Discovery Resorts – Kings Canyon puts you in a prime spot for admiring Watarrka National Park’s splendour.

Forged over 440 million years ago, the Northern Territory’s legendary Kings Canyon encompasses towering red rock cliffs, palm-filled crevices, and sweeping views across the desert that warp one’s sense of distance.

The best part? You can stay at its doorstep at Discovery Parks Kings Canyon Resort. Whether you opt for a deluxe cabin featuring a freestanding tub with a picture window, or a patch of red earth for your tent, this ancient landscape will be forever etched in your memory.

Location

The beauty of Kings Canyon is that it is so remote. It is hidden deep in Watarrka National Park, 330 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs and the same kilometre distance north of Uluru. Either combine it with a trip to Uluru or a meandering 4WD road trip around the 1135-kilometre Red Centre Way.

Facilities

At Discovery Resorts – Kings Canyon you will find a swimming pool, tennis court, a well-stocked general store, barbeques, laundry room, petrol station providing diesel and unleaded, and wi-fi. Dogs are allowed in the campground but must be leashed at all times.

Rooms

The resort offers multiple accommodation types. Campers will be happy to push in the tent pegs at the unpowered campsites, which have uninterrupted views out to Kings Canyon.

Many adventurers arrive by caravan and stay in the powered campsites where they enjoy some of the best seats in the house. For added comfort and privacy, there are powered sites with ensuites.

For those who like glamping, opt for a pre-erected tent fully equipped with up to four cosy beds, a small fridge, a Nespresso machine, a dining table, a bathroom with Australian-made skin care products, an outdoor deck, and air conditioning.

If you’re after four solid walls, the cheapest digs are the budget ‘Lodge’ rooms with shared bathroom facilities. To take it up a notch, book one of the recently refurbished Standard Rooms, which have ensuite bathrooms, private balconies, and air-conditioning.

The Deluxe Rooms are the most luxurious and the room’s hero is a freestanding bath overlooking the red desert and craggy sandstone cliffs. Inside, there’s a king bed, an oversized flat-screen TV, a sofa, a small table and chairs, and plenty of storage.

Bottles of water are supplied and a kettle, tea, and coffee. Outside, there’s a private area with chairs and a table.

Food and drink

There are two restaurants onsite, a bar and grill and the more refined Carmichaels, plus an option of the special five-course, open-air Under a Desert Moon dinner. There is also a bar at the Luritja Lookout with a platform perfect for toasting the sunset with a glass of sparkling wine.

Named after the Carmichael Sandstone that underpins Kings Canyon, Carmichaels Restaurant specialises in gourmet outback fare. Here, goujons of crocodile and barramundi in paperbark sit on the menu next to citrus tart with wattleseed ice cream and chocolate tart with grilled strawberries in native pepper for dessert.

The showstopper dining experience is the Under a Desert Moon experience, where you kick off with canapes on the green lawn in front of Carmichael’s before heading to a hidden location for dinner under the clear desert sky.

For a hearty meal, head to the tin-roofed and partly open-air Kings Canyon Bar & Grill for burgers, wood-fired pizzas, and cold beverages.

A buffet brekky is served at Carmichaels from May until October and over the summer months, breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at the bar and grill.

Experiences at Kings Canyon

The site’s newest attraction is the massive art installation Light-Towers by artist Bruce Munro, which you can wander through. They cast a gentle glow at sunrise, sunset and in the evening.

The six-kilometre Rim Walk serves up stunning views across Kings Canyon and will take you down into the Garden of Eden. It is a circuit walk that kicks off with a fairly hefty climb from the car park up a series of stone steps to the summit of the canyon.

Around the halfway mark there’s the option of descending down into the Garden of Eden, an oasis, complete with water in the middle of the canyon. For a gentler walk, there’s the 2.6-kilometre Tjina Ngaku Payi (meaning ‘looking at the track’) for anyone with moderate fitness (and little kids).

To get a birds-eye view of Kings Canyon jump one of the helicopter tours. You have three options – an eight-minute dash over the canyon, a 15-minute trip over the canyon, and Carmichaels Crag and a half-hour journey that adds in the view of the spectacular cliffs of the George Gill Range.

To learn more about the local Aboriginal community, sign up for a one-hour workshop with Karrke Aboriginal Experience. You will hear about their weapons, musical instruments, medicines, bush tucker, and the evolution of the local languages.

Accessibility

Discovery Resorts – Kings Canyon offers select accommodations designed to cater to guests with accessibility requirements. You can discuss specific needs with the resort in advance to ensure a comfortable stay.

Details

Kings Canyon Resort, Luritja Road, Watarrka National Park.

Cost

For the most current rates and availability, it’s best to contact the resort directly or visit Discovery Resorts – Kings Canyon.

• Unpowered site – tent, from $37
• Unpowered site – caravans, from $50
• Unpowered site – motorhomes, from $63
• Powered site, from $74
• Ensuite site, from $112
• Budget Lodge Room, from $168
• Standard Family Room, from $380
• Superior Glamping, from $430
• Deluxe Room, from $480