Watarrka National Park, Nature reserve in Northern Territory, Australia

Watarrka National Park protects the western part of the George Gill Range, including Kings Canyon, which Kings Creek cut 270 m deep into sandstone plateau walls, and Kathleen Springs 21 km to the southeast. The canyon floor holds waterholes that never dry, and above them lies the Garden of Eden, a pool enclosed by 100 m cliffs with cycads and palms. On the plateau, the Lost City is a group of cave-riddled rock domes.

The park was established in 1989 by the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission to protect central Australian wilderness. This protection recognized the long importance of the place within the natural landscape and for those connected to it.

Watarrka is the Luritja and Arrernte word for the umbrella bush (Acacia ligulata) that grows around Kings Creek and the canyon. The park lies on the traditional lands of the Matutjara people, and Luritja people used the rock domes of the Lost City on the plateau as sleeping and ceremonial sites. Rock engravings and paintings in the area point to occupation over several thousand years.

The terrain is accessible via sealed roads for standard vehicles, with drinking water stations, restrooms, and marked trails for different fitness levels available. Visitors should keep in mind that the area can be hot and dry, so bringing water and sun protection is important.

Kings Canyon holds about 60 rare or relict plant species among a total of 572 recorded plants and 80 bird species, a count made in 1986. The canyon floor's waterholes never dry out, and the upper Garden Eden pool sits beneath 100-metre walls where cycads survive from a wetter tropical past.