Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park · Unofficial free planner
Day planner
Three fee systems · Alice order of stops · packing · heat and cold waterholes · Larapinta booking split · official NT Parks links.
From tjoritjawestmacdonnellnationalpark.com.au — print this page or save as PDF (no email required).
Fees — three official systems, not one ticket.
Parks Pass (entry for most non-NT residents) is not camping and is not the Larapinta overnight trail fee.
Standley Chasm is private — a Parks Pass does not cover it. Confirm live dollar tables on nt.gov.au before you pay.
This site never takes commission on official fees.
One westbound goal. Simpsons + Ellery
or a committed Ormiston day — not Simpsons, Standley Chasm, Ellery, the Pound and Mount Sonder in one Alice day.
Heat is the main walk hazard. Waterholes stay very cold even in summer. Reception dies in gorges —
000 needs a signal.
1. Before you leave Alice Springs
Status, fees & weather
- ☐ Parks Pass bought if required (non-NT residents)
- ☐ NT Parks open-status checked this morning
- ☐ NT Road Report checked (or 1800 246 199)
- ☐ BOM Alice Springs forecast — not a coastal city page
- ☐ Official park-open: Pound loop currently requires a short swim — re-check if doing it
- ☐ Camping booked online if staying (no on-site payment)
- ☐ Someone knows your plan and return window
- ☐ Screenshots of bookings + alerts while you still have reception
Packing (day pack)
- ☐ Water 3 L+ per person
- ☐ Electrolytes / salty snacks
- ☐ Sun hat + high SPF
- ☐ Light long-sleeve sun shirt
- ☐ Sturdy trail shoes
- ☐ Fly net
- ☐ Phone + offline map (Avenza / screenshots)
- ☐ Dry bag if a swim/wade is live
- ☐ Basic first aid / blister kit
- ☐ Fuel and drinking water topped up in Alice
2. Fees — three official systems, not one ticket
1. Parks Pass
- Entry only for most non-NT residents
- Buy at parkbookings.nt.gov.au
- Not camping
- Not Larapinta overnight nights
2. Camping
- Designated sites only
- Book and pay online before arrival
- No on-site payment
- Display the camping tag
3. Larapinta overnight
- Extra trail fee
- Official $25 pp/night, cap $125 (checked 14 Aug 2026)
- Day walks do not pay it
- Treat all 12 sections as Grade 5 until further notice
Standley Chasm is a private property with its own gate, hours and fee. Parks Pass does not cover it.
Published dollar figures change — confirm on nt.gov.au before you pay.
3. Which shape today?
Easy: Simpsons + Ellery
- 0:00 — Leave Alice early. Simpsons Gap short walks, toilets, rock-wallabies.
- 1:00–1:30 — Drive west to Ellery Creek. Picnic. Swim only if official advice allows. Water stays cold.
- Turn around with daylight and fatigue in mind. Do not add Ormiston “because we are close.”
Committed: Ormiston
- Leave early — about two hours sealed to Ormiston in good conditions.
- Plan B: Ghost Gum Lookout + waterhole.
- Pound loop only if you will swim (official note, 14 Aug 2026) and heat allows. 3–4 hours typical.
- No jumping or diving at the waterhole.
4. Full-day rule
- One westbound goal. Simpsons + Ellery or Ormiston — not both plus Sonder.
- Do not stack Standley Chasm + Ellery + Pound + Mount Sonder on a first Alice day.
- If the Pound needs a swim you will not do: Ghost Gum + waterhole is still a good visit.
- Redbank / Sonder need extra time and often an unsealed last stretch. Not a same-day add-on after Ormiston from Alice.
- Mereenie Loop toward Watarrka is a separate 4WD + permit product — not a casual westbound extra.
5. Decision tree / order of stops
First visit / one realistic day
Simpsons Gap first, then Ellery or a committed Ormiston stop. Not every gorge on Namatjira Drive.
Family / mixed ability
Simpsons + Ellery. Hard “no Pound loop” rule. Cold water and flies still apply.
Want the Pound
Make Ormiston the whole day. Start early. Official note: Pound currently requires a swim. Ghost Gum loop also has a swim — return via the lookout if you will not.
2–3 day stay
Book official camping before leaving Alice. Pound in cool hours. Optional Redbank only if access and energy remain.
Larapinta sampler
Vehicle-accessible sections only. Day sections do not pay the overnight trail fee. Tanks are untrusted.
October–March heat
Pre-dawn, one short site, mandatory abort time. The Pound is a no unless you are experienced and starting in the dark.
6. Overnight extras (if camping or Larapinta nights)
- ☐ Every park camp night booked on parkbookings.nt.gov.au before you leave Alice
- ☐ Parks Pass still sorted if required — it is a separate system
- ☐ Larapinta consecutive overnight days: trail fee + each camp night
- ☐ Fires: prohibited at Ormiston; designated pits only elsewhere; collect wood outside the park
- ☐ Treat tank water; bring drinking water from Alice
- ☐ No pets, no generators
- ☐ Glen Helen commercial beds — confirm the operator is actually open before you plan dinner there
- ☐ Optional PLB / satellite messenger for multi-day trail days
7. Heat, water & comms
- ☐ Walk in cool hours. October–March: start early or keep it short
- ☐ Waterholes stay very cold even in summer — hypothermia is real
- ☐ No diving. Submerged rocks are normal
- ☐ Expect little or no reception in gorges. 000 needs a signal
- ☐ Download maps before you leave Alice (Avenza / official fact sheets)
- ☐ Emergency+ installed while you still have town reception
8. Safety non-negotiables
- Heat is the main walk hazard. Turn around if anyone is overheating, nauseous or out of water.
- Supervise children at water edges and car parks. Never leave people or pets in a vehicle.
- Do not force a sedan onto a 4WD spur after rain.
- Do not invent a Mereenie / Watarrka add-on without a permit and a 4WD plan.
- Emergency: call 000 if you have reception. This planner cannot help with rescue.
9. Useful links (verify live)