Overview
Before anything else: the Cladagh Glen walk has been closed since flash flooding tore through it on 20 July 2025, and it remains shut until further notice. Check the Marble Arch Caves website before you make the trip, because there’s no point driving out for a locked trail.
When it’s open, the walk is a 2.5 km linear route through one of Northern Ireland’s most intact patches of ancient ash woodland, managed as part of the Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark. The river you follow has an unusual life: the Cladagh is formed underground in the Marble Arch Caves, where the Owenbrean, Shruhcroppa and Aghinrawn rivers meet in the dark, and it resurfaces at the top of the glen to run down through the gorge.
The trail and what to see
From the southern car park the path climbs gently into a steep-sided gorge of damp ash forest, a rare survivor of the woodland that once covered much of Ireland. The river does the rest of the work.
- Cascades waterfall – About a mile in, water bursts from the Cascades cave system and drops down a run of natural limestone steps. It’s at its best in spring when snowmelt and rain swell the river.
- Marble Arch – The trail ends beneath a large natural limestone arch spanning the gorge, with a stepped boardwalk over it and views of the re-emergent river and the fissures feeding the cave system below.
- Wildlife – The damp, shaded floor supports bluebells, wood anemones, primroses and celandines. Red squirrels turn up in the canopy and dippers work the river; pine martens are here too, though far harder to see.
- Geopark panels – Information boards along the trail explain the karst hydrology, and downloadable guides on the Geopark website make it a good outing for school groups.
Seasonal highlights
- Spring (March–May) – The valley floor fills with bluebells and early wildflowers, the best window for photography and for spotting red squirrels.
- Summer (June–August) – Long daylight lets you pair the walk with the show cave next door.
- Autumn (September–October) – The ash turns gold and bronze, and mist often settles in the gorge after rain.
- Winter – The limestone steps go slick when wet or frozen; waterproof boots with real grip are the difference between a good walk and a bad fall.
Practical information
The glen can be approached from either end depending on your mobility and plans.
- Southern start (Cladagh Glen car park) – Free parking for about ten cars, open daily year-round. The path is gentle at this end and manageable with pushchairs, though a stone stile must be lifted to enter.
- Northern start (Marble Arch Caves car park) – Free, but only accessible during visitor-centre hours (9am–5pm) and locked outside them. The route from this end involves steep steps and isn’t suitable for wheelchairs or buggies.
- Facilities – No toilets or refreshments on the trail. Toilets, a café and a shop are at the Marble Arch Caves Visitor Centre at the northern end, and there’s a small picnic area by the southern car park.
- Dogs – Welcome on a lead. Keep them close: the limestone hides shake-holes and deep crevices.
Getting there – From Enniskillen, take the A4 west towards Sligo, then the A32 (Swanlinbar Road) and right onto Marble Arch Road through Florencecourt. Signage points you to the Cladagh Glen car park by a stone bridge.
Contact – For group bookings or trail enquiries, call +44 (0) 28 6632 1815 or email mac@fermanaghomagh.com.
Nearby attractions
Cladagh Glen sits a short drive from several other Fermanagh sites, which is just as well while the glen is closed. The Cuilcagh Boardwalk climbs to the mountain plateau for a complete contrast, Florence Court offers house tours and landscaped grounds, and the Crom Estate has extensive woodland trails on the River Erne. When the glen reopens, come in late April or May for the bluebells and pair it with a tour of the Marble Arch Caves for a full day of geology.