Rainbow Valley

Rainbow Valley is a free-standing bluff of sandstone in the James Range, banded horizontally from dark red at the top through orange to near-white at the base, the colouring caused by iron leaching downward through the rock over millions of years and concentrating in the upper layers. The effect is strongest at sunset, when low light saturates the red. In front of the bluff lies a claypan that fills after rain and mirrors the whole formation, producing the images the site is known for, though it is dry most of the time. The area is significant to the Southern Arrernte people. A basic campground sits near the bluff.

What you actually see

• The banded bluff - sandstone graded from deep red to cream.
• The claypan reflection - the mirror image when the pan holds water.
• The sunset colour - the rock at its most saturated in low light.
• The desert setting - open range country with no development.

When to go

April to September; summer heat exceeds forty degrees. Sunset is the point of the visit, so staying at the campground or timing the drive carefully matters. The reflection needs recent rain and is uncommon.

Honest expectations

The access track is twenty-two kilometres of sand and is officially recommended for four-wheel drive; conventional cars get stuck. The claypan is usually dry. Facilities are a campground with pit toilets and no water.

Nearby

Alice Springs lies north; Chambers Pillar is further south by rough track.