Walks and adventure sports in Kildare
Leinster
Kildare has 11 waymarked trails on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register, covering about 638 kilometres in total across walking (10), cycling (1).
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.
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.
Waymarked trails in Kildare
All 11 from the National Trails Register.
Royal Canal Way
146.3 km · Easy · LinearStarts at First Lock, near Dublin. Directions
6 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background
Royal Canal Greenway Cycling Trail
121.4 km · Easy · LinearStarts at Maynooth Railway Station, near Maynooth/Clondra. Directions
4 days · Waymarked: green sign with white arrows
Royal Canal Greenway Walking Trail
121.4 km · Easy · LinearStarts at Maynooth Railway Station, near Maynooth/Clondra. Directions
6 days · Waymarked: green sign with white arrows
Grand Canal Way
117.1 km · Easy · LinearStarts at Lucan Road Bridge, near Lucan. Directions
5 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background
Barrow Way
116.9 km · Easy · LinearStarts at Robertstown. Directions
4 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background
Donadea Forest Park - Alymer Walk
4.5 km · Easy · LoopStarts at Donadea Forest Carpark, near Kilcock. Directions
1.5 hours
Ballydermot/Killyguise Loop
3.8 km · LoopStarts at Rathangan, near Killinthomas Forest. Directions
1 hour
Mullaghreelan Wood - Rath walk
2 km · 70 m climb · Moderate · LoopStarts at Car Park, near Kilkea. Directions
45 mins · Waymarked: red
Mullaghreelan Wood - O'Tuathaill walk
1.9 km · 50 m climb · Moderate · LoopStarts at Car Park, near Kilkea. Directions
45 mins · Waymarked: blue
Donadea Forest Park - Nature Walk
1.7 km · Easy · LoopStarts at Donadea Forest Carpark, near Kilcock. Directions
60 mins
Donadea Forest Park - Lake Walk
1.1 km · Easy · LoopStarts at Donadea Forest Carpark, near Kilcock. Directions
30 mins
Forest parks in Kildare
Coillte forest parks: managed destinations with parking, marked routes and facilities, not trails in open country.
Coillte maintains 5 forest car parks in Kildare. These are the usual starting points for forest walks and mountain bike trails.
Sports in Kildare, in depth
The sports with named spots, accredited centres or registered trails in the county.
7 clubs and schools in Kildare
Listed by Irish Sailing, Diving Ireland, Archery Ireland and Mountaineering Ireland. Reproduced as each body publishes it, with a link back to the register. Contact details are theirs, not checked by us.
Defence Forces Adventure Training Centre
School- Phone
- 0872335218
- [email protected]
Harbour House Archery Club
Club · Athy- Phone
- 0868811891
- [email protected]
- Website
- maynoothhillwalkingclub.ie
- Phone
- 087433390
Adventure centres in Kildare
All 1 currently accredited by a national governing body, with a link to the register.
The full directory →Guides for Kildare
Common questions
Where can I go walking in Kildare?
10 waymarked walking trails are registered in Kildare. The longest are Royal Canal Way (146.3km), Royal Canal Greenway Walking Trail (121.4km), Grand Canal Way (117.1km), Barrow Way (116.9km). Every one has a verified start point and driving directions on its own page.
How many waymarked trails are there in Kildare?
11 on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register, totalling roughly 638 kilometres. The register records waymarked trails only, so unmarked mountain routes and informal paths aren't counted.
How hard are the trails in Kildare?
By register grade: 8 easy, 2 moderate. Grades are set by Sport Ireland against national criteria, so they're comparable between counties.
Are there sports clubs in Kildare?
7 clubs and schools in Kildare are listed by their national governing body: Irish Sailing, Diving Ireland, Archery Ireland and Mountaineering Ireland. They cover 4 sports between them, and each listing links back to the register it came from.
Are there adventure centres in Kildare?
1 in our directory, 1 of which currently hold accreditation from a national governing body: H20 Adventure. Each accredited listing links to the body's own register so you can check it.
What adventure sports can you do in Kildare?
hillwalking & mountaineering, mountain biking, kayaking & canoeing, archery, 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.