5 wonderful Autumn walks on the island of Ireland

Hey all,

With autumn already here, I’m hunting down walks around Ireland that are especially stunning in fall: red, gold, amber colours. We know Ireland as the Emerald Isle, but its colours slightly change in this season.
Here are some of my picks, please share yours below! 


1 Gougane Barra Forest Road Loop & related trails (County Cork) - Info - Trail link 
This 2.4 mi (≈3.8 km) loop through woodland around Gougane Barra is a lovely moderate walk where the beech, oak, and larch turn golden in mid-October.

How to get there?
From Cork city, you can take a Bus Éireann route to Ballingeary (check local schedules).From Ballingeary, it's a local taxi or local bus towards Bealanageary / Gougane area.


2. Lower & Upper Diamond Hill Loop, Connemara National Park - Trail link
This ~7 km loop climbs the slopes of Diamond Hill, offering sweeping views of the Twelve Bens, along with valleys of bog, heath, and scattered woodland that glow in autumn.

How to get there?
From Galway, take the Bus Éireann or local buses toward Clifden or Letterfrack (start of the trail). Diamond Hill is accessible from the Connemara National Park visitor centre (which buses to Connemara will pass near)


3. Tollymore Forest Park – River Trail, County Down - Trail link
This ~5.2 km loop (approx) follows the Shimna River, through mixed woodland, passing the Hermitage, Parnell’s Bridge and cascades

How to get there?
You can use Translink (NI) – check their Journey Planner or Transport for Ireland to get to Newcastle or Bryansford. From Newcastle or Bryansford, you may need a short taxi to the forest park entrance.


4. Slieve Bloom Way or forested sections (Laois / Offaly) - Link - Trail Map
The Slieve Bloom Way offers lovely autumn walks through forest and hills

How to get there?
From Dublin or Limerick, take provincial buses toward Rosenallis or Glenbarrow — these are common starting points, depending on the section you are choosing


5. Dún na Rí Forest Park, County Cavan - Link
Another gem often listed among Ireland’s top autumn forests is Dún na Rí.

How to get there?
Take a bus from Dublin or regional hubs to Virginia, Cavan or nearby towns. From there, local taxi or community transport to Dún na Rí park.


Final tips

For more info on trails, head over to Coillte (forest parks) Sport Ireland or WalkNI (Trails). And for public transportation info to the start of the trails, head over to Transport for Ireland

Do you have autumn walks you love (maybe hidden gems)? Share the trail name, region and we’ll add them to this thread.