Parking
Use the signed Valley of the Winds carpark and start from the marked walking-track entrance. Parking capacity and fees are not listed in the official walk information.
Overview
About Karingaṉa Lookout Walk
Why go
- Very few hikers continue beyond Karu Lookout
- Water is available at the start and halfway
Heads up
- Steep, rocky steps make the return harder than the full circuit
- Heat closures can stop access beyond Karu
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Uluru-Kata Tjuta map
Full mapElevation598–705 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Uluru-Kata Tjuta Tour Guide
Your drive to Karingaṉa Lookout Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Uluru-Kata Tjuta audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Valley of the Winds: Choose Your Walk0:00 / 0:33
“Up ahead is the Valley of the Winds trailhead, where you can walk between Kata Tjuṯa's domes. The full circuit is seven point four kilometres and takes three to four hours, with steep, rocky sections and many steps.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Uluru-Kata Tjuta Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Waḻpa Gorge: Between the Domes
- Kata Tjuṯa Sunset Viewing Area: Bring Dinner
- Why the Hotels Moved
- A Calendar You Can Notice
- 40 audio storiesacross Uluru-Kata Tjuta’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Dromedary Camel, Black-breasted Kite, Brown Falcon, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 15 trails, 28 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Karingaṉa Lookout Walk
The second lookout, not the full circuitKaringaṉa Lookout Walk is a 5.
Karingaṉa Lookout Walk is a 5.4 km out-and-back from the Valley of the Winds carpark to the second lookout among Kata Tjuṯa’s domes. Allow about 2.5 hours. The walk first reaches Karu Lookout, then descends into valleys and creek beds. For a shorter taste, Karu is 2.2 km return. The full 7.4 km circuit takes three to four hours; Parks Australia says it is easier than doubling back from Karingaṉa.
Expect a hard returnThis is a Grade 4 track with loose rocks, many steps and steep sections.
This is a Grade 4 track with loose rocks, many steps and steep sections. The route drops into the valleys on the way out, then you climb the same rough stretches on the way back. Very few people continue beyond Karu, but the quieter extension is more demanding than its distance suggests.
Water and heatDrinking water is available at the start and halfway along; no toilets are listed.
Drinking water is available at the start and halfway along; no toilets are listed. The walk beyond Karu closes from 11 a.m. when the forecast or actual temperature reaches 36°C or above. Plan around that access rule and check with the park before you set out on a hot day.
Respect the placeParks Australia identifies the Valley of the Winds as a culturally sensitive men’s area.
Parks Australia identifies the Valley of the Winds as a culturally sensitive men’s area. Do not photograph or film Kata Tjuṯa’s rock formations; close-up photos of flora, fauna and people are allowed. Dogs and other pets are not permitted. Assistance dogs are allowed on a lead no longer than three metres; bring the required documentation and tell staff at the entry station.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Uluru-Kata Tjuta
32 sightingsDromedary CamelMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
14 sightingsBlack-breasted KiteMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
27 sightingsBrown FalconMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
11 sightingsWestern Brown SnakeMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
32 sightingsMain's FrogMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
17 sightingsRed-backed KingfisherMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Uluru-Kata Tjuta. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
