ormiston gorge and pound

Ormiston Gorge and Pound covers nearly five thousand hectares of scenic MacDonnell Ranges wilderness. It has a deep passage carved through a quartzite range by floodwater of Ormiston Creek. The permanent waterhole which lies at the Gorge’s southern end is spectacular, just like the other permanent waterholes of the West MacDonnell Ranges.

This place is worth the stop. It takes about 1-3/4 hours to drive there from Alice Springs. The trails lead to a lovely watering hole and big eucalyptus trees. There are picnic areas and bathroom facilities here. If you're in the area for a long time, you could easily spend all day here. We were checking out the MacDonnell Ranges over one day...so our time here was limited. Even an hour is enough time to drink in the beauty and snap a few photos.

We were a group of 8 walking at end of sept. 4 adults and 4 children ranging from 9-4 years. Walk was great. Quite tiring for the kids and a lot of big boulders towards the end. There is a sign at the start that says you will walk through cold water towards end but I didn't expect to get my bottom wet. Water was very cold but quite refreshing after walking for 4 hours. Kids thought it was great.

This is one of the must do stops on the journey along the Western MacDonald Ranges (apparently one higher than the Himalayas - not so much now days). Walks into and around hte canyon/gorge offer excellent lookouts, some reasonably strenuous walking up steps and into the creek if rains have fallen recently - so be prepared to get wet. Good range of local bird life can be observed if you are patient along with some animals inc. some dingos. Paddle in the icy waters if you wish but be aware of snags (the inedible ones). Better paddling at Glen Helen or further east.

The Pound Walk: well underrated walk that no one really talks about but impressively has one of the most beautiful scenery i've seen in australia! This was one of my favorite hikes. Though not so strenuous, you go through several different landscapes. There was also no one on this trek! It was great :) It also rained during our hike which made it more exciting. At some point you reach a huge dried out gorge where only large rocks of purple and pink remain. There is no indication of a path but its the only way to go. Surrounding you are just huge mountains it makes you feel so small. Trying to beat the rain and sun down, we finally find ourselves in the right path towards the end of the trek. Overall, very scenic, easy yet exciting, almost like you're alone in the wilderness :)

We day tripped to the Gorge from Alice Springs. Well worth it. Lovely spot. Morning or evening is best. We had a little rock wallaby sit beside us (about 10 feet away) while we were sitting there absorbing the view. the colours of the rock are impressive against the water.

A stunning natural attraction that required a bit of (pretty easy) walking. Wonderful colours of the surrounding scenery and sky; it was lovely simply sitting on the little beach soaking up the quiet atmosphere (until a large noisy family came and plonked themselves next to us!). Not much shade, so morning visit advised.

Has nice snack bar and toilets too . Shaded area to cool off under . Short walk to gorge and pool . Peaceful and relaxing

Walking on the tack is good, but lying on the little beach and reading a book, watching the light change and forgetting about your travel itinerary for a few hours (at least 3!) is the way to go.

throw in your togs and towels on this easy walk from the carpark. Such a pristine environment and within reach of a young family like ours

Had no idea this was out here - a friend from Alice took us there. Saw a dingo as we pulled in, took a lovely walk and even braved the freezing water and went for a swim. Kids enjoyed playing in the sand. Great spot

This was by far my favourite gorge and walk in this region. The Pound walk was absolutely fantastic - took about 2.5 hours done anti-clockwise, which is the best way. Do the little extra to the lookout (5-10 mins) after the saddle for breath taking views into the Pound. Fantastic colours in the cliffs. The last kilometre into the Gorge involves rock hopping over or around large boulders. When we did it we had to wade through chest deep very cold water for about 10 metres but this was ok as the ground was sandy underneath. We also did the shorter walk above the Gorge which was good value too. Surprised to find warm showers and an excellent kiosk/ café in the camping area. Not many van spaces there, so may get full at times. Beware of very tame dingos that will steal shoes / food left outside. Could do this on a long day trip from Alice but better to camp and cook or book a meal at nearby Glen Helen resort.

Ormiston gorge has one of the very few permanent water holes in the Fink River. It is an easy 150 odd metre walk from the paved car-park, along an easy track to the water hole at the first part of the gorge. The water is cold but very refreshing to walk across the shallows to get access further up the gorge. This is a bit harder as you walk along the sandy river bank for about 100 metres and then over some rocky ground to get a good view up the gorge. Well worth the extra 10 minute walk. There are trails that hikers can take for longer adventures if you are that way inclined.

Loved the gorge, the walks, the café for much needed coffee travelling back Alice Springs from Glen Helen via Ochre pits (fantastic). Met a delightful chap from Darwin who had met three backpackers in the Alice and was giving them an outback experience...camping under the stars. True Australian spirit.

We loved the gorges all different natural wonders. There was good car parking at all the major gorges and easy access.