Kalarranga Lookout
Kalarranga Lookout
Great walls of layered sandstone rise above a valley, where enormous, oddly shaped rocks stand apart from the surrounding cliffs. Some are rounded, others almost flat, their layers worn and weathered into curious shapes over millions of years. They stand like quiet sentinels over the landscape, holding stories of a world that’s always changing around them. This is Kalarranga Lookout.
Quick Details
Total Length: 1.8km
Elevation: 40m
Grade: Easy
Best season: Sunset
Suitable for kids: Yes
Starting the Trail
I’ve been out on the trail all day at Palm Valley. The temperature had spiked to 36 degrees. I was tired, sunburnt, hungry — but I’ll be damned if I’m going to pass up the opportunity to visit an incredible Northern Territory sunset location.
I started walking out on the Mparra Trail, looking for a turn off to the right. The lookout I wanted was on the edge of the valley, from one of the large rock formations that's kind of in the shape of a submarine. I had seen people standing on it earlier in the day so I was sure I could get there.
I’d been planning this one for a few months. I had studied the map, I knew exactly where I wanted to be for sunset. As it turned out, the trail had ideas of its own… The trail I wanted isn’t there any more. Maybe it never was, maybe it’s been closed off, maybe it was hiding behind one of the Mula Mula bushes. I don’t know. All I knew for certain was that the further I walked, the further away from the submarine rock I was getting.
I quickly backtracked to the trailhead and headed out on a second trail — which took me straight past the submarine rock on its northern side with no sign of curving back to climb onto the rock. I stopped in the middle of the track, pulled out my phone and looked at the map again. There was definitely a track on the map.
The sun was getting low in the sky. I wouldn’t have long before sunset, and I needed to make a decision now or I’d have no chance of getting high enough on any lookout for the view I wanted. Should I go to the left or to the right? Left, or right… I don’t even have a coin I can flip…
Suddenly, from out of the bushes, the German velvet lady from earlier this afternoon appeared. Only now, she was dressed in a sequined string bikini, and a fly net hood… Proof that once again, you never really know what you’ll find on a hiking trail. “Guten abend” she said as she took the trail to the left. Good enough for me, I thought to myself, as I headed to the right.
Sunset
The trail climbed up the rocks as the clouds in the sky started to turn pink. I hurried as fast as I could, passing by strangers who had already found seats to watch the view. It was tempting to give up the quest for the top of the rock and just stay where I was but something in me was determined to push on.
Ignoring the pain in my aching limbs, I scrambled up rocks, practically ran up the switchbacks, and all to try and reach the view before the sun set. The rocks in the valley were already partially lit up and seemed to be glowing as I made one final push up the hill, over the top, and down the other side to the lookout.
The view was incredible, and absolutely worth the scramble to get up there. It reminded me a little of Monument Valley in Utah, albeit smaller, with the stand alone rock formations scattered through the valley.
I threw open my backpack, got the camera set up and started snapping away — all the while distracted by how incredibly beautiful it all was and hoping I could capture it in photographs (spoiler, it’s better in real life). It’s actually spread out so wide, that even the wide angle lens wasn’t wide enough.
It’s been a really long day of driving and hiking. Standing here, quietly on the edge of the valley, the red rocks glowing in the sunlight, all the stresses of the day just seemed to vanish. I wish I had more time to stay here — to hike the Mpaara Trail, to cool off in the Finke River, and see another sunset from Kalarranga Lookout. There’s a peacefulness here that’s hard to describe.
In the blink of an eye the red glow was gone and the rocks returned to looking ordinary — it was almost sad in a way. I packed up my things to head back down the trail, and hopefully get back to the campground before dark. As I reached the top of the trail I was greeted with one final, magical view for the evening — the setting sun over Finke Gorge National Park.
Getting There
Kalarranga Lookout is near the Palm Valley Campground in Finke Gorge National Park, around 138km from Alice Springs.
Getting to Palm Valley requires a high clearance 4WD, as the road is unsealed and can contain soft sand sections and river bed crossings.
Tips and Tricks
Because of the topography and how the rock formations of the valley are laid out, sunset is better than sunrise to visit the lookout.
Bring a head torch — the sunlight disappears fast out here.
Honestly, I'm not even sure if I was on the Kalarranga Lookout or a different one... I really want to go back to the park one day to hike more of the trails around this valley.
Consider staying out here for the night in the Palm Valley Campground. It’s a beautiful camping spot and gives you more time to explore this incredible National Park.