Here is the Wild Irish Walks guide to the best 7 walks in Leitrim.
I find Leitrim can sometimes be overlooked as a hiking destination. Maybe the fact that Leitrim is Ireland’s least populated county might be the reason. It really shouldn’t be forgotten about though as this is a truely beautiful part of Ireland.
The sparse population means Leitrim is awash with beautiful views of rolling countryside vistas. The River Shannon flows through Leitrim and is another wonderful attraction. Plus the short coastline is part of the always amazing Wild Atlantic Way. Leitrim can also boast of being home to the fantastic Glencar Waterfall.
So all in all, Leitrim is an amazing place to visit. The below article outlines what you absolutely need to see once you get there.
A Good Base for the Best 7 Walks in Leitrim
The bustling town of Carrick-on-Shannon is the gateway for exploring this part of Ireland. Some good accommodation options are The Landmark or The Bush Hotels. Alternatively you could look at many of the self service type apartments available in the town. Carrick-on-Shannon is very popular as a Stag and Hen location so there are plenty of these type of options available. Just be careful though as the quality of accommodation on offer can vary greatly.
So what are the best 7 walks in Leitrim?
Let’s get straight into it.
1. Glencar Waterfall
- Distance: 0.6km
- Time required: 30 mins (mostly to take in the views)
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Starting Point: Glencar Lough Car Park
- Map: Check out the Alltrails map here
We are starting this list with a lovely short little walk. However, the shortness of the walk is made up for by the beautiful surroundings. The walk takes you through leafy woodland with viewing platforms along the way to take in the wonderful Glencar Waterfall. Standing at 50ft, Glencar Waterfall really is a truly memorable spot.
If you want to get a few more kilometres in, just down the road and across the border in County Sligo is the Devil’s Chimney – Ireland’s Highest Waterfall!
Another short walk at 2.5km but combining the 2 waterfall trails makes for a nice few hours outdoors. The road between the 2 sites is not that safe for walking on unfortunately. As such, I would strongly recommend against trying to get between the 2 routes on foot.
2. Shannon Blueway – Drumshambo to Leitrim Village
- Distance: 7.8km (of which 6.5km is alongside the water)
- Time required: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
- Starting Point: Drumshambo Lock
- Map: See map from Waterways Ireland
The Shannon Blueway is a designated on-water trail providing wonderful opportunities for people to canoe or kayak. However, the Shannon Blueway does also include some sections of walking trails.
I really love the nice 6.5km section which runs between Drumshambo Lock and Battlebridge Lock near Leitrim village. Then it’s a further 1.3km of road walking to get to the village itself.
The main reason for recommending this trail has to be the amazing floating walkway at Acres Lake at the start of the walk. I found the 600m of lake-top boardwalk a real treat.
The Shannon Blueway might be a small bit of a misnomer as most of this trail actually runs alongside the Lough Allen canal before it meets the great river. Despite this, the trail is beautiful and I highly recommend it.
3. Leitrim Way
- Distance: Just under 60km (Leitrim Tourism say 56km while Sport Ireland note 58.9km – the discrepancies available online hint at the quiet nature of the walks – most sections will not be very busy)
- Time required: 3 Days
- Difficulty Level: Difficult
- Starting Point: Leitrim Village
If you want to take in the above mentioned Shannon Blueway Walk as part of a longer walk, then maybe the Leitrim Way is the one for you.
Coming in at nearly 60km, the Leitrim Way is a multi-day hike that will take a bit of planning.
Leaving from Leitrim village, the trail takes in the Shannon Blueway as far as Drumshambo. From Drumshambo, you continue northwards in parallel to Lough Allen for 9km to Cornamukla. Another 9km northwards will bring to Dowra. Next up is Dough Lough. Dough Lough stands out as one of the highlights of the Leitrim Way – a remote mountain top lake which happens to be the highest point of the whole route. Manorhamilton marks the end of the Leitrim Way and is nice spot to reflect on the achievement of completing The Leitrim Way.
One of the things I love about the Leitrim Way is the remoteness of it all. As noted above, these will not be busy trails. So take your time and enjoy the moments of solitude.
Sportireland.ie provide the best maps I can see for the full distance of the Leitrim Way. You can of course walk this route the other direction from Manorhamilton to Leitrim Village.
The Leitrim Way is one of 44 National Waymarked Trails in Ireland. I’ve written about these separately – click here to discover more about them.
4. Moodoge – Truskmore
- Distance: 9km
- Time required: 2.5 hours
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
- Starting Point: Just off Horseshoe Road – note: limited parking here
This is a nice hike. It takes in the highest point in Leitrim (and Sligo) so is worth the effort for that alone. While the trail up there is basic enough – mostly tarmac paths – the views from the top are spectacular. Truskmore is actually higher than its more illustrious neighbour, Ben Bulben. However, good to note this is the type of company it keeps. With similar views to match.
5. Miner’s Way and Historical Trail
- Distance: 118km
- Time required: 8 Days
- Difficulty Level: Difficult
- Starting Point: Various but Drumshambo or Boyle (Co. Roscommon) are probably the best options.
Another Waymarked Trail and another multi-day hike. The route is one where it is difficult to pinpoint an exact start and end point. In reality, it is a bit of a myriad of trails that criss-cross over the north-west countryside.
(Above image is from toughsoles.ie who have a lovely article about walking the trail)
I think though, that is almost the beauty of the Miner’s Way. There is something about the trail that captures the essence of the 3 counties it passes through – Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon.
Check out Sportsireland.ie for full map details.
6. Glenfarne Demesne Trail
- Distance: 3.4km
- Time required: 1.5 hours
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Starting Point: Lakeside Pier in Glenfarne Wood
A beautiful forest trail on the shore of Lough Macnean. The walk has plenty of local competition for tourist attractions. In nearby Blacklion, Co. Cavan, you have the famous MacNean House and Restaurant. Run by celebrity chef, Neven Maguire, the location has fast become one of the most prestigious eateries in Ireland.
Also close by is the amazing Stairway to Heaven Walk in Fermanagh. The stunning boardwalk and wooden stairs to the highest peak in Cavan/Fermanagh attracts thousands of visitors every year.
Thankfully, the beautiful Glenfarne Demesne Trail is a bit quieter. The forest trail is gorgeous with the highlight being the beautiful views across Lough Macnean.
7. Sliabh An Iarainn (Mullaghgarve Mass Rock)
- Distance: 3km
- Time required: 1.5 hours
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Starting Point: Mullaghgarve Mass Rock Car Park
What a beautiful little walk this is. You couldn’t have an article about the 7 best walks in Leitrim without mentioning this stunning route. Although only a few kilometres in distance, the views along the way certainly make this a very memorable trail.
Starting from the Mullaghgarve Mass Rock Car Park, the route is mostly gravel trail but boggy once you head towards the Mass Rock.
This is a lovely little walk and one I would highly recommend.
Best 7 Walks in Leitrim
So that’s it – the 7 best walks in Leitrim. In summary, Leitrim is a beautiful county full of beautiful people. Please do try and get yourself there and enjoy the laid-back lifestyle and amazing hiking trails this north-western county has to offer!Here is the Wild Irish Walks guide to the best 7 walks in Leitrim.