Mullaghcleevaun Loop

A hard mountain loop of 10.1 miles / 16.3 km total, measured as one continuous closed circuit from the roadside access back to the same point, with about 2,565 ft / 782 m of climbing. Plan on roughly 6.5 hours at a steady pace. This is open hill walking on rough, largely unmarked ground, not a tidy waymarked path, and it finishes with a stretch of public road.

Start from the small free roadside pull-in on the R115 at the upper path access near the Glenmacnass valley. Space is tight, there are no facilities anywhere on the mountain, and the Glenmacnass Waterfall Car Park sits on the southern return side of the loop rather than at the start.

A short separately mapped side path continues to the exact Mullaghcleevaun summit cairn. It is not part of this 10.1 mile loop, so treat it as an optional detour you add on your own judgment and time.

• Climb from the road onto the open high ground and work along toward the broad Mullaghcleevaun ridge, passing near Mullaghcleevaun East Top.
• Swing above the corrie holding Cleevaun Lough at about 686 m, a dark lake set under steep ground below the 849 m summit mass.
• Continue across the Tonelagee side of the ridge, with long views over the Wicklow uplands.
• Descend toward Glenmacnass Waterfall, then follow the R115 approach back to the start.

This is the honest part. The ground is exposed blanket bog with peat hags, soft channels, loose stone and faint or absent paths. Expect to pick your own line for long stretches, sink a boot, and lose time to detours around deep hags.

• Bring map and compass and know how to use them. In cloud or failing light the ridge offers few reliable handrails.
• Waterproof boots and gaiters make a real difference.
• Keep well back from the corrie rim above the lake, especially in wind.
• Carry all your own food and water.

The return and access along the R115 is a public mountain road with no footpath. Walk facing traffic where you can, stay single file, and be visible. It is a fair trade for closing the loop, but it is not a place to relax your attention.

As a broad tendency this ridge stays quieter than the better known Wicklow peaks, and you can go long stretches without meeting anyone. That is part of the appeal and part of the risk. Sheep graze the open hill, so expect to share the ground with them.

Route wide ordinary pet permission is not established across all the national park, hill and land parcels this loop crosses, so we cannot promise dog access here. If you are considering bringing a dog, confirm permission for the full route first, and keep any dog on a lead near sheep, the ridge edges and the lake.

If 10.1 miles of bog is more than you want, a shorter out and back onto Mullaghcleevaun from the same side gives you the ridge and the corrie view without the full circuit. If you want more, the longer Tonelagee linking variants extend the high ground time and the climbing.