Walks & Trails in County Galway

Most of this list sits in Connemara, and much of it within sight of the Twelve Bens. Diamond Hill, the 442m quartzite peak in Connemara National Park, is the one that draws the crowds: a looped upper trail of gravel and boardwalk, about 7km and two and a half hours, free and dog-friendly, with a car park that fills early. Ballynakill Bay lies below it at Letterfrack, a sheltered harbour rather than a hill walk, and the sea gate to the park. Maumeen Pass, above Teernakill South, is a short steep pull through the Maumturks to a holy well, a Penal-era mass rock and a small stone oratory; it is a working pilgrimage site, busiest on St Patrick’s Day, Good Friday and the first Sunday in August.

The harder days are here too. Binn idir an Dá Log tops the Maumturks at 702m, easiest from the Maumahoge pass at around 6km and three hours, while Devilsmother above Killary has no marked path and rough, boggy going. The Western Way crosses the same ground on its way north, and its Galway leg takes two to three days.

For flat, car-free walking there are the three open stretches of the Connemara Greenway, near Galway city, at Ballynahinch and at Clifden. Rinville Park is five minutes from Oranmore with free parking, and east of the county the Shannon side gives Meelick and Eyrecourt. Omey Island needs the tide checked first.

Where to start

  1. Diamond Hill – Connemara's boardwalk summit Connemara National Park

    A 442m quartzite peak climbed on a gravel and boardwalk loop of about 7km, with views to Kylemore Abbey and the Twelve Bens.

  2. Ballynakill Bay – sheltered Connemara inlet Letterfrack

    A deep, sheltered harbour ringed by Diamond Hill and the Twelve Bens, and the sea gate to Letterfrack and Connemara National Park.

  3. Connemara Greenway – what's open now Galway

    Three open sections of the old Galway to Clifden railway line, each a free, car-free day through woodland, lake and bog country.

  4. Joyce Country Geopark Cong

    Lakes, limestone karst and mountain passes across western Galway and Mayo, with traffic-free greenways and Irish-speaking heritage villages to walk between.

  5. Maumeen Pass – Connemara pilgrim path Teernakill South

    A short, steep climb to a holy well, mass rock and tiny oratory on the old pilgrim route through the Maumturk Mountains.

18 of 19 shown — tap a pin for the place.

Diamond Hill, Trail, Summit, Connemara, National Park, Co Galway
Diamond Hill, Trail, Summit, Connemara, National Park, Co Galway Courtesy Bernice Naughton

Diamond Hill – Connemara's boardwalk summit

Connemara National Park, galway

Diamond Hill is a 442m quartzite peak in Connemara National Park, climbed on a looped trail of gravel and boardwalk that makes one of Connemara's best summit views unusually easy to reach. The full upper loop is about 7km and 2.5 hours; from the top you see Kylemore Abbey, the Twelve Bens and the islands of Inishbofin and Inishturk. It is free, dog-friendly and busy – the car park fills early.

🌳 Outdoor 🅿️ Free Parking 🐕 Dogs Welcome
Cong Abbey, Co Mayo
Cong Abbey, Co Mayo Courtesy Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark

Joyce Country Geopark

Cong, galway

Straddling the wild lakes and limestone karsts of western Galway and Mayo, Joyce Country Geopark reveals 700 million years of geological history alongside living Irish-language traditions. Hike rugged mountain passes, cycle traffic-free greenways, and explore heritage villages that have inspired poets, filmmakers and anglers for generations.

🌳 Outdoor 🅿️ Free Parking 🐕 Dogs Welcome
Mám Éan, Maumeen or Mamean, Chapel, Pilgrimage Trail, Connemara, Co Galway
Mám Éan, Maumeen or Mamean, Chapel, Pilgrimage Trail, Connemara, Co Galway Courtesy Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark

Maumeen Pass – Connemara pilgrim path

Teernakill South, galway

Mám Éan, the Pass of the Birds, cuts through the Maumturk Mountains on an old pilgrim route between the Maam and Inagh valleys. The short but steep climb reaches a holy well, a Penal-era mass rock, a bronze statue of St Patrick and a tiny stone oratory, with wide views across Connemara. It is a working pilgrimage site, busiest on St Patrick's Day, Good Friday and the first Sunday in August.

🌳 Outdoor 🅿️ Free Parking
Mamturk Mountains, Connemara, Co Galway
Mamturk Mountains, Connemara, Co Galway Chris Hill Photographic 2007 +44(0) 2890 245038

Maumturks – Connemara's quartzite ridge

Connemara, galway

The Maumturks are a quartzite ridge running parallel to the Twelve Bens across the Lough Inagh valley, topping out at 702m on Binn idir an dá Log. Their best-known outing is the Maumturks Challenge, a 25km single-day traverse the Galway university mountaineering club has run since 1975; their gentlest is the old pilgrim path up to the mass site at Máméan.

🌳 Outdoor 🅿️ Free Parking
Rinville Park, Prospect Hill, Co Galway
Rinville Park, Prospect Hill, Co Galway Courtesy Chaosheng Zhang

Rinville Park – Galway Bay walks and ruins

Oranmore, galway

Rinville Park runs to more than 100 hectares of woodland, farmland and shoreline five minutes from Oranmore, built around the ruins of a 16th-century Burke tower house and a Georgian manor that burned in 1976. Walk out to Rinville Point for the views of Galway Bay and the Burren, and bring the kids for the fairy forest and outdoor gym. Free entry, free parking.

🌳 Outdoor 🅿️ Free Parking 🐕 Dogs Welcome

Questions people ask

Which of these walks suits a half day with a decent view at the end?
Diamond Hill in Connemara National Park. The upper loop runs about 7km and takes roughly two and a half hours on gravel and boardwalk, ending with views over Kylemore, the Twelve Bens, Inishbofin and Inishturk. It is free and dog-friendly, but arrive early for parking.
Where do most of these walks cluster?
Heavily in Connemara and along the Galway-Mayo border: Diamond Hill, Ballynakill Bay, Maumeen Pass, the Maumturks, Binn idir an Dá Log, Devilsmother and Omey Island are all within that western block. East Galway is represented by Meelick, Eyrecourt and Rinville Park near Oranmore.
Are any of them flat and traffic-free?
Yes. The Connemara Greenway has three open sections, near Galway city, at Ballynahinch and at Clifden, all off-road on the old railway line. Rinville Park at Oranmore adds more than 100 hectares of woodland, farmland and shoreline paths with free entry and free parking.
What do I need to check before walking to Omey Island?
The tide. The sand strand from Claddaghduff is only crossable for a few hours around low water, which is long enough to walk the island loop and see the 12th-century church. Miss the window and you wait for the next low tide.
Which walks here need real hill experience?
Devilsmother, at 645m above Killary, has no marked path and rough boggy ground. The central Maumturks loop and the 25km Maumturks Challenge traverse are for fit, surefooted walkers. The Maumahoge route up Binn idir an Dá Log is the gentler way onto that ridge.

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