Welcome to Ireland’s biggest outdoor playground. It boasts one million acres of lush forests, wild bogs, magical mountains, flowing rivers, and beautiful beaches - all waiting to be enjoyed and explored.
Now as we gather up our new year's resolutions and try to get in as much of the great outdoors as possible, why not sample some of this for ourselves. Coillte have forests and walkways and cycleways all over the country.
All access to our forests is by permission only. Individuals are welcome to walk in all forests and to cycle only on routes waymarked for cycling. All other access requires a permit (motorised, horse-back, all organised and charitable events, any guiding or teaching or coaching activities which are part of your business, etc ).
Keep an eye out for signs where they work crews might be working in the forest - they will usually show you an alternate route for your walk or cycle.
Coillte want you to have a great time exploring their forests, but they do expect you to look out for your own safety and respect other users of the forest.
One of these is Coillte’s Portumna Forest Park, County Galway (450 hectares with 120 car parking spaces. )
The perfect place for aspiring David Attenboroughs! Can your kids spot the park’s local wildlife, including red squirrel, fallow deer and white-tailed sea eagle?
A specially designed wheelchair accessible trail and “Wheel-O” including wheelchair orienteering.
Great for family cycling with a 1.5km loop along a tarred surface, it is ideal for teaching kids to cycle.
Cyclists might like the two leisure cycle trails both open and flowing with gentle slopes through beautiful woodland and along the lake shores. These are suitable for almost all riders.Ideal for outdoor picnics with stunning views of Lough Derg.
Coillte’s Lough Key Forest Park, County Roscommon ( 250 hectares, c300 car parking spaces )
Coillte’s Lough Key Forest Park allows water lovers row on the lake to explore the many islands of Lough Key.
Whether you’re a keen kayaker or just a casual canoeist, boating across Lough Key can be the perfect adventure for family and friends.
There is a good forest camp site for camper vans and caravans.
If boating is not your thing why not try the other activities including ziplining, a treetop walk or hire an electric bike to explore the forest cycling trails?
Afterwards enjoy some hot food from the outdoor food truck, visit the coffee cart and confectionery kiosk or bring your own feast for the picnic tables.
Many precious memories have been made walking magical forests trails with family and friends. Today Coillte's forests offer far more than walking. You can whiz down challenging biking trails, canopy climb through trees and sneak unforgettable birds-eye views, camp under the starry sky, or explore the rich plant and animal life. Check out all the forests have to offer here – and pick something that suits you.
There is so much to do - walking, cycling, orienteering, camping, ziplining, nature watching, fishing, orienteering, horse-riding, boating and much, much more.
If you enjoy a nice walk or hike surrounded by nature, trees, water and beautiful views, Coillte has one for you, whether it’s a quick 20 minute amble with the children or a 25km more demanding trail. Explore one or more of its top five forest picks for walkers/hikers this summer.
Coillte forests have experienced significant increases in visitor numbers~ since the Covid pandemic started. Many people have revealed that visiting local forests has been important for their overall wellbeing during Covid-19. Coillte is highlighting five of Ireland’s best hiking spots for walkers and trekking enthusiasts.
“Ireland is a hiker’s dream come true, with breath-taking views from forests across the country that can be enjoyed by both amateur and experienced walkers/hikers alike,” said Deborah Meghen, director of recreation, Coillte.” Pick a new forest to explore with family or friends and get ready for a fantastic day out,” she said.
#A Red C survey reveals 56% of Irish adults did not know there are 260 Coillte recreational forests they can visit.
Entry to Coillte’s forests is free for pedestrians and cyclists with onsite carparking available for just €5* for the larger forest parks. Annual membership to visit all forest parks, on an unlimited basis is €40*.
Top tips:
Plan ahead and know which forest you want to visit, what you want to do and prepare for a potentially fabulous day out.
Consider purchasing the Coillte Access Card if you think you/your family/friends would be frequent forest visitors throughout the year. [email protected]
Coillte operates a Leave no Trace policy and asks all our visitors to bring their litter home and leave the forests as you found them for everyone to enjoy.
In addition, to prevent forest fires and the destruction of trees and wildlife, forest visitors should not use barbeques or open fires at any stage.
You can find more details and maps of these 5 forests and all Coillte’s recreational areas on: http://www.coillte.ie/
All of Coillte’s forests are managed sustainably, to the exacting standards set by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC ) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certificate (PEFC ). FSC and PEFC are internationally recognised benchmarks for certifying high quality sustainable forest management and include biodiversity in their remits.
It’s important to know that Coillte has high biodiversity values right across its forests and lands said Carlin. They even have their own classification system that categorises the nation’s forests and lands by their biodiversity value. This allows them to enhance and restore the most important biodiversity areas nationally.
Other research highlights include:
47% of people know the Irish red squirrel – an endangered species in the late 1990’s has made a comeback in the past 10-20 years. 53% don’t know.
Four in five adults or 82% don’t know that woodpeckers have lived in Irish forests for the past 10-20 years. 18% of Irish adults do know
95% of respondents believe biodiversity is important or very important for Ireland’s future. 5% don’t.
“The red squirrel is a great comeback story,” said Mark Carlin, managing director, Coillte Forest.. “When I was growing up, there was serious concern about their numbers declining sharply. They are native to Irish forests and we’re delighted to see them thriving in their natural habitat again.”
One of the reasons for this comeback is the increase in forest cover in the past 20 years – squirrels need lots of coniferous seed cones to feed on and they make their homes in these trees, added Mr Carlin.
