Larapinta Trail

The Larapinta Trail is Australia's flagship desert walk — 223 km along the ancient West MacDonnell Ranges in the heart of the Red Centre, from the Alice Springs Telegraph Station west to the summit of Mt. Sonder (1,380 m). It runs through Arrernte country, with rock-art sites and significant Aboriginal cultural features visible along most of its length. Built between 1990 and 2002 by the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, it remains one of the most distinctive long-distance walks in the southern hemisphere.

The trail is divided into 12 sections, each of which is also a stand-alone walk; most thru-hikers piece them together over 12 to 16 days. The terrain is unmistakably Outback: red rock ranges, dry creek beds with permanent waterholes (Ellery, Glen Helen, Ormiston), spinifex and acacia scrub, and views to the horizon from the ridge sections. Highlights include the dramatic Standley Chasm narrows, the Ochre Pits where Arrernte people quarried ochre for ceremonial use, the swimming holes at Ellery Creek, and the side-trip from Section 10 up Mt. Giles. The traditional finish is a pre-dawn climb of Mt. Sonder for sunrise on the final day.

The walking season is May to August — the southern hemisphere winter, when daytime temperatures stay in the 15–25 °C range and night-time frost is common. Walking outside that window is dangerous: summer temperatures regularly exceed 40 °C, water dries up, and serious heat-stroke deaths have occurred. Water is available at each section trailhead (vehicle-accessible) and at major waterholes. Camping is in designated trail-head campsites (with toilets and water tanks) and dispersed campsites between them — no fee, no permit, just self-registration. The trail is well-marked with blue triangular markers. Most thru-hikers use commercial outfitters in Alice Springs for food drops and section-by-section transport; full-package guided trips run A$3,500–5,500 for the 14-day walk.