'''Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve''' [http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/parks/find/chamberspillar.html] is in Northern Territory in Australia, on the edge of the Simpson Desert.

Understand

Chambers Pillar was discovered in 1860 by John McDouall Stuart, the first explorer to successfully cross Australia. It is a 50m formation rising above the surrounding flat desert plains. It was used as an important landmark for early explorers of the area, and it still bears the graffiti of some of them. Unfortunately, it also bears newer ones...

History

Landscape

Flora and fauna

Climate

Get in

The only sizeable town in the vicinity is Alice Springs, 160km to the North. From Alice Springs it is a dirt track (the Finke Road) to the Maryvale station, and from Maryvale on it is a '''4WD-only''' tough and sandy desert track. Do not ignore the 4WD-only signs, the last part of the track ''can not'' by any means be tackled by regular vehicles. A few kilometers after Maryvale, an extremely steep climb over some rocky terrain will detere most conventionnal vehicles (even with a 4WD, you will probably have to use the lowest gear), and just after this hill the last kilometers are

Fees/Permits

Get around

See

'''Chambers Pillar'''. A sandstone formation that gives the name to the '''Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve''', in the Northern Territory in Australia, on the edge of the Simpson Desert. The tough '''4WD drive''' and the '''desert views''' make for a nice day trip from Alice Springs.

From the parking, a 30 minutes walk brings you to and around the pillar. There are two particular spots indicated for the sunrise and sunset where the sun directly reflects over the pillar. The view from the pillar over the surrounding desert is purely breathtaking.

Do

Buy

Eat

There are no facilities, bring your own food.

Drink

Sleep

Lodging

Camping

You can bring your own '''tent''' and camp, but there are no facilities (except a rudimentary toilet) in the reserve.

Backcountry

Stay safe

We are in the desert here. Take plenty of water with you, even for the short walk to the pillar. The track to the pillar from Maryvale is quite remote, if you have any mechanical problem there you would have to wait some time before anyone comes by (as the pillar is a tourist attraction, it would probably not too long anyway... at most a few days...), so take some extra food and water just in case. In case you DO run into mechanical trouble, do not leave your car.

Get out

From the Pillar, the only solution is to head back to Maryvale Station. Between Maryvale and Alice Springs, you can make a stop at the '''Ewaninga Rock Carvings?'''.