Rainbow Valley

Rainbow Valley is located about 75 km south of Alice Springs along the Stuart Hwy, and about 22 km east of the highway along a dirt road with some sandy patches. It normally can be reached in a conventional vehicle with care, but in wet weather Rainbow Valley is only accessible by 4WD. Open all year round, the cooler months from April to September are the most pleasant time to visit as temperatures in the valley commonly rise above 50°C in summer.

The main features of the Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve are its spectacular red sandstone bluffs and cliffs. These free standing cliffs form part of the James Range, and are particularly attractive in the early morning and late afternoon when rainbow-like bands of differently coloured rock are highlighted. These bands in the sandstone cliffs are caused by water. In an earlier and wetter age, the red iron of the sandstone layers was dissolved and drawn to the surface during the dry season. These red minerals formed a dark iron surface layer with the leached white layers remaining below. The dark red capping is harder and weathers more slowly than the softer white sandstone below, which quickly turns into loose sand. Weathering and erosion are also responsible for the shape of Rainbow Valley, where sandstone blocks have been eroded into rock faces and squared towers.

There are some excellent stands of the majestic Desert Oak along the road into Rainbow Valley. Once at the valley, a walk along the base of the cliffs reveals great chunks of fallen rock, some of them weathered and pockmarked like coral, while a vast natural amphitheatre reverberates with the cry of birds and the sound of the wind whistling through Desert Oaks. On the rare occasions when Rainbow Valley is filled with rain, the large clay pan provides a mirror-like reflection of the multi-coloured ridge behind. A 40 minute return walk leads to Mushroom Rock, an unusual rock formation with a natural tunnel formed by millions of years of wind and rain erosion.

There are basic camping facilities at Rainbow Valley, however it is advisable to carry your own firewood and water.