Parking
Killarney House has no on-site parking. Use Beech Road Public Car Park, with a side entrance from Beech Road/Mission Road. For Deenagh Lodge and Knockreer, on-street parking on Port Road opposite St Mary’s Cathedral is another park access.
Overview
About Knockreer Circular Walk
Why go
- Riverbank paths open onto parkland with lake and mountain views.
- A gentle circuit passes a historic lodge and tearoom at the entrance.
Heads up
- The return to Killarney House retraces the approach path.
Map & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Killarney Tour Guide
Your drive to Knockreer Circular Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Killarney National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Killarney House and Gardens0:00 / 0:35
“You're coming up on Killarney House and Gardens, the park's visitor centre at the edge of town. Its interactive exhibition spreads through fifteen rooms, exploring local wildlife, history and the landscape.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Killarney Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Knockreer and Deenagh Lodge
- Ross Castle and Innisfallen
- A New Set of Antlers
- Ross Island Copper Mines
- 18 audio storiesacross Killarney’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Sika Deer, Feral Goat, and 11 more
- Works offlinemaps, 29 trails, 32 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Knockreer Circular Walk
The walkKnockreer Circular Walk is an easy 5 km (3.
Knockreer Circular Walk is an easy 5 km (3.1 mi) loop from Killarney House and Gardens, usually about two hours. It links the House’s long approach with the Deenagh riverside and a circuit through open parkland, then returns to the House. The stored route includes both the parkland circuit and the approach back, so the start and finish are together.
Route and footingFollow the avenue away from the House, turn left at the first bridge and walk beside the River…
Follow the avenue away from the House, turn left at the first bridge and walk beside the River Deenagh. Cross at the second bridge; at the next junction, turn left over a cattle grid into the open ground and follow the circuit back toward the river approach. The route uses paved and gravel paths, with gentle rises rather than a sustained climb. Watch for the bridge and field junctions as you leave the riverside. The park’s 5 km figure is rounded; the mapped line is about 4.7 km.
Open viewsThe trees give way to broad parkland, with views across Lower Lake and toward MacGillycuddy’s…
The trees give way to broad parkland, with views across Lower Lake and toward MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. A separate path climbs to a hilltop viewpoint nearby; that uphill branch is not part of this mapped loop.
A historic entranceDeenagh Lodge is the thatched former gate lodge at the park entrance.
Deenagh Lodge is the thatched former gate lodge at the park entrance. Built in 1834, it now houses a tearoom, making it a handy stop before or after the walk. Knockreer was once part of the Kenmare Estate.
Getting thereKillarney House has no on-site parking.
Killarney House has no on-site parking. Use Beech Road Public Car Park; a side entrance leads from Beech Road/Mission Road into the park. Dogs are welcome in Killarney National Park but must stay on a lead.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Killarney
106 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
209 sightingsSika DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
12 sightingsFeral GoatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
49 sightingsSwanMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
48 sightingsHeronMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
16 sightingsCormorantMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Killarney. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
