Macdonnell Ranges

Macdonnell Ranges, mountain ranges in Australia, in the southern region of the Northern Territory. The mountains run east to west for 400 km (250 mi), reaching a maximum height of 1,510 m (4,955 ft) at Mount Zeil. The Macdonnells are most famous for the colors of their rocks from the Paleozoic era (225 million to 570 million years ago), and the odd-shaped bluffs and chasms that they form. Peaks are generally in ridges stacked against and parallel to each other. The ranges are the source of the Finke and Todd rivers, which cut deep gorges in the southern part of the range, notably in the Finke Gorge National Park and near Alice Springs, the area's main urban center. The ranges were explored by John McDouall Stuart in 1860, who named them after Sir Richard MacDonnell, governor of South Australia.