For the last several years, I’ve made a list of 6 of my favourite day hikes around Ireland.

This list will have something for everyone, taking in easy family-friendly walks, to some of the hardest trails you can find in ireland. Here are my top picks for 2026!

To understand how I grade trails in Ireland, read our trail grading system here. If you’re thinking of camping in Ireland, make sure to read the Unwritten Rules of Wildcamping in Ireland guide. The island of Ireland follows the Leave No Trace Principles as our outdoor recreation code. Please respect all our outdoor spaces to protect our incredible surroundings for years to come!

1. Gougane Barra Forest Park

**Location:** Cork
**Distance:** 500m - 5km
**Time:** 30 minutes - 5hrs

Gougane Barra Forest Park is tucked away into a lush valley at the edge of the Sheehy Mountains. Sitting close to the Cork & Kerry border, this woodland is full of beautiful trails that follow the streams and curves of the forest to showcase the best of the area.

I wasn’t even planning on heading to Gougane Barra, but bas weather elsewhere left me at a loose end in Cork, and I remembered how much I had wanted to revisit this place after passing through on the Slí Gaeltacht Mhuscraí.

Here you’ll find Access For All trails suitable for buggies and wheelchairs, as well as small twisting forest paths that will remind you of the magic of Tolkien. This is my family-friendly, a trail for everyone recommendation for 2026. Trails range from 500m - 5km.

There is a €5 entry fee (automatic barrier where you tap on entry), as well as well maintained toilets at the main car park. In the bottom of the valley there is almost no phone coverage.

Read more about the trail here | Watch the YouTube video here

5. The Keenagh Loop

**Location:** Wild Nephin, Mayo
**Distance:** 11km
**Time:** 2.5 - 5 hrs

The Keenagh Loop is the only trail on my recommendation list that, as of mid-January 2026, I have yet to film and/or photograph. I walked this loop several times in 2025 as part of (or prep for) walking festivals, and fell in love with it.

This is an 11km looped trail that really shows you the wildness of Mayo. So while there is way-marking (it’s part of the National Looped Walks Scheme), the ground underfoot is just bog. Be prepared for many little stream crossings (the exact number depending on how much rain there’s been), and beautiful views of Slieve Carr and other desolate peaks.

6. The Bangor Trail

**Location:** Wild Nephin, Mayo
**Distance:** 26 - 39km
**Time:** 5 - 12hrs

This trail is the last remains of an ancient cattle-driving path, although do not let the words path or trail fool you - there is nothing easy in this harsh landscape.

I love Mayo - it is somewhere that feels truly wild. And the Bangor Trail is, in my opinion, the wildest trail in Ireland. Depending on where you’d like to start/finish, this route is between 26 - 39km long. I recommend the shorter version, starting at the Letterkeen Trail Head in Wild Nephin National Park, and finishing in the town of Bangor Erris.

Along this route there are bothies and camping shelters for anyone who wants to split it into a weekend adventure. During the summer there are shuttle buses to the Letterkeen trail head - but there are also more midges in the summer, which is why I often do some of my bigger hikes here in the Spring or late Autumn.