Accessible mountain hikes/walks using public transport

tmc86

Hi All,

Hope this is the right forum to be posting in, there isn't a dedicated hillwalking forum.

I'm living in South Dublin close enough to Blackrock dart station (relatively new to the area) and I was wondering if there are any good hikes that I can get to by taking public transport from Blackrock.

I would be looking to get to a starting spot for a good hike in the mountains that would take a few hours but unfortunately have no car at the moment.

Would anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

Alun

The Sports -> Outdoor Pursuits forum would be where most of the hillwalkers hang out.

If you can somehow get to Sandyford Luas stop, there's a bus called the Dublin Mountaineer that leaves from there and does a circuit of the Dublin Mountains, see here ...

http://www.dublinmountains.ie/home/

and here for info about the bus service ...

http://www.dublinmountains.ie/transport/transport/

It's an excellent service, and needs to be used to keep it alive, otherwise it might not be around for another year.

Getting to and from anywhere else in the Wicklow Mountains, especially for a day's hiking, is very difficult by public transport unfortunately.

Cookie_Monster

Dart to Bray, hike over the headland into Greystones and DART back, lovely walk if a little easy and short.

145 bus from Stillorgan will get to to Kilmacanogue and you can climb the sugar loaf from there. Leave the road somewhere around A, bus stop is at B
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=53.1654992,-6.1368874+to:Rockfield+Park&hl=en&geocode=FXAvKwMdtFKi_w%3BFbs9KwMdyVui_yndsT7TFaZnSDGSF1JVbyY91w%3BFQ9OKwMdp1ii_w&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=1&sll=53.164269,-6.120844&sspn=0.017856,0.131407&ie=UTF8&z=14

If you can get to either the city centre of Bray or Loughlinstown hospital (45 bus) you can get the Kevin's bus to roundwood and Laragh and go hiking from there.
http://www.glendaloughbus.com/

The 65/65a from the city centre will bring you out towards Blessington and onto Valleymount in west Wicklow, some doable routes fromt here but not great.

Route 161 will bring you up behind marley park leading you to the early stages of the Wicklow Way
http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/your-journey1/Timetables/All-Timetables/161/

Route 185 from Bray will bring you to Enniskerry / Shop River, again giving you some options, though not all great.

There is a route from Shankill Dart station to the leadmines (Rathmichael way iirc), you can come down to the Enniskerry road from there and get the 44 back into the city or walk up to klternan and get a 63 back to Dun laoghaire. A good bit of it is sign posted these days

Dart to Howth and do the hill

think that's about it...

tmc86

Thanks guys, that's a real help!

Cookiemonster I think I will try the Glendalough bus and hike from there, probably aim for Sunday, this weather is fantastic!

Cookie_Monster

tmc86 wrote: »

Thanks guys, that's a real help!

Cookiemonster I think I will try the Glendalough bus and hike from there, probably aim for Sunday, this weather is fantastic!

just watch the times, it doesn't give you as long as you'd like to get in big routes I used to find

also not sure it stops at Loughlinstown hospital anymore looking at the website

tmc86

yeah I was looking at the hikes and the one I'd want to do is 11km so debating whether or not to run it or hike a shorter trail. prob have about 4hours in between the bus return with half an hour either side just in case

briano.de.rhino

Ive lived in Bray for 13 years and today I ran the top cliff walk to Grystones and back on the low cliff walk, for the first time.
absolutely beautiful country. If youre going for a run, it'd take 30 mins each direction if not more.a fine run to be doing. plus a nice hike up bray head at the start.quality.the views are stunning.
If going up on a bank holiday saturday, only hazards are the hordes of eastern european tourists and the various oul lads with red faces drinking..

Cookie_Monster

Bus Eireann 002 and 133 may also be of use to you OP, can be caught at Bus Aras or Bray.

though admittedly your scraping the barrel with what the can offer hiking wise