Northern Territory · Attraction
Ruby Gap Nature Park
Remote gorge, garnets and silence
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
Ruby Gap Nature Park is the most remote publicly accessible park in the East MacDonnell Ranges, lying 150 kilometres from Alice Springs at the far eastern edge of the ranges. The park was named for Central Australia's first mining rush in 1886, when prospectors flooded in after mistaking high-grade garnets in the riverbeds for rubies, an error that launched a frenzied and ultimately disappointing rush.
The park's centrepiece is the Hale River gorge, whose walls of pink and red quartzite rise dramatically above a sandy riverbed scattered with the garnet gravel that sparked the original rush. A five-kilometre return walk upstream leads to Glen Annie Gorge, where a permanent waterhole sits beneath sheer cliffs, a rewarding destination for well-prepared walkers with enough time to linger. The terrain is rugged and unmaintained beyond the main tracks, suited only to experienced and well-equipped adventurers.
Access requires a high-clearance 4WD along the Binns Track through Arltunga Historical Reserve, and visitors must carry a satellite phone or personal locator beacon, ample water, food and spare tyres. Camping is available in a basic bush site with no facilities beyond what you bring yourself, and sites must be booked online before arrival. The extreme remoteness and self-sufficient nature of a visit here makes Ruby Gap one of the most rewarding wilderness experiences in Central Australia.