Walks and adventure sports in Wicklow

Leinster

Wicklow has 68 waymarked trails on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register, covering about 435 kilometres in total across walking (55), cycling (17).

Waymarked trails
68
Total distance
435 km
Longest
128.1 km

Spots worth the trip

Named on our sport and activity guides.

Wicklow Mountains

Hillwalking & Mountaineering

The closest range to Dublin and the busiest. Lugnaquilla is the high point at 925m; Glendalough is the honeypot and the Spinc loop the classic short walk.

Glendalough

Rock Climbing & Bouldering

Long granite routes on the crags above the upper lake, including multi-pitch lines with real mountain atmosphere an hour from Dublin.

Ballinastoe

Mountain Biking

Flowing purpose-built singletrack above Lough Tay, boardwalked over the wettest ground. The classic Wicklow loop.

Wicklow

Orienteering

Forest and open mountain within an hour of Dublin. The densest event calendar in the country.

Wicklow Archers, Enniskerry

Archery

Registered at a Dargle valley ground rather than a hired sports hall, which is what lets a club shoot longer outdoor distances through the summer.

Great Sugarloaf

Paragliding & Hang Gliding

A distinctive cone south of Dublin and the closest regularly flown site to the city.

Wicklow Mountains

Skiing & Snowsports

The most reliable Irish backcountry when snow settles, on the higher ground around Lugnaquilla and the Sally Gap.

Waymarked trails in Wicklow

The 25 longest of 68, from the National Trails Register.

Wicklow Way

128.1 km · 3220 m climb · Strenuous · Linear

Starts 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.

Ballinastoe Mountain Bike Trails - Red Routes

30 km · 750 m climb · Red · Loop

Starts at Forest Carpark, near Roundwood. Directions

4 hours · Waymarked: red

Miners' Way

16.9 km · 540 m climb · Strenuous · Linear

Starts at At Uplands disused lead works roadside car park on R756 Glendasan, 4.8 km from Laragh. Directions

6 hours · Waymarked: black arrows with yellow axe on square silver plate

Avonmore Way

13.5 km · 245 m climb · Moderate · Linear

Starts at Trooperstown Car Park near Laragh, near Laragh. Directions

3 hours 15 minutes · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background

Kyle Loop

12.3 km · 500 m climb · Strenuous · Loop

Starts at Village Square Carpark, near Tinahealy. Directions

5 hours · Waymarked: purple arrow on white background

Kilcoagh Loop

10.6 km · 299 m climb · Moderate · Loop

Starts at O’Keefe’s Country Store, Donard Village, near Donard. Directions

3 hours · Waymarked: orange arrow on purple background

Arklow Loops Glenart Walk

9.9 km · 100 m climb · Moderate · Loop

Starts at Arklow Leisure Centre, near Arklow. Directions

2 hours 45 minutes · Waymarked: green arrow on black background

Spinc & Glenealo Valley - Glendalough

8.8 km · 380 m climb · Strenuous · Loop

Starts at National Park Information Office near the Upper Lake., near Laragh. Directions

3 hours 30 minutes · Waymarked: white

Roundwood Reservoir Lower Vartry Trail

7.6 km · Easy · Loop

Starts at In centre of Roundwood Village at T-junction between R755 and R765 roads, near Roundwood. Directions

2 hours · Waymarked: blue

Ballycumber loop

7.3 km · 400 m climb · Strenuous · Loop

Starts at Village Square Carpark, near Tinahealy. Directions

3 hours · Waymarked: blue arrow on white background

Derrybawn Woodland Trail - Glendalough

7.2 km · 160 m climb · Moderate · Loop

Starts at National Park Information Office near the Upper Lake., near Laragh. Directions

2 hours · Waymarked: orange

Djouce Woods - Deerpark Walk

7.2 km · 150 m climb · Moderate · Loop

Starts at Long Hill Car Parks, near Enniskerry. Directions

3 hours · Waymarked: red

Crone Woods - Maulin Mountain Loop

6.6 km · 350 m climb · Strenuous · Loop

Starts at Crone Woods entrance car park, near Enniskerry. Directions

2.5 hours · Waymarked: arrows on red disc with footprints

Arklow Loops Monument Walk

6.5 km · 70 m climb · Easy · Loop

Starts at Arklow Leisure Centre, near Arklow. Directions

1 hour 25 minutes · Waymarked: white arrow on black background

Blessington Greenway

6.5 km · 26 m climb · Easy · Linear

Starts at Avon Rí Outdoor Pursuits Centre, near Blessington. Directions

1 hour · Waymarked: green arrow on white background

Fauna Short Loop

6.5 km · Moderate · Loop

Starts at Donard village – beside O’Keefe’s Shop, near Donard. Directions

Roundwood Reservoir Upper Vartry Trail

6.4 km · Easy · Loop

Starts at Knockraheen Entrance, near Roundwood. Directions

1 hour 30 minutes · Waymarked: green

Fauna Loop

6.1 km · 220 m climb · Moderate · Loop

Starts at Donard village – beside O’Keefe’s Shop, near Donard. Directions

2 hours 30 minutes · Waymarked: white arrow on purple background

Bray Head Loop Walk

5.9 km · 120 m climb · Moderate · Loop

Starts at Up steps off Vevay Road/Southern Cross Road roundabout in Bray, near Bray. Directions

1 hour 30 minutes · Waymarked: red arrow on black background

Arklow Loops South Beach Walk

5.7 km · Easy · Loop

Starts at Arklow Leisure Centre, near Arklow. Directions

1 hour 25 minutes · Waymarked: red arrow on black background

Avondale Forest Park - River Walk

5.2 km · 300 m climb · Moderate · Loop

Starts at Avondale House, near Rathdrum. Directions

2.5 hours

Ballinastoe Mountain Bike Trails - Blue Routes

5 km · 100 m climb · Blue · Loop

Starts at Forest Carpark, near Roundwood. Directions

2 hours · Waymarked: blue

Belmont Way

5 km · 210 m climb · Strenuous · Linear

Starts at Windgates, near Bray 2.5km and Greystones 2.5. Directions

2 hours · Waymarked: yellow walking man and arrow on black background

Rathdrum - Jubilee Loop

4.9 km · 120 m climb · Moderate · Loop

Starts at Car park of Rathdrum church, near Rathdrum. Directions

1 hour 30 minutes · Waymarked: purple arrow on white background

Please note that a diversion is in place for this trail. Near the end of the walk, do not follow the lane beside St. Ann’s, instead continue up the Lower Street Hill until you meet the Main Street. At a safe point, cross the road and follow the R755 to the right, back to the church car park.

Rathwood Fox's Park Trail

4.8 km · Moderate · Loop

Starts at At junction near Goose Pond in Fox's Park, near Tullow. Directions

1 hour 10 minutes · Waymarked: yellow arrow on light brown background

The other 43 in Wicklow

Forest parks in Wicklow

Coillte forest parks: managed destinations with parking, marked routes and facilities, not trails in open country.

Avondale Ballinastoe MTB

Coillte maintains 49 forest car parks in Wicklow. These are the usual starting points for forest walks and mountain bike trails.

Bathing waters in Wicklow

13 designated bathing waters monitored by the EPA, 3 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 Wicklow 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.

Arklow South Beach

Green Coast · Lifeguard · Parking · Public transport

Directions

Bray South Promenade

Good Quality (2025)

Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible

Directions · EPA profile

Brittas Bay North

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Beach wheelchair

Directions · EPA profile

Brittas Bay South

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets

Directions · EPA profile

Clogga

Excellent Quality (2025)

Parking

Directions · EPA profile

Greystones South

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible

Directions · EPA profile

Kilcoole Beach

Parking · Public transport

Directions

Murrough Beach

Parking · Public transport

Directions

Silver Strand

Sufficient Quality (2025)

Parking · Toilets

Directions · EPA profile

South of Bray Harbour

Lifeguard · Parking · Public transport

Directions

The Cove Arklow

Parking

Directions

The Cove Greystones

Excellent Quality (2025)

No facilities recorded

Directions · EPA profile

Wicklow Harbour bathing area

Lifeguard · Parking · Public transport

Directions

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 Wicklow, in depth

The sports with named spots, accredited centres or registered trails in the county.

Kayaking in Wicklow 2 centres Mountain Biking in Wicklow 1 spot · 17 trails Archery in Wicklow 1 spot Sailing in Wicklow 1 centre

22 clubs and schools in Wicklow

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.

4 A's Walking Club

Club
Phone
087 8392 661

Arklow and Wicklow Hillwalkers

Club
Phone
085 1743480

Arklow Sailing Club

Club
Website
arklowsc.com
Phone
0402 33100

ASL Safety & Training Limited

School
Website
aslsafety.com
Phone
040233505

Atlantic Marine Training Greystones

School
Phone
085 7843880

Blessington Sailing Club

Club
Phone
087 2621616

BRAY DIVERS

Club · Greystones
Phone
0876756439

Bray Sailing Club

Club

CP Adventure Ltd.

School
Website
cpadventure.ie
Phone
0876860976

Dublin and Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team

Club
Website
dwmrt.ie
Phone
0872057659

Greystones Sailing Club

Club
Website
gsc.ie
Phone
012874476

Imaal Walkers

Club

Irish Geological Association (Associate Organisation)

Club
Website
geology.ie

Irish Team Racing Association

Club
Phone
086 1501220

Jack's Hole Sailing Club

School
Website
jhbr.ie

Knockadosan Hill Walkers

Club
Phone
0868949300

South East Archers

Club · Avoca

Tinahely Walking Club

Club
Website
tinahely.ie
Phone
0831191995

Trail Criú

Club
Phone
083 0821363

Wicklow Archers

Club · Enniskerry

Wicklow Sailing Club

Club
Phone
0404 67526

Wicklow Wanderers

Club
Phone
0863693738

Adventure centres in Wicklow

All 3 currently accredited by a national governing body, with a link to the register.

Baltinglass OETC

Run by Kildare and Wicklow ETB

Website
baltinglassoec.com
Phone
059 6481002

CP Adventure

Website
cpadventure.ie

Fluid Flow

Website
fluidflow.ie
The full directory →

Guides for Wicklow

Hillwalking & Mountaineering Mountain Biking Rock Climbing & Bouldering Orienteering Archery Paragliding & Hang Gliding Skiing & Snowsports

Common questions

Where can I go walking in Wicklow?

55 waymarked walking trails are registered in Wicklow. The longest are Wicklow Way (128.1km), Miners' Way (16.9km), Avonmore Way (13.5km), Kyle Loop (12.3km). Every one has a verified start point and driving directions on its own page.

How many waymarked trails are there in Wicklow?

68 on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register, totalling roughly 435 kilometres. The register records waymarked trails only, so unmarked mountain routes and informal paths aren't counted.

How hard are the trails in Wicklow?

By register grade: 22 easy, 28 moderate, 3 difficult, 9 strenuous, 4 black, 1 blue, 1 red. Grades are set by Sport Ireland against national criteria, so they're comparable between counties.

Are there sports clubs in Wicklow?

22 clubs and schools in Wicklow are listed by their national governing body: Mountaineering Ireland, Irish Sailing, Diving Ireland and Archery Ireland. They cover 4 sports between them, and each listing links back to the register it came from.

Are there adventure centres in Wicklow?

3 in our directory, 3 of which currently hold accreditation from a national governing body: Baltinglass OETC, CP Adventure, Fluid Flow. Each accredited listing links to the body's own register so you can check it.

What adventure sports can you do in Wicklow?

hillwalking & mountaineering, mountain biking, rock climbing & bouldering, orienteering, archery, paragliding & hang gliding, skiing & snowsports, based on the trails registered in the county and the locations named on our sport guides.

Elsewhere in Leinster

Carlow Dublin Kildare Kilkenny Laois Longford Louth Meath Offaly Westmeath Wexford

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.