Serpentine Gorge, Natural gorge in West MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia
Serpentine Gorge is a narrow canyon in the West MacDonnell Ranges featuring towering quartzite cliff walls that frame a permanent waterhole at its entrance. The gorge cuts through the landscape with sheer rock faces rising on both sides, creating a striking natural passage.
A roadside facility called Serpentine Chalet was built in the late 1950s by Ansett-Pioneer as a tourist stop but closed due to water scarcity and its remote location. The early tourism infrastructure was abandoned, leaving the gorge as a walking destination without developed facilities.
This gorge holds deep meaning for the Western Arrernte people through their Dreamtime traditions, with the landscape shaped by stories and knowledge passed down through generations.
Access is via a walking track of about 1.3 kilometers leading to the waterhole or an elevated lookout point. Bring plenty of water and be prepared for hot, dry conditions with limited shade along the route.
The permanent water source supports rare Central Australian plants like the Centralian flannel-flower and Macrozamia macdonnellii cycads that thrive nowhere else nearby. This vegetation creates a surprisingly lush pocket of life in an otherwise arid landscape.
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