Overview
Ness Waterfall is the highest in Northern Ireland: a single 9-metre (30-foot) drop where the Burntollet River pours over sandstone into a wooded gorge in Ness Country Park, about a 20-minute drive south-east of Derry. Go after a couple of days of rain and you can hear it from the path before you see it; come in a dry June and it shrinks to a modest step over the rock. That’s the honest version, and it’s worth knowing before you set out.
The park covers 55 hectares of oak, ash and mixed woodland, all designated an Area of Special Scientific Interest and managed by the NIEA. More than 7km of paths thread the river and the trees, and recent riverside work now links Ness and neighbouring Ervey Wood along both banks of the Burntollet.
Woodland and wildlife
The gorge is bordered by remnant semi-natural oakwood, thickened over the years with native planting. Red squirrels move through the upper branches, otters and badgers work the riverbanks, and the glades hold the purple hairstreak butterfly. The valley is also one of the few Northern Irish sites for Welsh pocket moss, a rarity that’s part of why the reserve carries its scientific designation.
The woodland floor changes with the seasons. Spring brings bluebells and wood sorrel; summer fills the meadow with yellow rattle, red campion and ox-eye daisy; autumn turns to berries and colour before the leaves go.
Walking the trails
The waterfall route
The main walk to the falls runs about 4 miles (6.4km) round trip from the visitor centre, following the river and crossing the gorge on wooden steps and footbridges to reach viewing platforms right above the cascade. The surfaces are steep and uneven in places, so wear boots. If you only have time for one thing here, this is it.
The meadow loop and Ervey Wood
Near the visitor centre, a level meadow route gives an easy, wheelchair-accessible walk away from the steps. For a longer, gentler woodland outing without the gorge, the circuit through Ervey Wood follows gravel paths and stone bridges past information boards on the local trees and geology.
Getting there
The park is a 20-minute drive from Derry city centre, out on the A2 with a short turn onto the B165 for the car parks. Free parking sits at the visitor centre and at the Ervey Wood car park, though both fill quickly on summer weekends. The nearest bus stop is in Claudy, roughly a 10-minute walk from the entrance.
Practical information
- Facilities: The visitor centre (typically 10:00–17:00) has maps, a café, toilets and an exhibition on woodland biodiversity. Picnic tables sit on site.
- Access: Free entry and free parking. The meadow loop is wheelchair-accessible; the waterfall trail, with its steps and footbridges, is not.
- Nearby: The village of Claudy is a few minutes on for a pub stop, and the wider Faughan Valley has more walking.
Time it for after rain rather than a dry spell, wear waterproof boots for the shaded, often-slick valley floor, and check at the centre for trail conditions before heading down to the gorge.