Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve Camping Area
Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia located in the locality of Ghan. Henbury craters are a result of one of the few impact events that have occurred in a populated area.
Access by 4wd only.
When a meteor crashed into the earth 4,700 years ago it left 12 craters in the Central Australian desert that can be explored today at the Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve.
The Henbury meteor weighed several tonnes and hurtled to earth at 40,000km per hour before fragmenting on impact.
Scattered fragments of the meteor can be seen at the Museum of Central Australia.
Each of the 12 craters is quite different, some barely noticeable.
The largest crater is 180m wide and 15m deep and best seen in the early morning or late afternoon.
Take a walk around the craters for the best views.
You can camp in the reserve. You will need to bring your own firewood and water.
This park requires visitors to the NT to have a park pass.
Access Park entry fees - Parks Pass applies (NT residents exempt). The Henbury Meteorites are located 145 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs. Turn off the Stuart Highway onto the Ernest Giles Road 132 kms south of Alice Springs. Travel along this gravel road for 8 kms, then turn north for 5 kms to the Reserve’s entrance. The Reserve can be reached by conventional 2WD vehicle however care should be taken after heavy rains as gravel roads may become impassable. 4WD is recommended if planning to continue on the Ernest Giles Road to Watarrka National Park.
https://nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/200039/henbury-meteorites-conservation-reserve-fact-sheet-and-map.pdf
Image courtesy ParksNT