Length: 6km
Duration: 2hrs
Grade: 2
Style: One Way
Start: Katherine Station
End: Morey Rd

Location: Katherine
Closest Town: Katherine Station
Distance from CBD: 320km
State: NT
Latitude: -14.46738655
Longitude: 132.264995

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2WD Access

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Public Transport

Bitumen Road

Gravel Road

Steep Road

Winding Road

Speed Bumps

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Entry Fee

Large Car Park

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Accessible Parking

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Katherine...

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Concrete Path

Timber Boardwalk

Gravel Path

Sandy Trail

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Undefined Trail

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Motorised Wheelchair

Bicycle Trail

Mountain Bike Trail

Historic Rail Trail

Dog Friendly

Urban Walk

Coast & Beach

Historic Lighthouse

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Rainforest Walk

Goldfields & Mining

Heritage Walk

Aboriginal Art

Alpine Region

Alpine Huts

Exposed Ledges

Rock Scrambling

Steep Terrain

Bush Bashing

River Crossings

Scenic Viewpoints

Well Marked

Drinking Water

Untreated Water

Fishing Spots

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Overnight Campsites

Trail Running

Horse Riding

Katherine Rail Trail is a 6km, grade 2 one way hike, located in Katherine Northern Territory. The hike should take approximately 2hrs to complete.

Hike Summary

Interpretive signs along the path highlight the history of the railway and the old Emungalan Cemetery. Before the Katherine River railway bridge was built, the town of Emungalan (north of Katherine) was the railway terminus.

A high standard rail trail with the centrepiece being the high bridge acrossthe Katherine River.
Follow the route of the historic former North Australian Railway, where considerable effort has gone into preserving remaining infrastructure
Links with the seven kilometre Katherine River cycle path, the 12 kilometre path to the RAAF Base Tindal, and those around the town.

Two shelters on the path will house information panels about the railway and the limestone topography over which it passes.

The first section of the narrow gauge North Australia Railway from Darwin to Pine Creek opened in 1888. It was extended south to Katherine in 1926 and finally Larrimah in 1929, which was as far south as it got, never linking up to the Adelaide to Alice Springs railway. Nevertheless it played a vital role in the development of the Northern Territory and Australia during the second world war. However once the war was over improving roads and its isolation resulted in the railway being closed in 1976.

About the region

Come to where the Outback meets the tropics and discover a region full of gorges and misty waterfalls, thermal springs and ancient cultures.

Nature comes alive at Katherine Gorge as you cruise, canoe or fly along the Gorge by helicopter. Take a more challenging route and hike the Jatbula Trail, or soak it up in luxury at Cicada Lodge.

Learn from the land at Tom Curtain’s Katherine Outback Experience or get a hands-on perspective of indigenous culture with the Top Didj Aboriginal Cultural Experience; both just minutes from the centre of Katherine.