Lough Bray Loop

Overview

About Lough Bray Loop

A closed loop around both Upper and Lower Lough Bray, starting and finishing at the small roadside Lough Bray Parking on the R115 (Old Military Road). The stored measurement is 4.46 miles (about 7.2 km) for the full loop, taken from a verified route corridor; other descriptions round it to 6.7 to 7 km. Climbing totals about 300 m, and the walking line sits roughly between 374 m and 594 m above sea level.

Why go

Two corrie lakes and Eagle's Crag in one loop
Wide ridge views with a real mountain feel close to Dublin

Heads up

Faint, unmarked paths make navigation part of the hike
Limited roadside parking and boggy ground after rain

Map & elevation

The route

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Full map

Elevation374–594 m

TrailheadLough Bray Parking53.17474, -6.29179

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Use the small public Lough Bray Parking area on the R115 (Old Military Road); space is limited and isolated. There is no public transport. The Glencree Centre is a larger alternative, but adds roughly 4 km of road walking and is not this stored route.

Best time to go

Allow about 3 hours if you stop for the views. Brisk walkers report 2 to 2.5 hours, while a recorded outing came to 3 h 55 min overall with 2 h 34 min of that spent moving, so plan a range rather than a fixed pace. Morning and late afternoon light gives the best depth on the crag faces and the water below; Eagle's Crag is the strongest vantage for framing both lakes in one shot. Expect the wettest, heaviest going after prolonged rain and through the darker months, and the driest, firmest ground in settled summer conditions.

Safety

This is unmarked open mountain terrain with soft bog, rough and rocky footing, steep exposed slopes, and difficult route finding in mist. Carry offline mapping or the route track, keep well back from crag edges, keep dogs on leads, and do not enter the private ground or lane beside the lower lake.

3 active Wicklow Mountains alerts

CautionExtreme upland fire riskDo not use solid-fuel BBQs in Wicklow Mountains National Park, and take extreme care with cigarettes and other naked flames because the hills are dry and at extreme risk of fire.Official details
CautionGlendalough Spinc trail works and intermittent disruptionsExpect intermittent disruption on the Glendalough Spinc trails while NPWS upgrades the White Trail.Official details

See all 3 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Wicklow Mountains Tour Guide

Your drive to Lough Bray Loop, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Wicklow Mountains 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

Lough Bray

0:00 / 0:18

“You’re approaching the starting point for the Lough Bray Loop on the Old Military Road. Eagle’s Crag is the highlight, with both lakes spread out below the ridge.”

Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Wicklow Mountains Tour Guide.

Hiking Lough Bray Loop

Sequence and payoffThe reward is the pairing of two glacial corrie basins seen from above, with open mountain and…

The reward is the pairing of two glacial corrie basins seen from above, with open mountain and valley views for most of the high ground.

Drop down from the parking area toward Upper Lough Bray and cross a small stream near the road.
Climb to the ridge above the upper lake, then follow the rim around the corrie.
Pass Eagle's Crag, the signature viewpoint, with both lakes below and Lough Bray House visible across the lower water.
Descend toward the R115 by the lower lake, take a short section of road, then pick up the path back to the parking area.

Difficulty and footingTreat this as the hard end of moderate, a genuine mountain walk rather than a stroll.

Treat this as the hard end of moderate, a genuine mountain walk rather than a stroll. Ground is open heather and bog, rough underfoot, with rocky sections and steep slopes falling away from the rim. Wet spells leave the peat soft and muddy for long stretches. Sturdy boots are important, and poles help on the steeper descents.

Route finding and exposureThe loop is unmarked and the path is faint or braided in places, so navigation is on you.

The loop is unmarked and the path is faint or braided in places, so navigation is on you. In mist or low cloud the rim edges and similar-looking ridges make it easy to lose the line. Carry a map or an offline GPX track and be ready to turn back if visibility closes in. Keep well in from the crag edges, especially with children.

Parking and accessParking is the small public area on the R115, and space is limited and isolated.

Parking is the small public area on the R115, and space is limited and isolated. There is no public transport to the start. If the roadside space is full, the Glencree Centre is a larger practical option, but starting there adds roughly 4 km of road walking to the outing and is not this route.

The ground and lane beside the lower lake, including the approach to Lough Bray House, are private. Stay on the established public line and do not enter the grounds.

DogsDogs are allowed on the surrounding park land but must be kept on a lead.

Dogs are allowed on the surrounding park land but must be kept on a lead. On this loop that matters twice over, because of the exposed rim edges and the private boundary near the lower lake. Give wildlife during nesting and breeding periods space.

If you want something easierFor a flatter, better-surfaced lake walk with less navigation and no exposure, the Green Road…

For a flatter, better-surfaced lake walk with less navigation and no exposure, the Green Road Walk at Glendalough is the sensible alternative in the same area.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Wicklow Mountains

All Wicklow Mountains wildlife maps

204 sightingsSika DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

18 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

15 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

11 sightingsCommon RavenMost seen around 8 AMSighting map

28 sightingsEuropean Common FrogMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

11 sightingsViviparous LizardMost seen around 11 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Wicklow Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.