This trek starts at
Alice Springs and travels south on the Old South Road taking in some
ruins along the way to the small town of Maryvale. It then heads south east to
Chambers Pillar which is an amazing
rock formation in the
Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve. This part of the trek is extremely scenic and is a good introduction to the type of scenery you would see in the
Simpson Desert although the route runs between dunes and is relatively easy.
The track to
Chambers Pillar is officially not recommended for trailers but other than a bit of sand, a rocky low range 2nd steep descent and patches of corrugations, it is straightforward and many people do bring them. There are red dunes on either side of the track, bits and pieces of historic
ruins, and not a car in sight. The track is mostly sand and has good drainage when wet.
You can climb up to the base of the vertical section of
Chambers pillar to view the inscribed names of the famous
explorers who passed here before the Telegraph and Ghan was built and there's a nice walk around the base of
Castle Rock. Late afternoon is the best time to view the
rainbow colours of
the ridge that glow vibrantly when struck by the golden rays of the setting sun.
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
TrekID: 41