy walk through gum trees alongside Kings Creek ends at a lookout platform before sheer cliffs at the head of the canyon.

Directions: From Alice Springs, take the Stuart Hwy (Route 87) south for 228 km to Erldunda. Turn right onto Lasseter Hwy (Route 4) and head west for 108 km. Turn north onto Luritja Road, which ends in 167 km at Kings Canyon Resort. From Yulara (Ayers Rock Resort), the Luritja Road junction is 136 km east along Lasseter Hwy.

Trailhead: Kings Canyon parking area. Turn right off Luritja Road before you reach the resort.

Length: 5 miles / 8.0 km

Trail Type: Loop

Elevation Change: N/A

Duration: 3 hours

Trail Condition: Well maintained and signed, with some steps and boardwalk. Begins with a steep climb. (Interpretive signs and arrows to viewpoints)

Features: Canyon, rock formations, waterhole, desert views.

Climate: Sunny year-round. Extremely hot in summer – daytime temperatures average 36 C in January. Much better hiking conditions in winter – July daytime temperatures average 19 C – but very cold at night and in the early morning.

Accommodation: Motel, bunkhouse, tent and RV sites at Kings Canyon Resort.

Trail Notes: Carry water and hike during the cooler parts of the day to avoid heat stress and dehydration. This clockwise loop trail is popular so a very early start is recommended.

Summary:
Explore a natural wonder of the world and learn about the Tjupurka or Dreamtime, the ancient law of the Aboriginal people.

This should cause no hardship, because a much better way of appreciating Uluru is to walk the trail that loops around the base. This is the only way to truly appreciate the caves, gorges, waterholes, sacred sites and rock art. Indeed, each feature of Uluru has a meaning in Tjukurpa, the traditional Anangu law that explains how the world was created and guides every-day life.

From the main car park, the first 0.6 mile/1 km follows the Mala Walk, an interpretive trail passing caves and rock art sites to a gorge and waterhole. You soon come to a short sidetrack to an ancient painting site, followed by the first cave. The trail then passes below a triangular cave, Mala Puta (the pouch of the female hare-wallaby), an important spiritual site that, like all others, must not be entered or photographed. The next cave, with a huge slab of rock outside, has marks on the ceiling said to have been made by the paws of the Mala children. The Mala Walk ends at Kantju Gorge and waterhole, a beautiful, tree-lined oasis.

Continuing on the Base Walk, leave the gorge and bear right. After passing the sacred site of Warayuki, the trail curves right. Now heading east, you soon reach the next sacred site, Tjukatjapi. A 2 mile/3.2 km section of trail along the scarred north face of Uluru ends at the sacred site of Kuniya Piti, roughly the halfway point of the circuit.

The trail curves right again to follow the south-east face. In around 1.5 miles/2.4 km you approach the short interpretive Mutitjulu Walk, which passes an important Aboriginal shelter and ends at the most reliable waterhole in Uluru. This area is closely associated with two ancestral spirits: Kuniya, a python, and Liru, a poisonous snake. Just before you join the Walk, a very short side-track to the right leads to a good viewpoint of the rock-face, the marks and fissures on the coarse-grained sandstone showing the defeat of Liru by Kuniya in their great battle.

Turn right onto Mutitjulu Walk. It passes on the left a large cave, a place where the Anangu have lived for thousands of years, before arriving at the waterhole. This is the home of another ancestral spirit: Wanampi, the water snake. The Anangu show it respect, for it is said to be able to stop the supply of water if it is angered.

Retrace your steps and, just past an ancient rock art site, bear right to continue on the Base Walk. According to the Tjukurpa, large boulders to either side of the track are associated with Lungkata, the blue-tongued lizard. The trail curves to the right, past the sacred site of Pulari, and heads north-west for a further 1 mile/1.6 km to complete the circuit.

Directions: From Alice Springs, take the Stuart Hwy (Route 87) south for 228 km to Erldunda. Turn right onto the Lasseter Hwy (Route 4) and head west for 244 km to Yulara (Ayers Rock resort). Continue south for 18 km to Uluru (Ayers Rock).

Trailhead: Mala Walk or Mutitjula Walk car parks at the base of Uluru. We describe the route clockwise from Mala, the main car park.

Length: 6 miles / 9.6 km

Trail Type: Loop

Elevation Change: Negligible

Duration: 2.5 hours

Trail Condition: Wide, well maintained path, easy to follow. Sacred sites at the base of the rock clearly signed.

Features: Rock monolith, caves, gorges, rock art, sacred sites, desert.

Climate: Sunny year-round. Extremely hot in summer – daytime temperatures average 36 C in January. Much better hiking conditions in winter – July daytime temperatures average 19 C – but very cold at night and in the early morning.

Accommodation: Hotels, hostel, tent and RV sites at Yulara. Hotel reservations essential year-round.

Trail Notes: Sacred sites must not be entered or photographed. An interpretive booklet on the Mala and Mutitjulu Walks, two short sections of the Base Walk, is available from the Cultural Center at Uluru.