Tramore Forest comprises a small number of forest properties within close proximity of Waterford City and the town of Tramore. Its location is bound to the east by the Suir estuary, to the north by the N25 and to the south by the sea. The Tramore Forest area totals 850 hectares and ranges in elevation from 15 metres to 140 metres. Ballyscanlon Forest which overlooks Ballyscanlan Lake is one of the forests in Tramore Forest.
Ballyscanlon Forest is located 6.5km west of Tramore on the road to Dungarvan. The Comeragh Mountains and Monavillagh form a distant back-drop. There are walking trails that vary in length from three to 4km. The fauna includes foxes, badgers, rabbits, some hares, red squirrels and many types of bird life. Facilities include a car park, picnic site, forest and lakeside walks. The main tree species are Sitka spruce, lodgepole pine and Norway spruce. Furze, woodrush and bilberry thrive on the woodland floor while lichens, mosses and saxifrage grow on the rocky ridges along the area.
The geology of the area is rhyolite and tuff formed 450 million years ago. On adjoining land there are stone dwellings which may date back to the 17th century. Many have been demolished over the years. It would seem that the site itself once constituted a meeting place for local people.
After your walk in the forest make use of the picnic area and enjoy your lunch taking in the forest views.