Days Out NI
Worth the drive Forest & woodland Co Armagh

Slieve Gullion Forest Park

A giant to find in the woods, a mountain drive to a huge view, and a real summit hike above the Ring of Gullion.

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Open dailyFrom 9am; closes 9pm summer, earlier in winter
Free entry£5 a day to park
Co ArmaghNear Newry
Get directionsOfficial website
Half a day for the family bits; a full day if you also hike the summitHow long
Free entryEntry
All agesBest for
On leadsDogs
£5 a dayParking

Slieve Gullion Forest Park — a giant to find in the woods, a mountain drive to a view that runs for miles, and, for those who want it, a proper hike to a 5,000-year-old cairn and a legend-soaked lake at the top.

  • What you'll do: wander the Giant's Lair children's story trail to meet fairy houses and giant sculptures in the forest, let the children loose on the adventure playpark and zip wire, then drive the 10km one-way Scenic Forest Drive up the shoulder of the mountain for a huge view across the Ring of Gullion. There's a walled garden and a courtyard too.
  • How long: half a day for the story trail, the play park and the drive; make it a full day if you add the summit hike or a picnic.
  • The summit is a real mountain: the walk to the top of Slieve Gullion (573m, the highest point in Co Armagh) is a strenuous, exposed hill hike of roughly 8–9 miles — boggy and slippery when wet, and separate from the gentle forest bits. Boots and a proper look at the weather before you set off.
  • Come ready for the trail too: the Giant's Lair is a lovely woodland walk but it has steps, roots and short steep bits — a baby carrier or sling suits it better than a pram. Good footwear all round.
  • Cost & food: free to walk or cycle in; parking is £5 a day per car. There's a café in the courtyard, but it's currently between operators, so check ahead — bring a picnic to be safe and enjoy the picnic spots.
  • When: open daily from 9am; the gates close 9pm May–August, earlier through the rest of the year (5pm in deep winter), closed Christmas Day. Confirm on the day, and note the drive can shut in snow or ice.
Plan your visit

A giant, a play park, and a drive to the view

Start in the woods. The Giant's Lair story trail winds through the trees past fairy houses, a woven willow den you can walk into, and a huge carved stone face with moss for hair — the whole thing tells the tale of the giant Fionn and the witch Cailleach Berra, and children spend the walk spotting the next surprise. It's free, self-guided, and takes about forty minutes at a wandering pace. Right beside it the adventure playpark has a zip wire, climbing frames and slides for the bigger ones and a separate area built for toddlers, so nobody's left out. When small legs have had enough of running, everyone piles into the car for the Scenic Forest Drive: 10km of narrow one-way road climbing the shoulder of the mountain, with pull-in spots where the view opens right out across the Ring of Gullion and away to Carlingford Lough. The walled garden and courtyard sit near the car park, and there are picnic tables and open ground for a run-around. For families who want more, the summit hike is right there waiting — but that's a proper mountain walk, and a day in itself.

Giant's Lair story trail — free and self-guided Adventure playpark with zip wire and toddler area 10km one-way Scenic Forest Drive with big views Summit hike to a 5,000-year-old cairn (strenuous) Walled garden, courtyard and picnic spots Calliagh Berra's Lough on the summit plateau
Good to know before you go:

A couple of things are in flux: the courtyard café is between operators, so check ahead or pack a picnic; and up on the summit the ancient tomb chamber is closed for maintenance for now — you can still reach the cairn and the view, just not go inside. The Scenic Drive can also close in snow or ice, so keep an eye on the forecast in winter.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🥾Boots or welliesThe story trail has roots and steep bits, and the summit is a real mountain — grippy footwear makes the whole day.
  • 🧥A coat and a layerThe top is high and open, so it's cooler and breezier up there; a bit of weather only makes the view more dramatic.
  • 🧺A picnic and waterWith the café between operators, a picnic is the safe bet — and the tables and open ground here are made for it.
  • 👶A baby carrierFor the Giant's Lair, a carrier or sling copes with the roots and steps far better than a buggy.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Free to walk or cycle in; the Giant's Lair story trail and the adventure playpark are free. Parking is £5 a day per car (introduced by the council in 2024).
Opening / season
Open daily from 9am. Gates close 9pm May–August; 8pm April & September; 6pm March & October; 5pm November–February. Closed Christmas Day. The Scenic Drive follows the same hours and can be closed in snow or ice. Confirm on the day.
Best for ages
All ages. The story trail, play park and the drive suit toddlers upward; the summit hike is a strenuous mountain walk better suited to older, confident walkers.
What you'll see
The Giant's Lair story-trail sculptures, the adventure playpark and zip wire, the 10km Scenic Forest Drive, the walled garden and courtyard, and — for hikers — the summit cairn, Calliagh Berra's Lough and the view across the Ring of Gullion.
Food
There's a café in the courtyard, but at the time of writing it's between operators (a seasonal ice-cream van has been running in the meantime), so don't count on it — check ahead or bring a picnic. When a café is open here the setting is lovely; reviews of past operators have been mixed on service, so it's best treated as a nice coffee stop rather than a food destination. Picnic tables and open ground on site.
Toilets
Toilets by the car park, with baby-changing. There's an accessible toilet (RADAR key needed).
Parking
£5 a day per car at the main car park by the play park and courtyard. Council residents can arrange permits; a paid annual pass covers this and the other council parks.
Dogs
Welcome in the wider park, kept under control on a lead. Not allowed in the adventure playpark.
Accessibility
The car-park, courtyard and picnic area are the level, accessible parts, and there's an accessible toilet. The Scenic Drive is a road you can drive up for the view. The Giant's Lair trail and the summit are not wheelchair or buggy friendly — a carrier is recommended even on the family trail.
How long to allow
Half a day for the story trail, play park and drive; a full day if you add the summit hike (allow about 3–4½ hours for the summit loop on its own).
Address
Slieve Gullion Forest Park, 89 Drumintee Road, Meigh, Newry, Co Armagh BT35 8SW
Questions

Before you go

Is it free?
Entry is free to walk or cycle in, and the Giant's Lair story trail and adventure playpark are free too. The only charge is parking, at £5 a day per car.
Do we need to do the summit hike?
Not at all — the story trail, the play park and the Scenic Drive make a great day on their own, all gentle and family-friendly. The summit is a separate, strenuous mountain walk for anyone who wants the challenge and the big views.
Is the Giant's Lair buggy-friendly?
It's a woodland trail with roots, steps and short steep sections, so a baby carrier or sling copes far better than a pram. Allow about forty minutes at a wandering pace.
Is there food?
There's a café in the courtyard, but it's currently between operators — so check ahead or, to be safe, bring a picnic. There are picnic tables and open ground to enjoy it.
Can we bring the dog?
Yes — dogs are welcome in the wider park, kept under control on a lead. They're not allowed in the adventure playpark.
Getting there

Slieve Gullion Forest Park is at 89 Drumintee Road, Meigh, just south-west of Newry in Co Armagh (BT35 8SW). The main entrance, car park, courtyard and play park are all together; the Scenic Drive and the summit paths lead off from there. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

The mountain at the heart of the Ring

Slieve Gullion is the centrepiece of the Ring of Gullion, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty made by an ancient ring dyke — a near-circle of low hills wrapped around the central mountain, thought to have formed when a great volcanic system cooled deep underground and the softer rock around it wore away over the ages. At 573 metres it's the highest point in Co Armagh, and on a clear day the view from the top runs across South Armagh to the Mournes, Carlingford Lough and beyond.

On the summit sits a Neolithic passage tomb — thought to be around 5,000 years old, and reckoned to be the highest surviving passage tomb in Ireland. Beside it lies a small mountain lake, Calliagh Berra's Lough. Legend has it that the witch Calliagh Berra lured the giant-warrior Fionn Mac Cumhaill into these waters, and he climbed out an old man with white hair — and the folk tale still warns that anyone who bathes in the lough will find their hair turned white. Her "house" is said to be the ancient cairn at the very top.

Down in the sheltered woodland below, the forest park gave the old mountain a new life for families. The Giant's Lair story trail turned the myth into a walk children can step right into, the adventure playpark and Scenic Drive drew day-trippers, and the whole place became one of South Armagh's best-loved days out — a gentle forest and a real mountain, side by side, with a giant's legend running through the middle of it.