1–2 hours for the falls and a river loop; longer with the play park and a picnicHow long
FreeEntry
All agesBest for
On leadsDogs
FreeParking
Ness Country Park — a wooded river gorge east of Derry, carved by the Burntollet, with the Ness Waterfall at its heart: said to be the highest in Northern Ireland, and free to walk in.
What you'll do: follow the Burntollet down into its gorge to the Ness Waterfall — a drop of around 30ft through the rock. Woodland and riverside walks, boardwalks and steps down to the falls, rapids and potholes cut into the stone, oak woodland alive with red squirrels, and a natural-themed children's play park and picnic spots by the visitor centre.
How long: allow 1 to 2 hours for the falls and a river loop; longer if you add the play park and a picnic.
Come ready: the route to the falls has steps and steep, wet sections that get slippery near fast water — walking shoes or wellies, and keep little ones close by the river and the waterfall. The gorge steps are not buggy-friendly; the short surfaced Meadow loop near the visitor centre is the flat, pram- and wheelchair-friendly option.
Cost & food:free to visit and free to park. There's a refreshment hub at the visitor centre rather than a full café, so pack a picnic to be sure — there are picnic tables on site and lovely spots by the river.
When: open all year, and best of all after rain — that's when the falls run full and thunder through the gorge. In a long dry summer the waterfall slows, so time your visit if the falls are the main draw. Confirm car-park hours on the day.
Plan your visit
What you'll actually do here
The waterfall is the reason to come. From the main car park and visitor centre, waymarked trails fan out through 55 hectares of woodland along both banks of the Burntollet. The walk to the Ness Waterfall drops down into the gorge on steps and boardwalks, with the river running fast and clear over the rocks beside you and rapids and potholes cut into the stone. It's a real adventure for children — the bridges, the rushing water, the drop of the falls — and a green, mossy calm for grown-ups. Closer to the visitor centre, the short surfaced Meadow loop stays flat for prams and wheelchairs, and the natural-themed play park behind the centre keeps younger ones happy. Ness runs on into the neighbouring Ervey Wood, so there's plenty more river and woodland to explore if you fancy a longer day.
Free to visit and free to park, all year roundWoodland and riverside walks along the BurntolletThe Ness Waterfall, said to be Northern Ireland's highestNatural-themed play park and picnic tables by the centreFlat, surfaced Meadow loop for prams and wheelchairsToilets, accessible and baby-changing, at the main car park
Good to know before you go:
This is a real river gorge, so the path to the falls runs close to fast water and drops away steeply, with steps and boardwalks that get slippery when wet — a brilliant adventure with children, just keep them within arm's reach near the rapids and the waterfall. After heavy rain the Burntollet runs high and the falls are at their most dramatic; sturdy footwear makes the day.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
🥾Walking shoes or welliesThe route to the falls has steps and steep, rooty stretches that get slippery near the water — grippy feet for everyone, wellies for the little ones after rain.
🧥A coatDown in the gorge it stays fresh and cool, and rain only makes the falls thunder and the woodland glow — dress for it and the weather is never a reason to stay in.
🧺A picnicThere's a refreshment hub at the visitor centre, not a full café, so bring lunch to be sure — there are picnic tables and river spots to enjoy it.
🚼The buggy — for the flat loopAn ordinary pram is fine on the short surfaced Meadow Route and around the play park; the gorge walk to the falls has steps and isn't buggy-friendly.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Free to visit and free to park. No booking and no entry fee for a normal visit.
Opening / season
Open access all year round. Car parks and toilets follow daylight hours and can close in the early evening, so confirm exact times on the day.
Best for ages
All ages. The flat Meadow loop and the play park suit the youngest; older children love the bridges, the steps and the drop of the falls. Because of the fast water and steep drops in the gorge, keep under-5s close.
What you'll see
The Ness Waterfall (said to be the highest in Northern Ireland, dropping around 30ft), the wooded Burntollet gorge with rapids and potholes, boardwalks and steps, oak and beech woodland with red squirrels, a natural-themed children's play park, wildlife ponds, wildflower meadows and picnic areas. The park runs on into the neighbouring Ervey Wood.
The walks
Waymarked routes from the visitor centre, more than 7km in all. A short flat, surfaced Meadow loop suits prams and wheelchairs; the Waterfall Route down into the gorge is graded difficult, with steep inclines, steps and footbridges.
Food
A refreshment hub at the visitor centre rather than a full café. Bring a picnic to be sure; there are picnic tables on site and spots by the river.
Toilets
Toilets at the main car park, with accessible and baby-changing facilities.
Parking
Free car parking on site at the visitor centre, open during park hours. Free accessible parking near the visitor centre, play park and Meadow loop.
Dogs
Dogs welcome, kept under control and on a lead around the visitor centre, car parks and play area, and cleaned up after.
Accessibility
The short Meadow Route is flat and surfaced, so it suits prams and wheelchairs, and the play park has a bonded rubber surface for wheelchair and pram access. The gorge and waterfall paths have steps and steep sections and are not wheelchair or buggy friendly.
How long
Allow 1 to 2 hours for the falls and a river loop, plus time for the play park and a picnic.
Managed by
Northern Ireland Environment Agency (part of DAERA). Info line 028 7133 8417.
Address
Ness Country Park, 50 Oughtagh Road, Killaloo, Claudy, Co. Londonderry, BT47 3TR
Questions
Before you go
Is it free?
Yes — Ness Country Park is free to visit and free to park, all year round. There's no booking and no entry fee for a normal visit.
Is the waterfall really the highest in Northern Ireland?
It's widely said to be the highest waterfall in Northern Ireland, dropping around 30ft through the gorge — a well-repeated claim rather than an official ranking, but a genuine highlight either way. The name Ness comes from the Irish an Eas, meaning the waterfall.
Can I get a buggy or wheelchair round?
Partly — the short Meadow Route near the visitor centre is flat and surfaced, so a pram or a wheelchair manages it, and the play park is close by with an accessible surface. The walk down into the gorge to the waterfall has steep steps and footbridges and isn't wheelchair or buggy friendly.
Is there food on site?
There's a refreshment hub at the visitor centre rather than a full café, so bring a picnic to be sure — there are picnic tables on site and lovely spots by the river.
When is the waterfall at its best?
After rain. A wet spell sends the Burntollet high and the falls thunder through the gorge; in a long dry summer the water slows to a trickle, so if the falls are the main draw, come after rain.
Can I bring the dog?
Yes — dogs are welcome. Keep them under control and on a lead around the visitor centre, car parks and play area, and clean up after them.
Getting there
Ness Country Park, 50 Oughtagh Road, Killaloo, Claudy, Co. Londonderry, BT47 3TR — about 8 miles south-east of Derry. Head out on the A6 (the Derry–Belfast road), then follow the brown tourist signs via Oughtagh Road. Free parking on site.
Ness owes its shape to deep time. The story goes that as the last ice age ended, around ten thousand years ago, glacial debris blocked the old course of the Burntollet River. Forced to cut itself a new channel, the river ground down through the rock, carving the steep gorge, the potholes and rapids, and the drop that became the Ness Waterfall — the name comes from the Irish an Eas, simply meaning the waterfall.
Around it stands a remnant of the old oak woodland that once covered much of the north west, now home to red squirrels and, unusually for Northern Ireland, the Purple Hairstreak butterfly, with bluebells in spring and a damp, mossy gorge rich in ferns and lichens. The park stretches across 55 hectares on both banks of the river and runs on into the neighbouring Ervey Wood, the two making up the Ness and Ervey Woods Nature Reserve.
Today it's a free country park cared for by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, with a visitor centre and its woodland-biodiversity exhibition, waymarked trails, boardwalks and a natural-themed play park — a working piece of wild landscape kept open for everyone to walk. Pull on your boots, follow the river down, and go and live it.