Overview
Caragh Lake Forest is a Coillte woodland on a hillside 13km southwest of Killorglin, and its short walks are steeper than the word “forest walk” suggests. The reward is the view: from the top of the Mountain Spur trail, a 360-degree panorama takes in Killorglin, the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, Glenbeigh, Inch beach, the Dingle Peninsula and the Atlantic, with the glacial Caragh Lake and its two islands – Robert’s Island and Illaunbuddoga – laid out below, Seefin mountain standing behind them. The planting is mostly mature Scots pine over an understorey of holly and birch, with oak and beech along the approach.
If you’re here for the views, the Mountain Spur is the whole point – do it even though it’s the harder climb.
Walking the trails
Two waymarked routes leave the car park, and Coillte grades both as strenuous, so don’t expect a gentle stroll. The Caragh Lake Trail (1.7km, about 30 minutes) is the longer of the two, a proper muscle-burner through pleasant surrounds. The Mountain Spur (410m, about 10 minutes) is short but sharp, climbing to the viewpoint that makes the trip worthwhile. Surfaces are forest track and can turn soft after rain, especially higher up, so sturdy boots earn their keep.
Railway heritage
The area kept a station on the Great Southern and Western Railway line, which once ran down through Kerry to the coast. Passenger services ended in the mid-twentieth century and the tracks are long gone, but the line’s memory lingers in the landscape below the forest – a quiet footnote to a walk that’s mostly about the view.
Wildlife
Sika deer, foxes and rabbits move through the woods, and the forest sits within the Killarney National Park, MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and Caragh River Catchment Special Area of Conservation. There’s a good local claim to fame underfoot: the rare Kerry slug (Geomalacus maculosus), found almost nowhere else in Ireland, was first identified near Caragh Lake in 1842. Down on the lake, salmon and trout draw anglers – permits and licences are needed, enquire locally.
Practical information
- Access: Take the N70 (Ring of Kerry road) southwest from Killorglin for 8km, pass the Red Fox Inn, turn left at the sign for Caragh Lake, continue 4km and turn right, then 1km to the forest entrance on the left. A car park and picnic site are on site.
- Entry & hours: No entry charge; like other Coillte sites it’s open access, best walked in daylight.
- Footwear: Sturdy walking boots or wellies. Tracks get soft and muddy after rain, particularly on the steeper sections.
- Facilities: None – no toilets, no refreshments, no visitor centre. Bring what you need and take your litter home.
- Dogs: Welcome on leads; keep them under control near adjacent fields where livestock may graze.
- Best conditions: Clear days for the panorama, early morning for calm lake reflections and fewer people.
- Nearby stops: Blackstones Bridge, Wynn’s Castle, Dooks Beach and the Caragh River viewing point are all within easy reach, and the forest makes a handy pause between Killarney and the Dingle Peninsula.
Pack a waterproof and a bit of lung capacity for the climb, and the Mountain Spur pays you back at the top.