Summer Local – Adventure on your doorstep
ADVENTURE is out there, and it is also right on our doorstep, with the Dublin Mountains offering a multitude of opportunities for people to get their hiking shoes on.
There are loads of trails and forests across the Dublin Mountains which leaves individuals and families with a heap of outdoor recreation activities and opportunities to enjoy.
Among these opportunities are self-guided walks at recreation sites such as the mysterious Hellfire Club, which sits atop of Montpellier Hill, or explore the vast Massy’s Estate.
There are three mountain summits identified on Ordnance Survey maps, at Cruagh, Glendoo and Kilakee, which all boast grand views of Dublin.
Surrounding the summits are sprawling forest lands such as Cruagh and Tibradden woods, Ticknock and Barnaslingan.
Cruagh Wood
On foot, there are plenty of surprises across the Dublin Mountains Way, which is a 42.6km national way marked trail which crosses from Tallaght to Shankill.
Cairns and large stone megalithic tombs, that date back as far as the Neolithic period, which was around 4,200 to 2,400 BC, are commonly stumbled upon and well represented across the mountains and uplands.
While there is a great opportunity for an adventure across the Dublin Mountains, there is a level of precaution that needs to be taken to ensure any hiking trips can maximise fun in a safe manner.
Weekends are a great time for a trip up the mountains, but carparks are busiest at this time and having a Plan B is a must.
Letting someone know where you’re going and when to expect you back, planning the route and sticking to way-marked trails are a good starting point.
At this time of year, in the height of summer, Lyme Disease is a risk in the outdoors with the regularity of ticks in the environment – so check yourself after walks.
Dress for the occasion, with raingear and proper hiking shoes, and bring water, suncream and a snack along with you to ensure you can fuel your trip.
An important point to consider is that all Dublin Mountains recreation sites have no toilets and there are no bins in the Coillte recreation areas, with them operating with the Leave No Trace principles – encouraging everyone to bring home litter.
The last tip relates to respecting the environment, the Dublin Mountains area is of huge archaeological significance and has a lot of recreational value for enabling everyone to connect with nature.
So, if there is any critters being brought on a walk, ensure they’re wearing leads, dog foul is collected and disposed of at home.
For all things Dublin Mountains, including activities, routes, and information, visit the Dublin Mountains Partnership website HERE.
