Editing Finke Gorge National Park

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Finke Gorge National Park
| state                  = nt
| city =[[Namatjira, Northern Territory|Namatjira]]<ref name="NTPNR"/>
| iucn_category          = V
| iucn_ref               =<ref name="CAPADnt2018">{{cite web|title= Terrestrial Protected Areas Detailed List in Northern Territory (2018) |url= https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/f329f2b1-6945-43df-9e96-f68ec893b116/files/capad2018-marine-nt.xlsx |website=CAPAD 2018|publisher=Australian government|access-date=3 April 2020}}</ref>

| image                  = Finke Gorge National Park 0416.svg
| caption                = Finke Gorge National Park map
| coordinates ={{coord|23.6667|S|132.65|E|format=dms|display=title, inline}}
| coord_ref =<ref name="NTPNR">{{cite web |title=Place Names Register Extract for "Finke Gorge National Park" |url=http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=12825 |website=NT Place Names Register |publisher=Northern Territory Government |access-date=7 October 2019}}</ref>
| nearest_town_or_city   = [[Alice Springs, Northern Territory|Alice Springs]]
| area                   = 452.85
| area_footnotes = <ref name="PWCNT">{{Citation | title= NT Parks and Reserves List | date= 31 May 2019 | publisher= Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory | url= https://dtsc.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/282442/nt-parks-and-reserves-list.pdf | access-date= 5 April 2020 | archive-date= 27 March 2020 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200327122133/https://dtsc.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/282442/nt-parks-and-reserves-list.pdf | url-status= dead }}</ref>

| established = {{start date|1966|10|28|df=y}}
| established_footnotes =<ref name="CAPADnt2018"/>
| visitation_num         = 18000
| visitation_year        = 2022
| visitation_footnotes = <ref name="visitors">{{cite web|title=NT parks and reserves - Calendar Year Visitor Numbers|url= https://dtsc.nt.gov.au/parks-and-wildlife-commission/parks-and-wildlife-statistics-and-research/park-visitor-data |website=Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture|publisher=Northern Territory Government |access-date=5 April 2020|quote=Traffic counter located at entry to Palm Valley.}}</ref>
| managing_authorities   = {{Plainlist|
* [[Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory]]
}}
| url = https://nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves/find-a-park/find-a-park-to-visit/finke-gorge-national-park
}}
'''Finke Gorge National Park''' is a [[protected area]] in the [[Northern Territory of Australia]] located about {{convert|1318|km}} south of the territory capital of [[Darwin City, Northern Territory|Darwin]].<ref>{{cite map |title=Australia Road and 4WD Atlas|last=Hema |first=Maps|year=2007 |publisher=Hema Maps|location=Eight Mile Plains Queensland|isbn=978-1-86500-456-3|pages=100}}</ref>
The national park covers an area of {{convert|458|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, and includes the [[desert oasis]] [[Palm Valley (Northern Territory)|Palm Valley]], home to a diverse range of plant species, many of which are rare and unique to the area. There are good opportunities for bushwalking and bushcamping in the national park.<ref name="discover">{{cite book |title=Discover Australia's National Parks |last=Hema Maps |year=1997 |publisher=[[Random House]] Australia |location=[[Milsons Point, New South Wales]] |isbn=1-875992-47-2 |pages=221}}</ref>

==Heritage==
The national park is noted for its ancient palms and Aboriginal cultural sites. The [[Central Australian Cabbage Palm]] is found only in Palm Valley and prolifically here.<ref name="discover" /> There are around 3000 full grown palms and thousands of small seedlings sprinkled across the park which can get easily trampled by the visitors. Thus the visitors are required to walk along the marked paths to avoid destroying the seedlings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves/find-a-park-to-visit/finke-gorge-national-park|title=Finke Gorge National Park|website=Northern Territory Government}}</ref> The [[Finke River]] is claimed to be one of the oldest catchments in the world,<ref name="discover" /> with areas dating back 350 million years.

The national park and nearby areas hold cultural significance to the [[Western Arrernte]] Aboriginal people<ref>https://dtsc.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/249148/finke-gorge-national-park.pdf Particularly page 6 and following</ref> and there is also evidence of early European settlement.<ref>https://nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/200037/finke-gorge-national-park-fact-sheet.pdf{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Particularly note the "Police Station Ruins"</ref>

In 1980, it was listed on the now-defunct [[Register of the National Estate]].<ref name="RNE">{{cite AHD|192|Finke Gorge National Park, Hermannsburg,(sic) NT, Australia - listing on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate |date=21 October 1980|access-date=6 April 2020}}</ref>

==Access==
A four-wheel-drive route down the Finke River to Illamurta Springs and [[Watarrka National Park]] begins at Finke Gorge. Bush walking is another common activity. Kalaranga lookout is an easy 20 minute climb, with views of the rock amphitheatre encircled by rugged cliffs. The Mpaara Walk introduces the mythology of the Western Arrernte Aboriginal culture. In Palm Valley, the Arankaia Walk and the longer Mpulungkinya Walk meander among slender palms, returning across a scenic plateau.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
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==Gallery==
<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
file:PalmValley.jpg|[[Palm Valley (Northern Territory)|Palm Valley]], located in the national park
File:Finke Gorge NP.jpg|Amphitheatre
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Protected areas of the Northern Territory]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Finke Gorge National Park}}

==External links==
*[https://nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves/find-a-park/find-a-park-to-visit/finke-gorge-national-park Official webpage]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130512194857/http://www.parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/10586/Finke-Gorge.pdf Official fact sheet and map]
*[https://norther.com.au/national-parks/finke-gorge-national-park/ Finke Gorge National Park]

{{National Parks of the Northern Territory}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:National parks of the Northern Territory]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1966]]
[[Category:1966 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Northern Territory places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate]]