Where to camp in South Wicklow?

silverharp

was planning to bring a couple of kids camping for a night . we will be starting out from wexford so South of Glenmalure will do fine. Ideally we should be able to park close or at the site, beside a stream would be nice.



Off topic question, I remember a nice area south of Glenmalure where I stayed in a youth hostel in the late 80's, the name in my head is knockavanagh, it was an impressive hostel, old army barricks I think. I dont see it listed anymore, where was it? why did it close?

loobylou

This place I'd guess http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aghavannagh

silverharp

loobylou wrote: »

This place I'd guess http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aghavannagh

thanks, thats a shame it was a nice building

Later, An Óige ran the building as a youth hostel for several years before acquiring ownership in 1944. They closed it in 1998 when a tower of the structure was declared unstable by engineers.[8] Síle de Valera, then Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, answered a question in the Dáil whether the property would be acquired by the government as a heritage building saying that Dúchas, the heritage service of the department, did not have the resources to protect or preserve the building.[9]

Morpork

The road marked "cul de sac" that runs west from Glenmalure lodge has a good few spots to camp. Also right up the top of it there is a car park with a bridge beside it. Drive over the bridge and go up the dusty road about 50M and on the right there is a nice spot to camp with water beside it.

loobylou

Morpork wrote: »

The road marked "cul de sac" that runs west from Glenmalure lodge has a good few spots to camp. Also right up the top of it there is a car park with a bridge beside it. Drive over the bridge and go up the dusty road about 50M and on the right there is a nice spot to camp with water beside it.

Although you may want to read this thread first. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=67424717

sparrowcar

Morpork wrote: »

The road marked "cul de sac" that runs west from Glenmalure lodge has a good few spots to camp. Also right up the top of it there is a car park with a bridge beside it. Drive over the bridge and go up the dusty road about 50M and on the right there is a nice spot to camp with water beside it.

I personally wouldn't bring kids to that spot. I myself don't like camping there during summer months as it seems to be full of fair weather camping idiots who are messy and leave a mess also.

I just don't like sharing my camping spots with rats, be they human or rodent type!

silverharp

good to know, might check out Aghavannagh, should be isolated enough and I've nice memories of swimming in one of local rivers, cant have changed so much :pac:

BigBobE

thinking of doing something similar, nay ideas of smoewhere quiet near a river, and a bit of forestry,

i have the 4x4 so if i can get that off the main road the better, just want to be out of sight...

anywhere in particular around Aghavannagh that matches that description???

kwat

Hi all,

A few friends and I are going camping Friday night. I've seen this place mentioned a few times on here now and have found it on google maps and streetview even! (see attached). We're just looking for somewhere quiet and safe where we can have the car beside us, or nearby, away from any weekend joyriders! Would be leaving the place as we found it obviously.

Would it be quiet here on a Friday night does anyone know?

Morpork wrote: »

The road marked "cul de sac" that runs west from Glenmalure lodge has a good few spots to camp. Also right up the top of it there is a car park with a bridge beside it. Drive over the bridge and go up the dusty road about 50M and on the right there is a nice spot to camp with water beside it.

BigBobE

how did you get on camping in glen malure???

patwicklow

Theres a good camping site in rathdrum my sister was there with her 3 kids they had a ball they have boats and all there so loads to do theres the link.

http://www.camping-ireland.ie/parks/wicklow/44-hidden-valley-caravan-and-camping-park.html

kwat

BigBobE wrote: »

how did you get on camping in glen malure???

got on great. Went to the spot mentioned here. about an hours drive from dublin. when you cross the bridge at the end of the cul de sac and turn right up the track theres a few spots along there to pitch a tent. There was a group already in one spot, so we found a place under a tree a bit further up - right beside the river with lovely mountain in the background (have attached pic).
Some people shouldn't be let near the place though - bits of rubbish strewn around from people before us.
you thinking of going up there?

BigBobE

Yeah looking probably 2nd weekend in September.... about 4 our 5 of us going.... can you pm me the directions

byrnef

Bit of a thread revival but what's the story on camping in Glenmalure? I was hoping to bring my kids up there later this month. Can you still get in to camp?

Leodiaz

Went to this place 2 times. Last was a couple of weeks ago. Beautiful place, but as everybody mentioned before, there is a lot of waste laying around and noise from drunk "campers" during the night (last time a drunk group with chainsaws trying to keep the fire going until 4am listening to music at full blast ). Shame that people really don't care about that place. Unfortunately I had to witness a deer eating from a rubbish bag, this is the type of impact reckless behaviour is having on that fauna and flora. Try it, perhaps you are luckier than me and you will have a nice experience. Remember to take your rubbish home when breaking camp. Peace!

byrnef

Many thanks for that, I'm gonna give it a go and bring the kids down. BTW I always take out my rubbish and do my bit to take a bit more when I'm leaving.

Carawaystick

If ye can walk in about 3km, at the foot of the Fraughen Rock waterfall is far from the drunken crowd
At the top is better, probably my favourite place to wake up on a clear day, but a tough climb with gear.

There's a few places on Croughan Kinsella, if you're coming from Wexford.
Either near Ballyfad, in the townland marked Barrackcroughan or Raheenlagh on sheet62.
Follow in the forestry road and pick your spot. Although a lot has been clearfelled, there should be somewhere ok to camp

On the other side, park in Balinagore and camp up the forestry road in Ballinvalley.
Again a lot of clearfelling in recent years, but some forest left.

There's another great spot, near the corner of the forest at Moneyteigue south.Climb up the forestry road to the hairpin @400m and break out of the forest and traverse across. There's a low wall firebreak for shelter

Lastly, the best place to camp there is at the summit, or just 20 yards north of it, sheltered and fairly level spot.
camped there many times in my teens.
There's usually a (very) small pond about 50m wsw of the summit, for cooking water, or drinking with a *good* purification system

Other places: The Gypsum lake. Where "Avoca" is written near milepost 46 along the rail line. Should be solid now, twas only barely wobbly 20 years ago as the gypsum dried out from the 70's, or you can camp on the bank of the Avoca below it. Access by taking a track towards Woodenbridge that skirts around the Jail in Shelton abbey.