Skibbereen Cycle Hub Loop 3

Road Cycling Trail · Cork

Skibbereen Cycle Hub Loop 3 is a 45.7 km challenging waymarked loop in Cork, starting near Skibbereen.

Distance
45.7 km
Climb
313 m
Shape
Loop
Time
3 hours

Grade

Activity Grade Difficulty Time
Cycling Challenging Challenging 3 hours

Getting there

Starts at Skibbereen Post Office, near Skibbereen.

Directions to the trailhead

Trailhead coordinates
51.54965, -9.27036
Ordnance Survey sheets
Discovery Series Sheet 89

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 loop is the longest of the Skibbereen Cycle Hub Loops. It is a more challenging route and recommended for more experienced cyclists only with lots of steep and very steep hills. The loop starts out through undulating countryside and includes the wild mountain terrain around Mount Kid, climbing from sea level up over a mountain pass of 225m, from where there are magnificent views over Roaringwater Bay and its islands. There are also occasional glimpses of a wind farm. Care is required on the R586 and at some junctions mainly with it and the N71.

Waymarking
Blue text on white background

Who manages it

Cock County Council Cycle Hubs

Cock County Council Cycle Hubs

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 Skibbereen Cycle Hub Loop 3?

45.7 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 313 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 3 hours.

How hard is the Skibbereen Cycle Hub Loop 3?

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

Where does the Skibbereen Cycle Hub Loop 3 start?

Starts at Skibbereen Post Office, near Skibbereen. The trailhead is at 51.54965, -9.27036.

Who manages the Skibbereen Cycle Hub Loop 3?

Cock County Council Cycle Hubs. 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.