Magnetic Termite Mounds

The mounds are not random. Their thin edges point north to south, while their broad backs face east to west, so the whole field reads as one repeated pattern. Walk to one end of the boardwalk and the mounds look like narrow blades; from the other direction they widen out into flat slabs. It is a genuinely odd natural alignment, and the site is worth seeing precisely because the repetition across the plain is so consistent.

The mounds are viewed from the boardwalk, which is the practical viewing arrangement here. You cannot walk among them or touch them, so treat this as a look-and-learn stop rather than a hands-on one.

• A short boardwalk out into the flood plain, with mound views in both directions.
• An information shelter explaining the magnetic mounds and the taller Cathedral Termite Mounds found elsewhere in the park.
• Wide, low savanna and grassland views framing the mound field.

The turnoff is well signposted and easy to reach from Litchfield Park Road, with a carpark and coach parking, lookouts and a public toilet on site. Access to the park itself is via Cox Peninsula Road or through Batchelor. The site is listed as open daily, 24 hours, and disabled access is available, though details are best confirmed with the park operator before you rely on it. Plan on roughly 10 to 20 minutes unless you also link it with the nearby Cathedral mounds walk, which adds a short easy loop.

The viewing distance disappoints some visitors, who expect to get closer to the mounds than the boardwalk allows. There is no long walk and no varied terrain here, and the setting is flat and open. If you arrive expecting a headline attraction, you may find it modest; treat it as a short interpretive stop and it delivers well.

Litchfield holds cultural significance for the Koongurrukun, Mak Mak Marranunggu, Werat and Warray peoples. Read the on-site information, follow posted signs, and leave the mounds and the plain undisturbed.