Glengarriff Nature Reserve - Big Meadow Walk

Walking Trail · Cork

Glengarriff Nature Reserve - Big Meadow Walk is a 3.4 km easy waymarked loop in Cork, starting near Glengarriff.

Distance
3.4 km
Climb
10 m
Shape
Loop
Time
50 mins

Grade

Activity Grade Difficulty Time
Walking Easy Easy 50 mins

Getting there

Starts at Glengarriff Nature Reserve's main car park, near Glengarriff.

Directions to the trailhead

Trailhead coordinates
51.75454, -9.56616
Ordnance Survey sheets
Discovery Series Sheet 85

The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.

About the trail

This walk follows footpath and woodland track and brings you to The Big Meadow, an area of old grassland that has not been fertilised or ploughed in living memory and is covered by swathes of wild flowers. Also included on the walk is a new lake created for the rare Downy Emerald dragonfly.

Before you go

Please keep dogs firmly under control.

Waymarking
Pink arrow
Dogs
Yes

Who manages it

National Parks & Wildlife Service Glengarriff Nature Reserve

National Parks & Wildlife Service Glengarriff Nature Reserve

Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.

Elsewhere

Trails nearby

Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.

Common questions

How long is the Glengarriff Nature Reserve - Big Meadow Walk?

3.4 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 10 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 50 mins.

How hard is the Glengarriff Nature Reserve - Big Meadow Walk?

Sport Ireland grades it Easy. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.

Where does the Glengarriff Nature Reserve - Big Meadow Walk start?

Starts at Glengarriff Nature Reserve's main car park, near Glengarriff. The trailhead is at 51.75454, -9.56616.

Can you bring a dog on the Glengarriff Nature Reserve - Big Meadow Walk?

Yes. The register records dogs as allowed. Much of the Irish trail network crosses working farmland, so keep a dog under close control near livestock.

Who manages the Glengarriff Nature Reserve - Big Meadow Walk?

National Parks & Wildlife Service Glengarriff Nature Reserve. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.

More in Cork

Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.