OPEN


 

National Parks


National Parks

Play Video

Taking a walk in one of Ireland’s six national parks is a chance to immerse yourself in raw, unspoilt nature. The landscapes of these protected areas vary dramatically. From the Burren’s shattered limestone rock garden to Killarney National Park’s shimmering lakes and exquisite natural woodland, each and every park is a hiker’s dream.

A long group walking in the Burren

The Burren draws many who like to explore the bare stone hills which are dappled with Alpine and lowland flowers and Neolithic monuments. There are many walking routes but the 123km Burren Way is probably the most famous.

Read more about the Burren
a group resting by the river in Glenveagh

With mountains, moorlands, lakes and woods, Glenveagh National Park in north-west Donegal offers a real wilderness feel. Experienced hikers might be tempted to climb the two highest peaks – Errigal and Slieve Snaght, and there are many shorter waymarked trails too.

Read more about Glenveagh
The lake and valley at Glendalough

Centred on Glendalough, the Wicklow Mountains National Park offers a network of nine waymarked trails. If you’re handy with a map and compass, that’s just the start. This park is also a great place for spying on nature. It is one of Ireland’s major deer habitats and bird species include ravens, red grouse, skylarks and meadow pipits.

Read more about Wicklow
Ballycroy National Park mountain and lake

Ballycroy National Park in northwest Mayo is the newest in the country. Dominated by the Nephin Beg mountain range, it is a remote and unspoilt wilderness where Atlantic blanket bog and mountainous terrain stretch into the distance.

Read more about Ballycroy
An aerial view of the lake in the park

In the South West, Killarney National Park boasts a stunning array of mountains, lakes, woods and waterfalls. There is an excellent network of surfaced tracks in the Muckross, Knockreer and Ross Island areas of the park which are ideal for walkers.

Read more about Killarney
The mountain range in Connemara National Park

Several of the imposing Twelve Bens are within the Connemara National Park so it’s little wonder that there’s plenty of challenging hiking on offer. But there are also more sedate routes. Pick up nature trail booklets at the visitor centre near Letterfrack or if you want to bag a more manageable peak, scale Diamond Hill.

Read more about Connemara


Discover Ireland Pin It