Sacred Canyon – ancient rock engravings in the Flinders Ranges

Summary: Sacred Canyon in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park has Aboriginal engraving on the walls of the gorge representing camp sites, springs and water holes.

  • Site type: Rock engraving, Rock engraving - intaglio
  • Number of motifs: 15
  • Motif/s: Bird Track, Oval
  • Quality: 4/5
  • Condition of site: Good

On the sandstone walls of Sacred Canyon in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park are ancient Aboriginal rock engravings, or petroglyphs. The age of the engravings is not known: the Adnyamathanha people believe that the engravings were not made by people, but were created for them by ancestral beings during the “Dreaming”.

Sacred Canyon is an area of great cultural significance to the Adnyamathanha people and is part of our national heritage, containing some of the oldest rock engravings in the world.

Aboriginal petroglyphs at SacredCanyon (Ikara-Flinders Ranges)

Many of the patroglyphs are circles and lines, which represent camp sites, springs and water holes. Among these motifs, images of animal tracks and human-like figures can also be found.

Aboriginal petroglyphs at SacredCanyon (Ikara-Flinders Ranges)

Getting to Sacred Canyon

The gorge is in the south-eastern part of the park, about 19km from the Wilpena Pound Resort at the end of Sacred Canyon Road. A rough track runs from the main road to the carpark at the gully’s entrance, and a short 800m walk along a dry creek bed lined with river red gums leads to the canyon.

HPIM3247 LR Sacred Canyon - ancient rock engravings in the Flinders Ranges
HPIM3249 LR Sacred Canyon - ancient rock engravings in the Flinders Ranges

More information on Sacred Canyon

Visitor access to Sacred Canyon is only allowed through approved commercial tour operators who provide Adnyamathanha guided tours. Tours can be booked through Wilpena Pound Resort online or by calling 1800 805 802.

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