The Coumshingaun to Mahon Falls hike is probably one of nicest walks you could ever do. That’s not an exaggeration. We did this hike on a beautiful sunny day a few months ago and I’m still thinking about it. So I definitely highly recommend it. The hike does however come with a massive safety warning.
Safety on the Coumshingaun to Mahon Falls hike
The trail is extremely dangerous if sufficient caution and respect is not shown. I’m talking extreme vertical drops beside the trail for significant sections of the walk. There are no railings whatsoever! The walk should only be attempted in good weather. Any sort of wind, fog or poor visibility would make the route very treacherous.
If you attempt this hike, make sure you have good hiking boots. Walking poles are a good idea too.
That’s the safety bit out of the way. Let’s find out more about the Coumshingaun to Mahon Falls Hike in the Comeragh Mountains in the lovely County Waterford.
The Coumshingaun to Mahon Falls Hike Details
- Distance: 8km
- Type of Walk: Point-to-Point. We left one car at the Mahon Falls Car Park and then drove to the start point at Kilclooney Woods.
- Time Required: 4.5 hours – although only 8km in distance, the elevation gain is significant. Plus, it takes a while to pick your route down from the top of Mahon Falls. We averaged a kilometre every 30 minutes or so.
- Elevation Gain: 684m
- Grade: Difficult. You need good fitness for the steep altitude gain from the lake up to the side walls. The added safety concerns outlined above means this should only be undertaken by experienced hikers.
Getting to the Start Point
I drove down to County Waterford on a lovely sunny morning in May. Arriving at the Mahon Falls Car Park, I found my walking partner for the day waiting for me. David is usually the first one to arrive for these sorts of things. Thankfully though, he wasn’t waiting for me too long (unlike a previous Errigal hike we completed together in Donegal!).
I left my car at the car park and hopped in with David to get to the start point of our Coumshingaun to Mahon Falls hike – Kilclooney Wood Car Park.
The drive back from the end point to the start point takes about 15 minutes.
The Coumshingaun to Mahon Falls Hike Route
The trail starts off in Kilclooney Wood. You need to go through the woods and head for the shore of Coumshingaun Lough. From there, the trails ascends up the steep cliffs of the corrie before a trek across the uplands to the top of Mahon Falls.
Starting the Coumshingaun to Mahon Falls Hike
We set out from Kilclooney Woods just after 9am. The blue skies over the treetops were a very welcome site. From the start, everything about this hike felt really great.
We found the forest path easy to follow. We took a right turn after 200m and needed to cross a stile after 500m.
After the stile, the small path – no more than a sheep trail really – meandered through gorse and scrub. While a myriad of little tracks ran through the gorse, they all seemed to end up in the same place. You just need to keep heading in a westerly direction and keep an eye on the map.
Approaching Coumshingaun Lough
I certainly felt a sense of anticipation as we approached the lake. The incline steadily increased as we walked towards it. With each step the scale of what lay ahead of us seemed to get bigger and bigger.
Standing at the Shore of Coumshingaun Lough
Finally, after about 40 minutes of walking, the body of water came into view.
Another minute brought us to the edge of the lake.
On three sides of the lake, sheer cliffs rose vertically. The cliffs measure almost 400m at their highest point above the lake. I felt so small surrounded by the size of everything. With fabulous sunshine overhead, the views looked pristine and spectacular.
The amazing thing about all this was that we had the whole place to ourselves. We drank in the views and the beauty of it all – staying by the shore a good few minutes before moving on again. Coumshingaun Lough seems to almost beg you to stay a while and take it all in.
Tackling the Cliffs
Guidance when completing the Coumshingaun Loop (circling around the high cliffs over the lake and then back to the car park) is to complete it in a clockwise direction. The rationale for this being that this option takes you up the steeper section first. You are better/safer going up the steep parts and down the less tricky side.
However, given that we were only going up and then onwards to Mahon Falls, we chose to turn right and ascend via the less steep side.
Going up definitely still felt tough. The trail wound around the side of the incline initially before more or less going straight up. This is a lot of elevation gain over a short distance. My advice is to take your time while progressing upwards.
We gladly took advantage of a brief respite from the steep climbing around the 2.5km mark. The path remains broadly flat for a couple hundred metres at this point. After that, the challenge of the last big climb was clearly laid out in front of us.
Despite the path upwards being clearly visible – our eyes focused more on the amazing views back down to the lake on our left.
The Cliff Walk of Coumshingaun Lough
What an experience! I feel so lucky to have been able to complete this Coumshingaun to Mahon Falls Hike. Lucky to have got such amazing weather for it. Talking care with every step we moved along the cliff path. You have the option of paths that take a wider berth of the cliff side in some sections – definitely to be used if the weather isn’t as nice as what we got. Although, I will repeat my advice, that this trail should not be completed if the weather is any way bad.
Fauscoum/Kilclooney Mountain
When we reached the southernmost point of the Coumshingaun Loop, we turned right instead of continuing along the cliffs. Our destination was Mahon Falls. But first, we had something important to tick off – Fauscoum Mountain (792m).
Standing as the highest point of the Comeragh Mountains, Fauscoum also comes in as the second highest point in County Waterford (behind Knockmealdown) and the 22nd highest mountain in all of Ireland. I’m on a mission to summit the 40 highest mountains in Ireland so wanted to get to the top of this peak.
Also known as Kilclooney Mountain due to the proximity to the woods where we parked – the summit felt a little underwhelming after the majestic amphitheatre around Coumshingaun Lough. A small cairn marks the high point in this otherwise featureless Comeragh plateau.
While dry when we completed this walk, I imagine the ground being quite boggy between the cliffs and the cairn in winter months.
Crossing the Comeragh Plateau
We headed southwest across Mountain scrubland. The faint trail proved hard to find initially but became more pronounced as we approached Knockaunapeebra (724m).
The waterfall came into view on the way down Knockaunapeebra. Also on view were amazing vistas out to the Waterford coast.
Mahon Falls
We turned left just before reaching the Waterfall (after about 6.5km of walking). What a wonderful way to finish off the hike. We picked our way downhill with amazing views of the waterfall beside us.
We took our time going down – not only to take in the sights and sounds of the waterfall – but also to make sure of our footing. The descent is quite steep in places and walking poles would be helpful during this section.
We crossed the stream at a natural fording spot further down slope and said hello to the first people we had seen so far on this hike.
A few tourists were gathered at various places at the bottom of the falls. They had parked at Mahon Falls Car Park. We walked the final kilometre or so back there too. A nice gravel path led the whole way back to our waiting car.
Final Thoughts on the Coumshingaun to Mahon Falls Hike
I drove David back to his car in Kilclooney Woods and the two of us reflected on our day. While we acknowledged we had got extremely lucky with the weather, we both agreed the Coumshingaun Corrie Lake section was spectacular. The added benefit of an 80m waterfall at the end of the trail just topped off an amazing day in the Comeraghs.