Glen Helen Gorge

Glen Helen Gorge is a great place to view the West MacDonnell Ranges, take a cool dip, and is an important refuge for local wildlife. The gorge is located 132 kilometres from Alice Springs, in the western reaches of the West MacDonnell Ranges.

The landscape around Glen Helen is spectacular – a towering sandstone wall is the first thing you see as you arrive. The area includes views of Mount Sonder, one of the highest points in Central Australia, which changes colours with the light.

At Glen Helen Gorge, the ranges part to make way for the Finke River. This permanent waterhole is an important refuge in the hot summer months, for all nine species of fish recorded for the Finke, as well as migrating waterbirds. From here the Finke River makes its way on to the Simpson Desert.

Glen Helen Gorge, has a spiritual and practical significance to the area’s traditional owners. The ancestral story linked to the Gorge relates to Itye, a moon ancestor who visited the area while searching for a wife.

Section 10 of the 231 kilometre Larapinta Trail walk, is an 8.9 kilometre, medium grade one day hike, ending at the Finke River trailhead. This trailhead can be accessed via a 4.5 kilometre walking track from Glen Helen.