Walks and adventure sports in Dublin
Leinster
Dublin has 20 waymarked trails on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register, covering about 689 kilometres in total across walking (19), cycling (2).
Spots worth the trip
Named on our sport and activity guides.
Liffey Valley
Kayaking & CanoeingIreland's best-known whitewater run and the course of the annual Liffey Descent. Weirs and graded rapids within reach of Dublin.
Dalkey Quarry
Rock Climbing & BoulderingA disused granite quarry in Killiney Hill Park and the training ground for generations of Irish climbers. Hundreds of short routes, twenty minutes from the city centre.
Ticknock
Mountain BikingSingletrack in the Dublin Mountains on the edge of the city, with views over the bay. The closest real trail riding to a million people.
Dublin Mountains
OrienteeringTicknock, Cruagh and the Coillte forests on the city's edge. Most Dublin clubs run their winter league here.
Blackheath Archers, Clontarf
ArcheryDublin holds eleven of the register's affiliated clubs, more than the rest of Leinster combined, so it runs the most beginner intakes in the country.
University clubs
ArcheryNine of the register's clubs are third-level: UCD, Trinity, DCU, RCSI and TU Dublin, plus Maynooth, Galway, Limerick and SETU Carlow. Usually the cheapest way in if you're a student.
Dollymount Strand
WindsurfingShallow, flat water inside Bull Island and the main learning spot on the east coast. Fifteen minutes from the city centre.
Dún Laoghaire
SailingThe biggest concentration of sailing in Ireland: four waterfront clubs, a large dinghy scene, and racing most evenings in summer.
Ski Club of Ireland, Kilternan
Skiing & SnowsportsIreland's largest dry slope facility, running lessons, race training and club nights year-round on the edge of Dublin.
Tibradden, Dublin Mountains
Zip Lining & High RopesConifer forest on the city's southern edge. The closest treetop course to Dublin, reachable without leaving the county.
Grand Canal Dock
Stand-Up PaddleboardingEnclosed, flat and sheltered in the middle of the city. The most accessible introduction in the country, with hire on site.
The Forty Foot
Wild & Sea SwimmingA rocky promontory at Sandycove with 250 years of year-round swimming behind it, and a crowd there every morning of the year.
Vico Baths
Wild & Sea SwimmingA sheltered rocky bathing place below the Vico Road with deep clear water and its own regulars.
Waymarked trails in Dublin
All 20 from the National Trails Register.
National Famine Way
168.6 km · Easy · LinearStarts at Strokestown House, near Strokestown. Directions
6 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background
Royal Canal Way
146.3 km · Easy · LinearStarts at First Lock, near Dublin. Directions
6 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background
Wicklow Way
128.1 km · 3220 m climb · Strenuous · LinearStarts at Marley Park, Rathfarnham in South Dublin, near Dublin. Directions
6 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background
NOTICE re Wicklow Way Please be advised a reroute of the Wicklow Way is in place until further notice due to forestry works near the midway point of the route at Drumgoff. It follows the Clohernagh brook if you are heading North or South. Signage is in place and is easy to follow. The terrain under foot here is uneven so please take extra care. Please see downloadable map below for more details.
Grand Canal Way
117.1 km · Easy · LinearStarts at Lucan Road Bridge, near Lucan. Directions
5 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background
Dublin Mountains Way
41.1 km · 895 m climb · Strenuous · LinearStarts at Tallaght / Shankhill, near Tallaght/Shankill. Directions
12.5 hours · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background
Please Note: - Following Storm Darragh there is no access to Barnaslingan Wood, please follow the detour in place until further notice.
Ticknock - Mountain Bike Trails
14.5 km · 220 m climb · Severe · LoopStarts at Ticknock forest entrance car park, near Sandyford. Directions
60 mins
Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop
12.1 km · 240 m climb · Strenuous · LoopStarts at Howth Railway Station, near Howth Village. Directions
3 hours · Waymarked: purple arrow on white background
Royal Canal Greenway - Drumcondra - Ashtown - Castleknock
8.9 km · 14 m climb · Easy · LinearStarts at Ashtown Station or Castleknock Station, near Ashtown - Castleknock. Directions
40 mins
Howth - Black Linn Loop
8.1 km · 160 m climb · Moderate · LoopStarts at Howth Railway Station, near Howth Village. Directions
2 hours 30 minutes · Waymarked: red arrow on white background
Howth - Cliff Path Loop
7.8 km · 130 m climb · Moderate · LoopStarts at Howth Railway Station, near Howth Village. Directions
2 hours · Waymarked: green arrow on white background
Howth - Tramline Loop
7 km · 130 m climb · Moderate · LoopStarts at Howth Railway Station, near Howth Village. Directions
2 hours · Waymarked: blue arrow on white background
Slievethoul Lugg Walk
6.9 km · Easy · LoopStarts at Lay-by at entrance to Slieve Thoul and Saggart Hill, near Rathcoole. Directions
2 hours · Waymarked: brown
Ticknock - Fairy Castle Loop
6 km · 210 m climb · Moderate · LoopStarts at Ticknock forest entrance car park, near Sandyford. Directions
1.75 hours
Cruagh - Sli na Slainte
3.7 km · 100 m climb · Moderate · LoopStarts at Cruagh Wood car park, near Terenure. Directions
60 mins
Saggart Hill Loop
3.4 km · Easy · LoopStarts at Lay-by at entrance to Slieve Thoul and Saggart Hill, near Rathcoole. Directions
60 mins · Waymarked: green
Tibradden Mountain Trail
2.7 km · 130 m climb · Moderate · LinearStarts at Tibradden Wood Car Park, near Terenure. Directions
2 hours · Waymarked: red
Massey's Estate - Nature trail
2.5 km · 50 m climb · Easy · LoopStarts at Hell Fire Carpark, near Rathfarnham. Directions
45 mins
Carrickgollogan - Lead Mines Way - (Orange)
2.3 km · 30 m climb · Easy · LoopStarts at Carrickgollogan Forest Entrance car park, near Kilternan. Directions
40 mins
Barnaslingan - Scalp Lookout Trail (Red)
1.4 km · 40 m climb · Moderate · LoopStarts at Barnaslingan Forest Entrance car park, near Kilternan. Directions
45 mins
Barnaslingan - Pine loop trail (Blue)
0.9 km · 30 m climb · Easy · LoopStarts at Barnaslingan Forest Entrance car park, near Kilternan. Directions
20 mins
Forest parks in Dublin
Coillte forest parks: managed destinations with parking, marked routes and facilities, not trails in open country.
Coillte maintains 12 forest car parks in Dublin. These are the usual starting points for forest walks and mountain bike trails.
Bathing waters in Dublin
25 designated bathing waters monitored by the EPA, 4 of them flying a Blue Flag. Water quality below is the EPA's annual classification, which is a verdict on the previous four bathing seasons and not a reading for today.
Bathing restrictions in Dublin right now
Live from the EPA's bathing water service. Local authorities post restrictions after heavy rain, sewage discharges and pollution incidents, and they can appear the same morning.
Checking the EPA for current restrictions…
If this doesn't update, check beaches.ie directly before you swim.
Data from the EPA Bathing Water Open Data service, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Balbriggan, Front Strand Beach
Sufficient Quality (2025)Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Beach wheelchair
Claremont Beach
Sufficient Quality (2025)Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible · Beach wheelchair
Dollymount Strand
Good Quality (2025)Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible · Beach wheelchair
Donabate, Balcarrick Beach
Excellent Quality (2025)Blue Flag · Green Coast · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Beach wheelchair
Dun Laoghaire Baths
Poor Quality (2025)Water quality classification Poor. DLR are committed to maintaining the classification of the Dun Laoghaire Baths at a compliant level and are implementing a plan to rectify the situation that has resulted in the Poor classification for DLB.
Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible
Forty Foot Bathing Place
Excellent Quality (2025)Parking · Toilets · Public transport
Killiney
Excellent Quality (2025)Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Accessible · Beach wheelchair
Loughshinny Beach
Good Quality (2025)Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Beach wheelchair
Portmarnock, Velvet Strand Beach
Excellent Quality (2025)Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible · Beach wheelchair
Portrane, the Brook Beach
Good Quality (2025)Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport
Rush North Beach
Excellent Quality (2025)Lifeguard · Parking · Public transport
Rush, South Beach
Good Quality (2025)Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible
Sandycove Beach
Good Quality (2025)Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Accessible
Sandymount Strand
Sufficient Quality (2025)Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible
Seapoint
Excellent Quality (2025)Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible
Skerries, South Beach
Excellent Quality (2025)Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible · Beach wheelchair
Sutton, Burrow Beach
Excellent Quality (2025)Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport
White Rock Beach
Excellent Quality (2025)Parking · Toilets · Public transport
Bathing water data from the EPA Bathing Water Open Data service, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13. Positions converted from Irish Grid. The EPA publishes the full profile for each water at beaches.ie.
Sports in Dublin, in depth
The sports with named spots, accredited centres or registered trails in the county.
112 clubs and schools in Dublin
Listed by Mountaineering Ireland, Irish Sailing, Diving Ireland and Archery Ireland. Reproduced as each body publishes it, with a link back to the register. Contact details are theirs, not checked by us.
Adventure Training Ireland
School- Website
- atirl.ie
- Phone
- +353 85 866 7787
- [email protected]
AER LINGUS DIVERS
Club · Swords- Website
- awcd.net
- Phone
- 0852301993
Awesome Walls Staff Club
ClubBlackheath Archers
Club · Dublin- Phone
- 0860689124 - Paul Conroy
- [email protected]
- Website
- facebook.com/dublinbootleggers
- Website
- cybc.ie
- Phone
- 01 8332691
- [email protected]
- Website
- cha.ie
- Phone
- 0857246547
DALKEY SCUBADIVERS
Club · Dún Laoghaire- Phone
- 087 9035374
- [email protected]
Department of Marine
School- Website
- dublincliffhangers.org
Dublin University Archery Club
Club · Dublin- Phone
- +35318961000
- [email protected]
Dublin University Climbing Club (Trinity College)
Club- Website
- dmyc.ie
- Phone
- 01 2801371
- [email protected]
- Website
- powerboatschool.ie
- Phone
- 01 2804422
- [email protected]
- Website
- ecgsailing.ie
- Phone
- 0876534500
- [email protected]
Fineos Hillwalkers
ClubGreenhills Archers club
Club · Balrothery- Phone
- 0892121799
- [email protected]
- Website
- gsmountaineering.com
- Phone
- 0868121769
Howth Yacht Club
Club- Website
- hyc.ie
- Phone
- 01 8322141
- [email protected]
IADT Climbing Club
Club- Website
- iwcdublin.ie
- Phone
- 0851149012
- Website
- irishbushcraftclub.org
- Phone
- 0879879238
- Website
- inss.ie
- Phone
- 01 2844195
- [email protected]
Irish Offshore Sailing
School- Website
- irishoffshoresailing.com
- Phone
- 0857217835
- [email protected]
IRISH SAC
Club · Dublin- Website
- isora.org
- Phone
- 087 2545037
- [email protected]
- Website
- windsurfing.ie
- Phone
- 0877977767
- [email protected]
Kiltipper Ramblers
ClubKISH SUB AQUA CLUB
Club · Dublin- Phone
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
Malahide Yacht Club
Club- Website
- myc.ie
- Phone
- 018453372
- [email protected]
- Website
- mastcentre.ie
- Phone
- 0861712443
- [email protected]
Millennium Archers
Club · Coolmine- Phone
- 0871531821 - Paul Kelly
- [email protected]
- Website
- mountainmeitheal.ie
- Phone
- 0872740513
Muirín Sub Aqua Club
ClubNa Coisithe
ClubNational Yacht Club
Club- Website
- nyc.ie
- Phone
- 01 2805725
- [email protected]
- Phone
- 0868405019
- Website
- poolbegmarina.ie
- Phone
- 016689983
- [email protected]
Rainbow Hillwalking Club
Club- Website
- riyc.ie
- Phone
- 01 2809452
- [email protected]
- Website
- rsgyc.ie
- Phone
- 01 2801811
- [email protected]
Rush Sailing Club
Club- Website
- rushsc.ie
- Phone
- 01 8430695
- [email protected]
Sail Spree
School- Website
- sailtrainingireland.com
- Phone
- +353 86 0346038
- [email protected]
- Website
- sailingindublin.ie
- [email protected]
- Website
- 1stportseascouts.ie
- Phone
- 087 7933592
- [email protected]
- Website
- 8ucalafort.org
- Phone
- 086 649 3719
- [email protected]
- Website
- malahideseascouts.ie
- Phone
- 0872205037
- [email protected]
SEAL BAY DIVERS SAC
Club · Dublin 5- Phone
- +353872706468
- [email protected]
Shackleton O.E.C
School- Phone
- 01 8481400
- [email protected]
Shanganagh Ramblers
Club- Website
- shanganaghramblers.com
- Phone
- 087 9346744
Siul Walking Club
Club- Website
- skerriessailingclub.com
- Phone
- 01 8491233
- [email protected]
Sutton Dinghy Club
Club- Website
- sdc.ie
- Phone
- 01 8393135
- [email protected]
- Website
- swordssailing.ie
- Phone
- 0872029841
- [email protected]
Technological University Dublin
Club · Dublin- Phone
- NULL
- [email protected]
The Adventure Project
Club- Website
- ucdmountaineering.ie
- Phone
- +353873552767
VIKING SUB AQUA CLUB
Club · Dublin 15- Phone
- 087 2583321
- [email protected]
- Website
- wayfarersassociation.com
- Phone
- 0872057232
- Website
- wpsc.ie
- Phone
- 012844195
- [email protected]
WICKLOW SAC
Club · Wicklow townAdventure centres in Dublin
All 6 currently accredited by a national governing body, with a link to the register.
Guides for Dublin
Common questions
Where can I go walking in Dublin?
19 waymarked walking trails are registered in Dublin. The longest are National Famine Way (168.6km), Royal Canal Way (146.3km), Wicklow Way (128.1km), Grand Canal Way (117.1km). Every one has a verified start point and driving directions on its own page.
How many waymarked trails are there in Dublin?
20 on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register, totalling roughly 689 kilometres. The register records waymarked trails only, so unmarked mountain routes and informal paths aren't counted.
How hard are the trails in Dublin?
By register grade: 9 easy, 7 moderate, 3 strenuous, 1 severe. Grades are set by Sport Ireland against national criteria, so they're comparable between counties.
Are there sports clubs in Dublin?
112 clubs and schools in Dublin are listed by their national governing body: Mountaineering Ireland, Irish Sailing, Diving Ireland and Archery Ireland. They cover 5 sports between them, and each listing links back to the register it came from.
Are there adventure centres in Dublin?
6 in our directory, 6 of which currently hold accreditation from a national governing body: Canoe Centre, CDETB Outdoor Education Services, HQ2O Watersports, I-CANOE and others. Each accredited listing links to the body's own register so you can check it.
What adventure sports can you do in Dublin?
hillwalking & mountaineering, mountain biking, kayaking & canoeing, rock climbing & bouldering, orienteering, archery, windsurfing, sailing, skiing & snowsports, zip lining & high ropes, stand-up paddleboarding, wild & sea swimming, based on the trails registered in the county and the locations named on our sport guides.
Elsewhere in Leinster
Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Start points from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13. The register records waymarked trails only, so check the trail operator for current conditions and closures. Forest park and car park data from Coillte Recreation Information (CC BY 4.0), snapshot 2026-08-04, with county boundaries from OSi.