Days Out NI
Worth the drive Forest & woodland Co Antrim

Glenariff Forest Park

Timber boardwalks through a wooded gorge past roaring waterfalls — the walk they call the Queen of the Glens.

5 photos
Open all yearCar park 8am to dusk
£5 to parkFree to walk
Co AntrimNear Waterfoot
Get directionsOfficial website
Two to three hours for the Waterfall Walk; a half day with the tea house and a longer trailHow long
£5 to parkCost
All agesBest for
On leadsDogs
£5 chargeParking

Glenariff Forest Park — timber boardwalks through a wooded river gorge, past roaring waterfalls and ferns, in the glen locals call the Queen of the Glens.

  • What you'll do: walk the famous Waterfall Walkway — timber boardwalks and steps threading down through a wooded gorge, past the Ess-na-Larach and Ess-na-Crub waterfalls, through a National Nature Reserve thick with ferns, moss and liverworts. Longer trails climb out for a wide view down the glen to the sea and, on a clear day, across to Scotland's Mull of Kintyre.
  • How long: the Waterfall Walk is about 3km / 1.9 miles and takes most families two to three hours at a gentle pace; add the tea house or a longer trail and it fills the day.
  • Come ready: the Waterfall Walk has a steep descent, boardwalks and long flights of steps, and the timber runs close to fast water — walking shoes or wellies, and keep little ones within reach. Rain only makes the falls roar louder, so a coat is part of the fun.
  • Not for wheels: the Waterfall Walk's steps and boardwalk mean it's not suitable for buggies or wheelchairs — bring a carrier for babies, or stick to the flatter forest tracks near the entrance.
  • Cost & food: free to walk, £5 per car to park. There's a tea house at the entrance, and down beside the falls the Laragh Lodge restaurant does proper home-cooked meals — genuinely well liked, and a lovely spot to end the walk (book ahead at weekends). Picnic and barbecue areas too.
  • When: the forest is open on foot all year; the car park gates open by 8am and lock at dusk, so time your return. Check current times before a long drive.
Plan your visit

What you'll actually do here

The Waterfall Walkway is the reason most people come. From the main car park the boardwalk drops you into the gorge and follows the river down through the trees, crossing and recrossing the water on timber walkways and steps. The falls arrive one after another — Ess-na-Crub, then the tall thread of Ess-na-Larach dropping through a deep, green cleft — with ferns, moss and liverworts crowding every rock and the whole gorge feeling like a temperate rainforest. It's a National Nature Reserve, protected for exactly that damp, mossy richness. Come out of the gorge and the longer trails open up: the Scenic Trail climbs the glen side to a wide view down toward the sea at Waterfoot, and on a clear day across to Scotland's Mull of Kintyre. Nearer the entrance there are flatter forest tracks, picnic and barbecue areas, and a tea house for when the walking's done.

Free to walk, £5 per car to park, open all year Waterfall Walkway on timber boardwalks and steps through the gorge National Nature Reserve — Ess-na-Larach and Ess-na-Crub falls, ferns and moss Scenic Trail with a view down the glen to the sea and Scotland Tea house at the entrance, Laragh Lodge restaurant by the falls Picnic and barbecue areas, flatter forest tracks near the car park
Good to know before you go:

This is a working forest, so trails can be diverted or closed at short notice — part of the Scenic Trail has been closed for felling to remove diseased trees, with diversions in place, and the on-site play park has been closed for repairs. The Waterfall Walk itself can shut in sections after storms, so it's worth a quick check on the Forest Service NI or nidirect page before a long drive.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 👟Walking shoes or welliesThe boardwalk and steps get slick near the spray, and the gorge is steep — grippy feet make the walk.
  • 🧥A coatDown in the gorge it stays cool and damp; a bit of rain only makes the falls thunder, so dress for it and enjoy it.
  • 💧Water and a snackThere's a tea house and a restaurant, but the walk is a good stretch — a bottle keeps small legs going.
  • 📷A cameraThe falls, the mossy gorge and the view down the glen are made for photos.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Free to walk. Car parking is £5 per vehicle. Confirm the current charge on the day.
Opening / season
Open all year. The forest is open on foot 24 hours; the car park gates open by 8am and are locked at dusk, so plan your return before nightfall. Check current times before travelling.
Best for ages
All ages who can manage a walk with steps. Babies do well in a carrier rather than a buggy. Because of the fast water and steep boardwalk, keep under-5s close on the Waterfall Walk.
What you'll see
The Waterfall Walkway through the gorge, the Ess-na-Larach and Ess-na-Crub waterfalls, the National Nature Reserve's ferns, moss and liverworts, and — from the higher trails — a wide view down the glen to the sea and, on a clear day, Scotland's Mull of Kintyre.
Trails
Waterfall Walk about 3km / 1.9 miles (boardwalk and steps, moderate, steep in places); Viewpoint Trail about 1km; Scenic Trail about 9km climbing to roughly 260m for the glen views. Part of the Scenic Trail may be closed for forestry works — check the diversions.
Food
A tea house at the entrance for drinks and light bites. Down beside the waterfalls, the Laragh Lodge restaurant serves proper home-cooked meals and is well reviewed — a good end to the walk, with indoor and outdoor seating; worth booking at weekends. Picnic and barbecue areas on site too.
Toilets
Toilets at the main entrance, including an accessible toilet at the caravan and camping site.
Parking
Car park at the main entrance (£5 per vehicle). You can also park at the Laragh Lodge car park lower down, by the foot of the waterfalls.
Dogs
Dogs welcome, kept on a lead — especially on the boardwalks and busier sections.
Accessibility
The Waterfall Walk is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies — it has a steep descent, boardwalks and long flights of steps. The flatter forest tracks near the entrance are more manageable. The on-site play park has been closed for repairs.
How long to allow
Two to three hours for the Waterfall Walk; a half day with the tea house, a longer trail and a bite at Laragh Lodge.
Address
Glenariff Forest Park, 98 Glenariff Road, Glenariff, BT44 0QX
Questions

Before you go

How much does it cost?
The walking is free — you pay £5 per car to park. Confirm the current charge on the day.
Is the Waterfall Walk suitable for a buggy or wheelchair?
No — the Waterfall Walk has a steep descent, timber boardwalks and long flights of steps, so it isn't buggy- or wheelchair-friendly. Bring a carrier for babies, or keep to the flatter forest tracks near the entrance.
What will we see?
The Waterfall Walkway through a wooded gorge, the Ess-na-Larach and Ess-na-Crub waterfalls, and a National Nature Reserve of ferns, moss and liverworts. Climb a higher trail and you get a wide view down the glen to the sea, and Scotland's Mull of Kintyre on a clear day.
Is there anywhere to eat?
Yes — a tea house at the entrance, and the well-regarded Laragh Lodge restaurant down beside the falls for a proper home-cooked meal. There are picnic and barbecue areas too. Book Laragh Lodge ahead at weekends.
Can I bring the dog?
Yes — dogs are welcome kept on a lead, especially on the boardwalks and busier stretches.
Getting there

Glenariff Forest Park sits above the glen in Co Antrim, a short climb inland from Waterfoot on the Antrim Coast Road. The main entrance, car park (£5), tea house and toilets are on Glenariff Road (BT44 0QX); you can also park lower down at Laragh Lodge, by the foot of the waterfalls. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

Waterfoot / Red Bay BeachSandy beach at the foot of the glen Glenariff Coastal WalkEasy shoreline walk along Red Bay Glens of Antrim DistilleryCraft whiskey tours in Cushendall More days out around the GlensSee what else is close by
The story

The Queen of the Glens

Glenariff is the broadest and greenest of the nine Glens of Antrim, and the one most often called the Queen of the Glens — a name that has stuck for well over a century. The valley was carved by ice and water into a deep U-shape, its steep sides feeding a river that cuts a narrow, wooded gorge before it reaches the sea at Waterfoot. That gorge, with its string of waterfalls, is what draws people up the glen.

The Waterfall Walkway began as a Victorian tourist trail. In the 1880s the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway laid out rustic timber walkways and bridges so that day-trippers arriving by rail and jaunting car could reach the falls in comfort; Laragh Lodge, the restaurant that still stands by the water, was built in 1890 as a tea house to feed them. The boardwalks you cross today follow that same idea, rebuilt over the years but keeping the falls at the heart of the walk.

The gorge is now a National Nature Reserve, protected for its damp-loving ferns, mosses and liverworts — the kind of temperate-rainforest plant life that thrives in the constant spray. Around it, the wider forest park is managed by the Forest Service, laced with waymarked trails that climb the glen sides for those wide views out over the valley and across the water to Scotland.