Ngarutjaranya Mountain

Address: Ngarutjaranya (Mount Woodroffe), Tomkinson Ranges, APY Lands, South Australia - access by permit only

Ngarutjaranya is the Anangu name for the highest peak in South Australia, located in the Musgrave Ranges. It reaches 1,435 metres and is the state’s highest point.

The mountain offers a remote, rugged summit rather than developed visitor facilities; the main draw is the peak itself and the surrounding Musgrave Range landscape. Routes across the range are long and remote, so visits are typically undertaken by experienced walkers or guided groups with local permission.

The area is of longstanding cultural significance to Anangu Pitjantjatjara people and retains Indigenous place names and associations. European mapping and mountaineering visits have occurred, but the peak remains primarily important in local Indigenous tradition.

Ngarutjaranya sits in the far northwest of South Australia within the Musgrave Ranges, on lands administered as part of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) region, near the borders with Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

• Elevation: Rises to 1,435 metres above sea level, making it the highest point in South Australia.
• Access: Located within Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, access requires permission from local landowners and authorities.

• Ngarutjaranya (Mount Woodroffe) lies within APY Lands and access is controlled - obtain the required permits and permissions from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara authorities well in advance rather than assuming free access.
• Treat any visit as remote-country travel: arrange a local guide or community-hosted trip, allow extra time for travel on unsealed tracks, and avoid the summer months when temperatures and remoteness make travel unsafe.