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Family-Friendly Hikes in County Wicklow

There are 21 hikes in County Wicklow in our database that fit. They average 3.6 km and 81 m (266 ft) of ascent.

That is 64 percent of the 33 routes we map in County Wicklow. They are shorter than the local average, 3.6 km against 6.4 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 81 m (266 ft) against 158 m (518 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Family routes here are short, gently graded and interesting enough to keep younger legs moving. Every one is under seven kilometres with limited climbing. Most of these are on the gentler end, which makes the list a good starting point if you are new to the area. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Easy

Glendalough Grey Route

Wicklow Mountains National Park · County Wicklow

Distance
4.5 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
90 m
Typical duration
1 hr 5 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Glendalough Green Route

Wicklow Mountains National Park · County Wicklow

Distance
2.7 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
35 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Glendalough Pink Route

Wicklow Mountains National Park · County Wicklow

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
100 m
Typical duration
30 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Glen Beach Cliff Walk

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
110 m
Typical duration
55 min
  • Coastal
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bann River Trail

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
103 m
Typical duration
1 hr 8 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Tinahely Raliway Walk

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
103 m
Typical duration
1 hr 8 min
Easy

Ballydonarea Loop Walk

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
80 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bray Head Loop

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
5.9 km
/ 3.7 mi
Elevation gain
130 m
Typical duration
1 hr 26 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Croghan Trail

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
79 m
Typical duration
52 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

De Buitléar Way

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
93 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Delgany Heritage Trail

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
104 m
Typical duration
1 hr 8 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Forde Farmhouse Trail

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
73 m
Typical duration
48 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Mass Path

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
72 m
Typical duration
47 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Ciaran Shannon Walk

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
51 m
Typical duration
34 min
Easy

Jim's Way

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
55 m
Typical duration
36 min
Easy

Maulin Trail

County Wicklow · Ireland

Distance
6.5 km
/ 4.0 mi
Elevation gain
143 m
Typical duration
1 hr 34 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Glendalough Grey RouteWicklow Mountains National Park4.5 km90 m1 hr 5 minEasyApril to October
Glendalough Green RouteWicklow Mountains National Park2.7 km20 m35 minEasyApril to October
Glendalough Pink RouteWicklow Mountains National Park1.7 km100 m30 minEasyApril to October
Little Sugar Loaf Agreed Access RouteCounty Wicklow1.3 km29 m19 minEasyApril to October
Glen Beach Cliff WalkCounty Wicklow3.6 km110 m55 minEasyApril to October
Bann River TrailCounty Wicklow4.7 km103 m1 hr 8 minEasyApril to October
Tinahely Raliway WalkCounty Wicklow4.7 km103 m1 hr 8 minEasyApril to October
Avondale Forest Park - River WalkCounty Wicklow5.1 km112 m1 hr 14 minEasyApril to October
Bray Greystones Cliff WalkCounty Wicklow2.9 km63 m41 minEasyApril to October
Ballydonarea Loop WalkCounty Wicklow3.6 km80 m53 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Glendalough Grey Route, Glendalough Green Route, Glendalough Pink Route. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

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