Days Out NI
Adventure & activity Ballymena

Slemish Mountain

A short, steep volcanic climb with 360 views — and St Patrick's old stomping ground.

5 photos
Book aheadNo booking needed — walk up any time
FreePer person
BallymenaAdventure & activity
Get directionsOfficial website
1 hourHow long
FreeCost
Active families…Best for
ChallengingLevel
FreeParking

Slemish Mountain — A short, steep volcanic climb with 360 views — and St Patrick's old stomping ground.

  • What you do: Short, steep mountain climb / scramble up a volcanic plug.
  • Difficulty: Strenuous — steep rocky scramble, near-vertical near the top, slippery when wet.
  • Age / height: No formal limits; best for sure-footed over-6s, not toddlers or buggies.
  • Booking: No booking needed — walk up any time.
  • Come ready: Sturdy shoes/boots with grip, outdoor layers, water; a walking pole helps.
  • Weather: Exposed summit, no clear path; descent slippery when wet — pick a dry, clear day and check the forecast.
Plan your visit

Short walk, serious climb

The route is only about 1.2 miles in total and takes most families around an hour, but it is graded strenuous for good reason. You start gently from the car park, then the path steepens into a rocky scramble up the flank of the volcanic plug, with one near-vertical section close to the top. There is often no clear path, so you pick your line over grass, exposed rock and trodden earth. The reward at 437m is a 360 view over much of County Antrim, the coast and the Sperrins. The descent is the tricky part — loose and slippery, especially after rain — so take it slowly.

Free No booking Steep scramble Big 360 views Weather-dependent Car park & toilets
Good to know before you go:

Adventure centres and trails across NI run seasonal guided sessions, family events and holiday activities, and the booked attractions have their own seasons. Slemish itself is best known for its St Patrick's Day climb on 17 March, when the area gets very busy and a free park-and-ride usually replaces parking at the base — check local listings before you go.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 👟Clothes you can trashOld kit and trainers you do not mind getting muddy or wet.
  • 🎒A full change & a towelEspecially for anything on the water — you will be glad of dry clothes after.
  • 💧Water and a snackYou will have earned it once the adventure is done.
  • 🎫Your bookingAlmost everything here needs booking ahead — have the confirmation ready.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Free
Booking
No booking needed — walk up any time
Activity
Short, steep mountain climb / scramble up a volcanic plug
Difficulty
Strenuous — steep rocky scramble, near-vertical near the top, slippery when wet
Age / height limits
No formal limits; best for sure-footed over-6s, not toddlers or buggies
Best for
Active families and older kids who like a real climb
What to wear / bring
Sturdy shoes/boots with grip, outdoor layers, water; a walking pole helps
Safety / weather
Exposed summit, no clear path; descent slippery when wet — pick a dry, clear day and check the forecast
Parking
Free dedicated car park at the base (search 'Slemish Car Park')
How long to allow
Around 1 hour for the climb; allow 1.5-2 hours with picnic and breaks
Address
Slemish Car Park, Carnstroan, near Broughshane / Ballymena, Co. Antrim
Questions

Before you go

Do I need to book?
No booking needed — walk up any time
How much is it?
Free
Is there an age or height limit?
No formal limits; best for sure-footed over-6s, not toddlers or buggies
What should we wear or bring?
Sturdy shoes/boots with grip, outdoor layers, water; a walking pole helps
What if the weather is bad?
Exposed summit, no clear path; descent slippery when wet — pick a dry, clear day and check the forecast
Getting there

Slemish Mountain is at Slemish Car Park, Carnstroan, near Broughshane / Ballymena, Co. Antrim. Free dedicated car park at the base (search 'Slemish Car Park'). Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

About this place

Slemish is the eroded central core of an extinct volcano — a volcanic plug that has stood firm while the softer rock around it wore away, leaving it rising sharply above the flat Antrim farmland. That isolation is why it is visible for miles and why the summit views are so wide.

Its fame comes from St Patrick. Tradition holds that after being captured by pirates around the age of 16, Patrick was brought to Ireland as a slave and spent about six years herding livestock on these slopes for a local chieftain, Miluic (Mulchi). Whether literal history or legend, the link runs deep, and the mountain has long been a place of pilgrimage.

Each St Patrick's Day, thousands make the climb in his footsteps — one of Northern Ireland's best-known seasonal traditions — alongside the walkers, families and wildlife-watchers who come the rest of the year for Irish hares, ravens and buzzards.