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Loop Trails in County Cork

26 routes in County Cork qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 10.2 km and 224 m (735 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 92.8 km.

That is 62 percent of the 42 routes we map in County Cork. They are shorter than the local average, 10.2 km against 20.9 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 224 m (735 ft) against 459 m (1,506 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Circular routes: park once, finish where you started, and never walk the same section twice. The mix is broad: 12 are rated easy and 1 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Expert

Sheep's Head Way

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
92.8 km
/ 57.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,042 m
Typical duration
24 hr
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Easy

Ardgroom Pulleen Loop

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
79 m
Typical duration
52 min
Moderate

Dursey Island Loop

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
11.4 km
/ 7.1 mi
Elevation gain
251 m
Typical duration
2 hr 45 min
Easy

Rerrin Loop

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
6.4 km
/ 4.0 mi
Elevation gain
141 m
Typical duration
1 hr 33 min
Moderate

Barán Loop

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
7.7 km
/ 4.8 mi
Elevation gain
169 m
Typical duration
1 hr 51 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Coomkeen Loop Walk

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
6.8 km
/ 4.3 mi
Elevation gain
151 m
Typical duration
1 hr 39 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Courtmacsherry Loop

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
5.2 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
114 m
Typical duration
1 hr 15 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Dooneen Island Loop

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
13 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Bulls Pocket

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
9.6 km
/ 6.0 mi
Elevation gain
212 m
Typical duration
2 hr 19 min
Moderate

Foilakilly Loop

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
9.6 km
/ 6.0 mi
Elevation gain
212 m
Typical duration
2 hr 19 min
Easy

Funeral path loop

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
3.4 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
74 m
Typical duration
49 min
Moderate

Glanlough Loop

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
14.5 km
/ 9.0 mi
Elevation gain
319 m
Typical duration
3 hr 30 min
Moderate

Gortnakilly Loop

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
7.8 km
/ 4.9 mi
Elevation gain
172 m
Typical duration
1 hr 53 min
Moderate

Killavullen Loop

County Cork · Ireland

Distance
13.2 km
/ 8.2 mi
Elevation gain
289 m
Typical duration
3 hr 10 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
Sheep's Head WayCounty Cork92.8 km2,042 m24 hrExpertApril to October
Ardgroom Pulleen LoopCounty Cork3.6 km79 m52 minEasyApril to October
Dursey Island LoopCounty Cork11.4 km251 m2 hr 45 minModerateApril to October
Eyeries - Coastguard Station LoopCounty Cork7.4 km162 m1 hr 47 minModerateApril to October
Eyeries - Creha Quay LoopCounty Cork4.7 km103 m1 hr 8 minEasyApril to October
Mount Hillary - Father Murphy LoopCounty Cork8.1 km178 m1 hr 57 minModerateApril to October
Mount Hillary - Knightfield LoopCounty Cork3.2 km70 m46 minEasyApril to October
Mount Hillary - Mount Hillary LoopCounty Cork10.8 km237 m2 hr 36 minModerateApril to October
Mullaghareirk - Banane LoopCounty Cork5.3 km116 m1 hr 17 minEasyApril to October
Mullaghareirk - Brosneen LoopCounty Cork5.8 km128 m1 hr 24 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Sheep's Head Way, Mullaghareirk - Banane Loop, Dursey Island Loop. 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

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