With the arrival of spring, the days get brighter for longer and the outdoors comes alive with nature. As the weather starts to improve, we asked our readers to share some of their favourite spring walks for families in Ireland — the kind of place that gets everyone outside and active again after winter.
From farmyard animals to bluebells and daffodils lining the paths, these spring walks for families in Ireland are a lovely way to spend some time together, whatever corner of the country you’re in.
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Quick list of walks in this guide:
- Fota House Arboretum & Gardens, Cork
- Phoenix Park, Dublin
- Newbridge Park, Donabate
- Doneraile Wildlife Park, Cork
- Slieve Gullion, Newry
- Red Island, Skerries, Dublin
- Land of the Giants, Claremorris, Mayo
- Strokestown Park, Roscommon
- Glenveagh National Park, Donegal
- Glenteenassig Wood, Kerry
- Lough Key Forest Park, Roscommon
- Lough Boora Discovery Park, Offaly
- Brigit’s Garden, Galway
- Emo Court & Gardens, Laois
- Killykeen Forest Park, Cavan
- Avondale Forest Park, Wicklow
- Irish National Stud, Kildare
- Altamont Gardens, Carlow
- Tralee Bay Wetlands, Kerry
- The Botanic Gardens, Dublin
- Wicklow Trails, Wicklow
- Knockma Hill and Castle Hackett, Galway
Spring Walks for Families to Enjoy
Fota House Arboretum & Gardens, Cork
A spring visit to Fota House is a real adventure for the whole family. Explore the working Victorian garden, follow a honey bee trail, join a plant hunters trail or little explorers trail, dig for history, and listen to stories from the volunteers who keep it all running.
After your walk, you could visit the house itself and take a tour, with plenty of activities to keep both kids and adults entertained.
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Phoenix Park, Dublin
Image: Deer in Phoenix Park, Dublin © Fáilte Ireland
Right on our doorstep sits one of Europe’s largest enclosed urban parks, the Phoenix Park — a fantastic spot for a family walk. With around 30% of the park covered by trees such as oak, ash, lime, beech, sycamore and horse chestnut, there’s plenty for the children to spot along the way.
Among the 351 plant species found in the park, three are rare and protected, and the park has retained almost all of its old grasslands, woodlands and even some rare wetlands. It’s also home to over 500 wild deer, often spotted grazing throughout the park.
There are extensive walking trails throughout, and the south-western corner, known as the Furry Glen, has a series of short walks around a small lake with birds, plants and wildlife to enjoy. Phoenix Park is also home to Dublin Zoo.
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Newbridge Park, Donabate
Image: Newbridge House
Mum Kellie recommends Newbridge Park in Donabate for a spring walk with the family — there’s lots to see and do, with farm animals, woodland walks and a fun playground.
There’s the added bonus of toilets on site, so you can plan a full day packed with adventure.
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Doneraile Wildlife Park, Cork
A few of our parents recommended Doneraile as a fun place for a spring walk with the kids. It has a small garden maze, and entry is free.
There are acres of parkland with accessible pathways, along with water features, woodlands and gardens landscaped in the style of Capability Brown.
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Slieve Gullion, Newry
This one got several recommendations for a fantastic free day out, with a massive adventure playground, a magical fairy trail walk, a Giant’s Lair, woodland walks and a walled garden to explore as nature comes back to life in spring.
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Red Island, Skerries, Dublin
Mum Therese told us that if you like a nice family walk, Red Island in Skerries is one of the best. A good place to start is at the monument at the northern end of Skerries main street, where a side road leads down to the shore. From there, walk southwards along the beach.
The island to the south is Shenick’s Island, and it’s possible to walk out to it at low tide. On its northern side, the rocks often show beautiful bands of colour. The road back into town takes you past the busy harbour.
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Land of the Giants, Claremorris, Mayo
Within walking distance of Claremorris town, you’ll find the Land of the Giants, says dad Declan. It’s a wonderful park set around a lake with ducks, so pack something to feed them.
For the perfect spring walk, follow the 4km route past a giant chair, giant wellies, giant keys hanging from a tree, a giant train, and a maze. A real wonder for children of all ages, and totally free to visit.
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Strokestown Park, Roscommon
Strokestown Park is a super spot for a spring walk, with parkland to run about in or fly a kite.
If you pay entry to the house, you can also enjoy six acres of walled gardens and woodlands, the Irish National Famine Museum, and the house itself, where you can get a glimpse of what life “upstairs and downstairs” was like. There’s a café on site for post-walk refreshments too.
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Glenveagh National Park, Donegal
Aisling told us we had to visit Glenveagh National Park for a spring family walk. There are plenty of routes to choose from, and you can visit the castle for a reasonable price. She recommends packing a picnic and making a full day of exploring.
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Glenteenassig Wood, Kerry
With an upper and lower lake to discover, Hilary told us this is one of her favourite places for a walk with the family any time of year. The drive there is slow going, as the road is quite narrow, but it’s well worth it. There’s a boardwalk around the upper lake and picnic benches where you can sit and enjoy the scenery on warmer days.
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Lough Key Forest Park, Roscommon
We love Lough Key Forest Park, with its lake and acres of grounds to explore. It’s ideal for family walks, with established walking and cycle routes and trails, each marked with a difficulty level and estimated completion time.
As there’s no traffic, it’s safe to let the kids run ahead and explore the trees and plants that surround you in spring. And best of all, there are toilets and a café on site for refreshments afterwards.
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Lough Boora Discovery Park, Offaly
For something a little different, visit Lough Boora Discovery Park, one of the most important Mesolithic sites in Ireland — follow the Mesolithic Route to the site of the ancient settlement.
There are walkways and walking trails, a fairy trail, sculptures, picnic benches, cycle tracks, angling, bird watching and a bike hire facility, plus guided tours.
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Brigit’s Garden, Galway
Sophia had a few suggestions for Galway, including a trip to Brigit’s Garden, where you can learn about Celtic heritage.
Kids love it — there are 11 acres of gardens to run around in safely, plus a children’s discovery trail, willow play area and sandpit, nature trail, ring-fort and crannog, gift shop, and the family-friendly Garden Café.
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Emo Court & Gardens, Laois
Emo Court, near Emo village in Laois, was designed by architect James Gandon in 1790 for the Earls of Portarlington and is a fine example of neo-classical style. The house, accessible by guided tour only, is surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland first laid out in the 18th century, with formal lawns, a lake and woodland walks among many fine trees and shrubs.
For a great spring walk, take the 2.2km loop around the 20-acre man-made lake, which includes footbridges and pathways perfect for exploring. The gardens are open all year, and entry to the gardens is free. The tearooms in the walled garden are worth a visit too.
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Killykeen Forest Park, Cavan
Mum Sophia told us about Killykeen Forest Park in Cavan, with impressive forest walks perfect for a spring outing with the family.
Entry is free, and there’s the option to try watersports on Lough Oughter, including boating, kayaking and fishing. If you want to go further, Sophia suggests packing the bikes and taking on the family cycle trail.
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Avondale Forest Park, Wicklow
With 500 acres, Avondale Forest Park in Wicklow offers an endless variety of walks with fabulous scenery, perfect for a spring family outing. The park has four way-marked walking trails as well as a family cycling trail. There’s a lovely wooden playground with swings, slides and climbing frames, and plenty of opportunities for wildlife and bird spotting.
You can also visit Avondale House, birthplace of Charles Stewart Parnell — an admission cost applies.
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Irish National Stud, Kildare
Enjoy a great day out for the whole family at the Irish National Stud & Gardens in Kildare. Just off the M7 and around 30 minutes by car from Dublin and the M50, the Irish National Stud offers an unforgettable experience across 800 acres of beautiful Kildare countryside.
It’s a unique attraction with some of the most magnificent horses and sumptuous gardens found anywhere in the world, including the Japanese Gardens and St Fiachra’s Garden. Be sure to tour the Horse Museum and explore the magical fairy trail in the woodland area, then let the kids run off some steam at the playground.
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Altamont Gardens, Carlow
Known as the most romantic garden in Ireland, Altamont, near Tullow, is an enchanting blend of formal and informal gardens set on a 100-acre estate. Whilst still little known, it ranks among the top ten Irish gardens and is often called “the jewel in Ireland’s gardening crown.”
The formal lawns slope down to a romantic lake, and there’s a fascinating walk — one the kids love — through the Arboretum, Bog Garden and Ice Age Glen. There are picnic areas and a garden centre with tearooms, making it a beautiful setting for a spring family walk.
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Tralee Bay Wetlands, Kerry
Mum Eileen told us that the walk around the lake at Tralee Bay Wetlands is great for a spring stroll with little ones, especially if you have a buggy in tow. You can also play king of the castle in the viewing tower, sit in a bird hide, visit the interactive wildlife exhibits, take a guided nature boat tour, and follow the nature boardwalk to get up close with plants, insects and small mammals.
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The Botanic Gardens, Dublin
Image: National Botanic Gardens, Dublin
Entry is free, and Trish told us there’s a reasonably priced car park nearby. “Our two (3 & 6) love it. They love running around, climbing trees, seeing all the different flowers. They love the massive tropical greenhouse, and you can feed the ducks” — making it the perfect spot for a spring visit.
Wicklow Trails, Wicklow
The Wicklow Partnership has created a Wicklow Trails Passport to download, with five family-friendly nature walking trails to discover.
The trails are all near the villages of Laragh and Rathdrum and are suitable for all levels of fitness and ages.
Following the trails gives you information and facts about your route, along with duration and estimated time to complete. Best of all for children, they can get each route stamped on completion and send off their map to earn a certificate that qualifies them as a Wicklow Explorer. You can download the maps here.
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Knockma Hill and Castle Hackett, Galway
Knockma Hill, just outside Belclare in Co. Galway, is a magical place to spend a spring day. It’s reputed to be one of three possible burial sites for Queen Maeve and was once home to Finvarra, King of the Connacht fairies.
The hill is partially covered in woodland and has fairy doors tucked throughout. There’s an easy walking route to the top offering a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside, and you can explore the ruins of Castle Hackett too.
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Have your say! Where’s your favourite place for a spring walk with the family in Ireland? Leave a comment below and let us know — we’d love to hear from you!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best time of year to enjoy these spring walks in Ireland?
Spring is ideal, as the days get brighter and longer, bluebells and daffodils start to appear, and many parks and gardens are at their most colourful before the busier summer crowds arrive.
Are these spring walks suitable for buggies and younger children?
Many are, including spots like Tralee Bay Wetlands, Newbridge Park and the National Botanic Gardens, which have level paths and boardwalks. A few, such as Glenteenassig Wood, involve narrower or less even ground, so it’s worth checking the terrain suits your buggy or little legs before you set off.
Do I need to pay to visit these walks?
Most of the parks and gardens listed have free walking access, though some, such as Strokestown Park, Avondale House and the Irish National Stud, charge for house tours or specific attractions. Where an admission cost applies, we’ve mentioned it, but do check directly with the venue for current details before you travel.
What should we bring on a family spring walk?
Comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate layers, water and snacks are always a good idea. A few spots — like Land of the Giants and Lough Key Forest Park — have lakes or ducks nearby, so bringing something to feed them (where permitted) is a nice touch.
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Looking for more inspiration? Readers who enjoyed this guide also loved our roundups of family walks across the seasons, the best places in Ireland to see bluebells, and our favourite fairy trails to follow with little explorers in tow.
Before You Go
Enjoyed this list? Bookmark or save this page so you’ve got it handy next time you’re planning a family day out — and don’t forget to share it with a friend who loves getting the kids outdoors.
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