Finke Gorge National Park, Desert nature reserve in Macdonnell Region, Australia.

Finke Gorge National Park is a 458 km² protected area in the Northern Territory, about 135 km from Alice Springs via Larapinta Drive and Hermannsburg. The Finke River cuts between the Krichauff Range to the west and the James Range to the east, and the park contains Palm Valley, a desert oasis where the Central Australian Cabbage Palm grows.

Finke Gorge National Park was established in 1967 and covers 458 square kilometres. The Finke River is considered one of the oldest watercourses in the world, with parts dating back 350 million years, cutting between the Krichauff Range to the west and the James Range to the east. In 1980 the park was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate.

The Western Arrernte people consider this land part of their ancestral country, and certain rock formations and water sources carry specific names and meanings in their oral tradition. Walking through the valley, visitors pass places that have been part of everyday and ceremonial life for the Arrernte across many generations.

Getting to Palm Valley requires a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle, as the track involves several river crossings over rough ground. Checking road conditions before setting out is a good idea, since rain can quickly make the route impassable.

The palms growing in Palm Valley belong to a species found nowhere else in the wild in Australia, and they are survivors from a time when the interior of the continent was far wetter than it is today. Their presence in the middle of an arid landscape makes them living evidence of how drastically the climate has shifted over millions of years.