Circular walking Routes in Wicklow

chewed · 17-08-2018 08:15PM #1

I need to go to Wicklow town tomorrow and thought I'd take advantage and get a 2-3 hour walk in. I've been to Glendalough lots of times so wanted to check out somewhere different, not too off the beaten track.

Any good recommendations for a moderate circular walk (approx 10km)? I was looking at Djouce Woods, but I'm not sure if that's a Mountain Bike trail and accessible for walkers?

B0jangles · 18-08-2018 08:04AM

There's a very nice walk around the northern part of Vartry reservoir, near Roundwood. It's about 4 miles in total, but you can make it about a mile longer if you go around the section below the embankment as well.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.0916156,-6.1965749,3a,75y,246.63h,64.66t

/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_l9RrTCTf_uqhfHEwS5hJw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

People park along this section, and walk either clockwise or anti-clockwise around the loop - the entrances are through newly-made gaps in the wall which aren't marked on googlemaps yet.

Red is the main walk, with the googlemaps location circled, green is the smaller secondary loop

It's a really nice walk!

chewed · 18-08-2018 09:07PM

Thanks. I ended up doing the Djouce walk today and managed to avoid any mountain bikers! Lovely walk and very scenic. I'll have to check out the other walk you've recommended next time I'm in wicklow

DubOnHoliday · 18-08-2018 11:42PM

The trail around vartry reservoir now extends to both lakes and is 10 miles long as shown...

B0jangles · 22-08-2018 06:57PM

I got to walk the loop that is at the bottom of the picture in the previous post today, for the first time, and it's really lovely! Beautiful mixed woodland, views over the lake, and you get to have a look out over the water works which are really pretty interesting.

10/10 would definitely recommend

chewed · 22-08-2018 07:40PM

B0jangles wrote: »

I got to walk the loop that is at the bottom of the picture in the previous post today, for the first time, and it's really lovely! Beautiful mixed woodland, views over the lake, and you get to have a look out over the water works which are really pretty interesting.

10/10 would definitely recommend

Where's the exact starting point of the walk? And can you walk around the lake back to the same point?

B0jangles · 22-08-2018 09:12PM

chewed wrote: »

Where's the exact starting point of the walk? And can you walk around the lake back to the same point?

Its a loop like the others, so you can start wherever you want (and can find parking), and will eventually end up back where you started.

We parked along this section:
https://tinyurl.com/y7wrv45y

There's another section at the far end of the lake where you have to walk along the roadside, but there are path markers and as long as you stay by the water, you can't really miss the way.

If by any chance you were using public transport, its only about a 5 minute walk from Roundwood village too.

dogmatix · 24-08-2018 07:16AM

Other good circular/looped walks (of 10k plus) near to Wicklow town would be the Vale of Clara (especially in late Autumn), Devils Glen and Carrick Hill (closet to Wicklow town but avoid at the weekend as it is plagued with motor bikers).

Circular walking Routes in Wicklow

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