Ochre Pits & mid-range stops
Guide updated · verify live status with NT Parks
Banded ochre cliffs — a short stop on the western drive. Look, photograph from the path, do not climb or collect. Pair with Ellery or Serpentine, not as the day’s only goal.
- Best for: A 30–60 minute colour stop, photography, breaking a long drive
- Time: 30–90 minutes
- On the sealed Namatjira Drive corridor west of Ellery Creek.
Verify conditions on NT Parks → · Park alerts
Ochre Pits
Johannes Ammerschlaeger · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
A stop, not a destination
The Ochre Pits are mineral colour in a cliff face. They are worth 40 minutes of looking. They are not a substitute for a gorge or a Pound day.
Culturally, ochre matters. Take photographs from the path. Leave the material in the ground.
Midday colour can wash out. Morning or late light photographs better. Limited shade — treat it as a short stop in heat.
What to pair it with
Combine with Ellery rather than making a special four-hour round trip only for this. On a 2–3 day loop it is a colour stop between Ellery and Ormiston — not a hike.
Serpentine Chalet camping is a nearby designated park camp (book online). It is not a free roadside pull-off.
Leave the ochre
Do not climb the face. Do not collect. On-site signs and official park rules win over any photo tip you read online.
This guide will not invent ceremony or story for a caption. Look, photograph, leave.
Highlights at a glance
- Coloured banded ochre cliffs
- Short access from the sealed road
- Pairs with Serpentine Chalet camping (designated, book online)
- Useful buffer between Ellery and Ormiston
Practical tips
- Midday colour can wash out — morning or late light photographs better.
- Combine with Ellery rather than making a special 4-hour round trip only for this.
- Stay on the visitor path. There is little shade.
- Carry water even for a short stop.
Facilities & services
- Short walking access
- Limited shade
- Sealed-road pull-in (confirm on site)
- Official park-open: no toilets on site — use Serpentine Gorge or Ellery
Confirm toilets, parking and open facilities on the day via official sources and on-site signage.
Walks & lookouts nearby
Grades, times and open/closed status change — open each guide and verify on NT Parks before you go.
All trailsItineraries that use this area
Map
Orientation only — confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.
Interactive map — pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.
FAQ — Ochre Pits
Short planning answers. Official NT Parks signs and the park-open page always win over this guide.
Tap a question to expand the answer.
Can I collect ochre?
No. Leave it. This is a look-don’t-take stop. Follow on-site signs and official park rules.
How long should I allow?
Thirty to ninety minutes is honest. If you need a full day’s walk, open Ormiston or a Larapinta section instead.
Is there camping here?
Not at the pits themselves. Nearby Serpentine Chalet is a designated park camp — book online. Ellery and Ormiston are the usual overnight bases on this stretch.
Other Tjoritja / West Macs areas
These precincts do not substitute for each other. Open the guide that matches tomorrow morning.
Simpsons Gap & the eastern corridor
Best for: First-timers, families, an easy gorge morning, cycling the bicycle path
Closest major gorge to Alice Springs: red cliffs, a waterhole, short walks, rock-wallabies and the sealed bicycle path. The right first stop — not the whole park.
Open area guide →
Standley Chasm (Angkerle Atwatye)
Best for: Chasm walk, culture-respectful visit, Larapinta section logistics
A privately operated chasm on Arrernte country — separate entry, hours and camping from NT Parks. A Larapinta trailhead and a popular mid-corridor stop. Always use the operator’s own site for fees.
Open area guide →
Ellery Creek Big Hole
Best for: Swimming when allowed, picnic, overnight camp, families who will not do Ormiston Pound
Large permanent waterhole, picnic area and designated campground on the sealed western corridor. The swim/picnic stop — cold water, separate camping fees.
Open area guide →
Ormiston Gorge & Pound
Best for: Signature day walk, waterhole, overnight camp, Larapinta logistics
The park’s day-walk heart: permanent waterhole, red walls, Ghost Gum Lookout, the Pound amphitheatre, ranger station and designated camping. If you only drive west once, drive here.
Open area guide →
Glen Helen, Redbank Gorge & Mount Sonder
Best for: Western icons, Sonder sunrise, Redbank wade, multi-day finishers
Western end of the visitor corridor: Glen Helen gorge country, Redbank’s narrow chasm, and Mount Sonder (Rutjupma). Official park-open (checked 14 Aug 2026): Redbank is high-clearance 4WD only. Glen Helen gorge is an NT Parks site; the commercial lodge is a different product — confirm the operator before you plan a bed.
Open area guide →
Stays, tours & gear near Ochre Pits
Optional next steps after you plan this area — park fees and official NT Parks bookings are never affiliated.
Nearby stays
Alice Springs (primary) · Hermannsburg
- Hotels & motels in Alice SpringsPrimary gateway — all services, airport, hire cars
- Hermannsburg / NtariaWestern / Ntaria base — limited commercial beds
All Booking.com links open in a new tab and may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Official NT Parks camping and cottage bookings are never affiliated.
Guided tours
Optional — useful for first visits from Alice Springs without a hire car
- West Macs & Standley Chasm day
- West Macs day with lunch
- West Macs half-day from Alice
- Browse more West MacDonnell tours
A tour does not replace checking NT Parks alerts, heat, or gorge safety yourself.
What to bring
Practical kit for heat, water, rock and limited reception
- Water capacity 3 L+Heat is the dominant hazard. Tank water can run out and must be treated — carry more than you think you need
- Sun hat + high SPFOpen Pound floor and ridge lines have little shade; UV is severe year-round
- Light long-sleeve sun shirtBetter than burning through a singlet on Ormiston or Larapinta ridges
- Sturdy trail shoesRock-hopping, creek beds and loose ridge rock — fashion sneakers fail here
- Day pack 20–30 LWater, electrolytes, first aid, layers and a dry bag for a possible gorge wade
- Electrolytes / salty snacksSweat loss in dry heat is easy to underestimate until you cramp on the exit
- Insect head net / fly veilFlies are normal, not a surprise — especially still mornings at waterholes
- Warm layer for nightsCool-season nights (April–September) drop hard after 35 °C days
- Personal locator beacon or sat messengerReception is limited in gorges and on much of the Larapinta. 000 needs a signal. Optional planning item — not a coverage map
- Offline maps (Avenza / downloaded)Official park maps + Avenza are recommended. Do not rely on live data in the Pound
- First-aid + blister kitRocky days and isolation — help is slow on longer walks
- Water treatment (camping)Treat or boil tank water at Parks sites; bring your own drinking water as the default
- Dry bag (gorge swim / wade)Official 14 Aug 2026: Pound loop and Ghost Gum loop require a swim — keep phone and layers dry, or skip the loop
- HeadlampPre-dawn Pound starts, Sonder ridge, and getting back to the car before you are cooked
Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Park fees, camping bookings, Larapinta trail fees and Mereenie Loop permits are never affiliated. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy