From the sprawling forests of Crawfordsburn Country Park, to the enchanting forest of Prehen Wood, Northern Ireland’s gorgeous woodlands offer a much needed escape from the stresses and strains of everyday life.
Whether you are looking to bring your dog on a walk they’ve been begging you for, you need a space for your children to burn off energy, or you seek to immerse yourself in nature, photography opportunities and reflection, you are spoilt for choice with the gems available to visit across the country.
Here are some must-see forest parks in Northern Ireland for you to visit.
Additional reporting by Maisie Laughton
Here are some must-see forest parks in Northern Ireland for you to visit.
5. Gortin Glen Forest Park - Glenpark Road, Omagh
This forest park is located just six miles from Omagh in Co Tyrone at the gateway of the Sperrin Mountains and offers both beautiful views and rich cultural heritage. The park is made up of five trails of varying lengths which start at the trailhead close to the main car park. These trails provide visitors with the opportunity to enjoy the surrounding woodlands, and each of them are colour coded and return back to the car park, with a mountain biking trail also available for riders of all abilities. The park is also home to both animal and plant species of interest, such as flowers like flora and fauna, and trees including beech, oak, and ash trees. A historical highlight on offer at the forest park is the Gortin Glen Estate, which was once a Victorian Hunting Lodge. Photo: DiscoverNI
6. Peatlands Park - 33 Derryhubbert Road, Dungannon
As well as offering visitors unmatched beauty, Peatlands Park is an area of scientific interest and is also a designated nature reserve. It is a perfect spot for families who wish to walk in nature as it has ten miles of paths and peat has been forming here for 10,000 years, and the park is named after this peat. The park serves as an educational visit, highlighting the environmental importance of peat bogs, through its interactive visitors centre on site, and also features a cafe and gift shop. For insect loving children, the boardwalk of the bog garden has bog plants and animals and the entire park has lots of insects such as dragonflies, moths, dragonflies and damselflies. The park is the first of its kind established in the British Isles and helps to raise peatland awareness and issues, with a large section of the park having special protection and being an area of conservation due to the rare plant and animal species the park is home to. Photo: DiscoverNI
7. Redburn Country Park - Old Holywood Road, Belfast
As well as offering visitors unmatched beauty, Peatlands Park is an area of scientific interest and is also a designated nature reserve. It is a perfect spot for families who wish to walk in nature as it has ten miles of paths and peat has been forming here for 10,000 years, and the park is named after this peat. The park serves as an educational visit, highlighting the environmental importance of peat bogs, through its interactive visitors centre on site, and also features a cafe and gift shop. For insect loving children, the boardwalk of the bog garden has bog plants and animals and the entire park has lots of insects such as dragonflies, moths, dragonflies and damselflies. The park is the first of its kind established in the British Isles and helps to raise peatland awareness and issues, with a large section of the park having special protection and being an area of conservation due to the rare plant and animal species the park is home to. Photo: VisitBelfast
8. Crawfordsburn Country Park - 32 Bridge Road, Helen's Bay
Crawfordsburn Country Park is a beautiful park located on the coast of County Down, Northern Ireland, covering an area of approximately 3.5 square kilometres and is a popular spot for residents and tourists alike in Northern Ireland. The park offers many different walking trails which visitors can explore, and these wind through the woodlands and along the coastline at Crawfordsburn beach. A trail of note is that the Park makes up part of the North Down Coastal Park trail, running past the beach, park, peaceful meadows and surrounding countryside. The park is home to a variety of plant and animal species, such as red squirrels, badgers, foxes, and a range of bird species. Plant species that can be found include Monterey Cypress (macrocarpa), and various species of pine. Photo: DiscoverNI