Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop

Walking Trail · Dublin

Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop is a 12.1 km strenuous waymarked loop in Dublin, starting near Howth Village.

Distance
12.1 km
Climb
240 m
Shape
Loop
Time
3 hours

Grade

Activity Grade Difficulty Time
Walking Strenuous Challenging 3 hours

Getting there

Starts at Howth Railway Station, near Howth Village.

Directions to the trailhead

Trailhead coordinates
53.38882, -6.07422
Irish Grid reference
O 28157 39332
Ordnance Survey sheets
Discovery Series Sheet 50

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

Starting at the DART (train) station in Howth village and following purple arrows this walk takes the path all along the cliffs to beyond Red Rock, passing the Baily Lighthouse, and then climbing to circle the Ben of Howth to return along the old tramline. The views of Lambay Island and Ireland's Eye as well as Dublin Bay are spectacular. The cliffs are great for birds and grey seals may also be seen.

Before you go

Terrain may be rough in parts, walking boots are recommended.

Waymarking
Purple arrow on white background

Who manages it

Fingal County Council (with Howth SAAO Committee)

Dublin Discover Ireland Center Suffolk Street. Suffolk Street Dublin 2 Dublin City Centre Dublin Republic of Ireland. Tel. 1850 230 330

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

Trails nearby

Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.

Common questions

How long is the Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop?

12.1 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 240 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 3 hours.

How hard is the Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop?

Sport Ireland grades it Strenuous, with an overall difficulty of Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.

Where does the Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop start?

Starts at Howth Railway Station, near Howth Village. The trailhead is at 53.38882, -6.07422 (Irish Grid O 28157 39332).

Who manages the Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop?

Fingal County Council (with Howth SAAO Committee). They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.

More in Dublin

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.