Parking
Use Muckross House car park; walk to the front door, then follow the road towards Torc to the lakeside path, about 100 m beyond the Arthur Young’s Walk bend.
Overview
About Mossy Woods Walk
Why go
- Short approach from Muckross House
- Lake views without much climbing
Heads up
- Rough, boggy footing can slow the short route
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 Mossy Woods 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
Muckross House and Gardens0:00 / 0:34
“You're approaching the entrance to Muckross House and Gardens. You can make a visit of the free gardens alone, or buy admission to the Victorian house.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Killarney Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Blue Pool Woodland Trails
- Torc Waterfall
- Torc Mountain from Torc Upper
- Muckross Abbey
- 18 audio storiesacross Killarney’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, Sika Deer, Feral Goat, and 10 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 Mossy Woods Walk
The short walkMossy Woods is a 2 km return walk (about 1.
Mossy Woods is a 2 km return walk (about 1.2 miles) from Muckross House, with only 10 m of ascent. It heads onto a lakeside path in the southern part of Muckross Peninsula for views of Muckross Lake, then returns to the house. The park grades it moderate; allow about 45 minutes, especially if the ground is wet.
Find the pathStart at Muckross House's front door and follow the road towards Torc.
Start at Muckross House's front door and follow the road towards Torc. Go around the bend marking the beginning of Arthur Young's Walk; after another 100 m, take the path on your right beside Muckross Lake. The turn is after the bend, not at the house.
UnderfootThe lakeside track is broad and surfaced, but the park warns that parts can be rough and boggy.
The lakeside track is broad and surfaced, but the park warns that parts can be rough and boggy. Dogs are allowed in Killarney National Park, but they must stay on a lead. Parking is at the house; the Garden Restaurant is in the Walled Garden Centre nearby, a separate stop from the trail.
Want a longer loop?The 6 km Reenadinna loop is a different outing: it follows a longer stretch of shore, passes…
The 6 km Reenadinna loop is a different outing: it follows a longer stretch of shore, passes Colleen Bawn Rock and Doo Lough, then returns through woodland. Keep it separate if you only want the short Mossy Woods walk.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Killarney
104 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
207 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
15 sightingsCormorantMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Killarney. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
