Best Hill Walks in Wicklow:
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Five Great Walks in Wicklow
We have got together to pick the 5 best hikes in Wicklow and sorted them in order of difficulty. All these routes have longer and more difficult versions so, for starters, we chose the simplest and most enjoyable trails to ease you from walking in Wicklow to hiking in Wicklow.
Check out some of HilltopTreks Walks & Hikes
Do let us know how you get on and don’t forget, Hilltoptreks offers guided walks throughout Ireland along with Mountain Skills and Navigation Courses too!
List of Wicklow walks:
1. The Spinc and The Miners Track from Glendalough – Loop Walk
2. Maulin from Crone Woods – Loop
3. Djouce – Linear-
4. Derrybawn & the Wicklow way from Glendalough – Loop
5. Tonelegee & Lough Ouler from The Wicklow Gap – Linear
Warning: All these suggestions are high mountain routes and should only be undertaken by those who are fully equipped with waterproof rain-wear, warm clothing, food and proper footwear.
Respect the mountains – Check the weather, let someone know your plans and wear the proper gear.
Top Tips:
- Bring a picnic lunch, stop at the peak (weather permitting), enjoy the views, listen to the skylarks, watch the deer and wild goats, look at the clouds!
- Take a picture of any map route information usually available at the trail head.
- Watch out for heavy machinery warnings in the Coillte Forests.
- A new by-law means all Dogs must be kept on leads at all times.
You can check out some of our Upcoming Guided Walks and Hikes Here
Happy Hiker Checklist:
The Spinc and the miners track from Glendalough – Loop Walk
Walk Length: Approx. 10km,
Height Gain of 429m, Time Approx. 3.5/4 hours
Markings: Follow the White arrows.
Type: Strenuous looped walk (Climbing for the first 2 hours)
Map: Wicklow National Park -Glendalough Walking Trails,
Mapping: OS 56 or EastWest Lugnaquilla and Glendalough
- Family Friendly,
- Large Public Car Park,
- Coffee, Snack shop and toilets at the trailhead
- Shorter loop walks from the same location.
Tip: The railway sleepers on the ascent and the rocky path on the descent can be very slippy – Walking poles are an advantage.
The Wicklow Heather Restaurant in Laragh is a great place for a meal and a pint afterwards.
About the Walk: Starting from the Upper car park in Glendalough, head towards the upper lake & the first of many photo opportunities with the stunning Glendalough Valley stretching in front of you. You will be following the white route up alongside the Poulanass Waterfall, turning right at the T junction at the top of the hill. Follow the curving path up hill and keep an eye out, on the right, for the new path which twists up through the felled forest in place of the 1000 steps of old.
Follow this new path up to the old sleeper track and the viewpoint with spectacular views of the Lake, the Monastic Village and the valley. This is what walking in Wicklow is all about!
Follow the white route (keeping right at any cross tracks) along the steep valley cliffs. Lugduff Mountain will up on your left, the remains of the lead mining can be seen on the opposite valley cliffs. Watch out for wild goats, deer, buzzards, red kites and if you are quick enough, peregrine falcons.
The area around the bridge at the head of the valley, beside the river, makes a perfect picnic spot. In October time, you can hear the male deer roaring at each other across the valley.
Follow the rocky Miners Path back down the valley to the old industrial village, then onto the forest path back to the car park.
NOTE: Along the trail there are some stone trails and boardwalks to keep you out of the wet bog along the way.
Maulin & Powerscourt Waterfall – Loop Walk
Walk: Length: approx. 8km
Type: Moderate Loop Walk.
Marking: Route is marked with red discs with a footprint – Loop Walk
Height Gain: 447m. Time: Approx. 3 hours.
Map: Coillte Crone Woods Trail Map, OS56 or EastWest Mapping Wicklow East or Dublin Mountains
- Family Friendly
- Large Public Car Park
- Shorter loop walks from the same location.
Tip: Poppies or the Village Inn in Enniskerry are great places for refreshments afterwards.
About The Walk: Crone Woods is a very popular place for families and walkers throughout the year so an early start is recommended. Take a picture of the Coillte Information board with all the walking route details just in case you change your mind along the way. You will be following the Wicklow Way/Red Route and this takes you up through the forest of Corsican Pine, Scots Pine, Douglas Fir, Larch and Sitka Spruce. A great view point overlooking Powerscourt Waterfall is a good chance to stop for photos and a refreshing drink as well as catch your breath.
Continue straight on up the mountain along the cliff edge, ignoring the paths to the right until you come to a T junction at a break in a stone wall. The path to your left is the Wicklow Way continuing via Djouce to Glendalough and you take the right turn, up the steep path towards Maulin, which will soon appear in front of you. The path is very clear and straight up to the top. Once you summit, the views are stunning. On a clear day, the mountains of Snowdonia in Wales as well as the Mournes to the north can be clearly seen. You will see the Sugarloaf, Howth, Dalkey and Bray Head to name but a few landmarks.
The descent path is straight across from your ascent and down by the wall to a forest path and gate which you approach at a right angle – you are re-joining the Red Trail. Follow the path through the forest and this is where your picture of the Coillte forest routes will become invaluable! Most of the paths lead back to the Car Park, just some of them are longer than others and it is very easy to lose your bearings with all the twists and turns.
Following the red trail, you should be back in the Car Park in about an hour.
Check our Self-Guided Walks and Trails in Ireland
Walk on Djouce Mountain – Linear Walk
Walk Length: approx. 7 km
Type: Moderate / Strenuous Linear Walk.
Markings: Not marked
Height Gain: 270m. Time: 2.5 to 3 hours.
- Family Friendly,
- Large Public Car Park,
- Shorter loop walks from the same location.
- Options to extend or shorten walk.
Tip: The Coach House in Roundwood is a great place for refreshments afterwards.
Djouce (Irish –Dioghais, meaning ‘fortified height) stands at 725m and is the most reachable of the high Wicklow Mountains. It is a slight detour off the Wicklow Way which is a marked path on railway sleepers for most of your hike (ensuring the underlying bogland is protected from human erosion).
About The Walk: From the car park, you will soon pass a memorial stone on your left, dedicated to the great J.B. Malone, the hiking man who established the Wicklow Way. In front of you is Fancy or Luggala Mountain with Lough Tay below looking like a pint of Guinness! The Luggala Estate was, up until recently, owned by the Guinness family.
Keeping to the sleeper track on-wards and upwards towards Djouce Mountain, crossing over a stile and coming to a junction after about 45 minutes – The Wicklow Way continues eastward/right towards Powerscourt Waterfall and Enniskerry Village – and you leave the sleeper track, carrying on straight, taking the short, if steep final steps, up the stony path to the summit of Djouce. The views are breath-taking, literally, because it is nearly always very windy on top!
You will see most of the east coast of Ireland from the Mourne Mountains in the North to the Wexford coast in the South. Inland you can easily pick out The Sally Gap & Kippur as well as Roundwood and the Vartry Reservoir.
The return to your car is via the same route and afterwards you could visit the pretty village of Roundwood.
Derrybawn & the Wicklow way from Glendalough – Loop Walk
Best Hill Walks in Wicklow.
Walk Length: 10km approx.
Type: Moderate / Strenuous loop Walk
Markings: Partially marked
Height Gain: 361m, Time: 3 to 4 hours
- Family Friendly,
- Large Public Car Park,
- Coffee, snack shop and toilets at the trailhead.
- Choice of loop walks.
Tips:
- Our route involves some forest paths and off track, open ground so this should not be your first solo hike. A good hiking guide is always worth hiring.
- Bring a packed lunch & have a picnic at a sheltered wooded spot along the Wicklow Way.
- The Wicklow Heather Restaurant in Laragh is a great place for a meal and a pint afterwards.
About The Walk:
This is one of the best walks in Wicklow in our opinion – it has everything including ancient history, spectacular views, forest, open heath-land and the only true mountain ridge in Wicklow.
We start at the upper lake car park and follow the Yellow Man (The Wicklow Way) route, up alongside the Poulanass Waterfall. Take it easy, this is a steep climb! At the top, turn left over the bridge and on your right is an information point with samples of all the rock types in the Wicklow Mountains. A great chance to catch your breath.
Continue on this forest road until you come to a right turn which rises steeply. After about 10 to 15 minutes, on your left will appear a small, steep path up through the woods, over an old fence and onto to open moorland with Derrybawn straight above you. Follow the path through the heather which becomes a stream in wet weather.
When you reach the ridge, turn right and after a quick scramble over some rocks, you emerge at the cairn. A chance to catch your breath, get a drink and take in the views of Mullacor, the Glendalough Valley with Camaderry, Turlough Hill, The Brockaghs and Lugnaquilla, if you are lucky.
Continue straight along the mountain ridge, the only true ridge in the Wicklow Mountains, for 2.5 km or about 45 minutes. You will come to a T junction and turn right. At about 100m, there is a path to your right heading downhill towards the woods and a stile/gate. Cross over into the forest and almost immediately you come to a Y junction. Keep right, and after about 1km you will come to a trail marked path, turn right and follow the signs back through the woods to Glendalough and the upper car park.
Tonglegee & Lough Ouler from The Wicklow Gap – Linear
Walk Length: approx. 6 km
Type: Strenuous Linear Walk.
Marking: No marked trail
Height Gain: 363m. Time: 3 hours.
- Family Friendly
- Large Public Car Park
Warning: This mountain does not have a marked trail, only narrow paths through the bog. It is wet all year round so we do not recommend this mountain hike in bad weather because navigation skills will be required. Check the weather, let someone know your plans and wear the proper gear.
Tonelegee is the 3rd highest peak in the Wicklow Mountains – 817m. In Irish: Tóin le Gaoith, meaning ‘backside to the wind’, it really can be very windy up on top! You may have seen the heart shaped lake, Lough Ouler, on Facebook and Instagram and now you will see this glorious hidden gem for yourself. On a good summers day, this is a family friendly Wicklow walk.
About the Walk: There are two main approaches, an easier (from the Wicklow Gap) and a difficult (from Glenmacnass Waterfall). We are going to take the easier and when we say easier, it is shorter but still strenuous and both have some tricky navigation in bad weather. HilltopTreks offers a guided walk option for the more difficult route too.
We start off at the Wicklow Gap/Turlough Hill car park and here is decision time. With your back to Turlough Hill, Tonelegee is straight in front of you. If the weather is clear, you will see the peak with the path, through the heather, in a straight line up the side of the mountain. If you can’t see the path due to cloud or rain, come back another day!
Carefully crossing the road, jump over a stream, through the very wet, boggy ground yet sticking to the path, you will be at the Trig marker at the peak in about an hour.
As the song goes, ‘you ain’t seen nothin yet!’
If it is cloudy, there is no point in proceeding, you won’t see anything and the unfenced cliffs are very steep and dangerous. If the weather is clear, you are going to make a short triangular loop as per the HilltopTreks map. The paths are tricky to find which is where basic navigation skills come into their own. Taking the path down to your right for about 300m until you come to a Y junction in the bog and turn west/left along the top of the cliffs on your right. Slowly, the beautiful Lough Ouler, tucked in under Tonelegee, will come into view. This is a perfect place to stop for your picnic. The lake really is shaped like a heart.
Continue on to another Y junction, turning south/left back up towards the Trig marker, from where your descent is back the way you came, keeping to the path towards the car park, straight in front of you. A stop in Poppies of Enniskerry Village for some refreshments is always worth it.
