The formal gardens and the wild ground sit close together in the north of the county. Powerscourt, outside Enniskerry, puts Palladian terraces and a 121-metre waterfall on one estate; Crone Woods, further into the hills, climbs the Maulin Loop to Ride Rock and looks back at that same waterfall. Kilruddery near Bray still holds the layout set out in 1682, twin ponds running 168 metres towards Bray Head.
A second group follows the Avonmore through the middle of the county. Avondale at Rathdrum sets Parnell’s birthplace beside Beyond the Trees, an accessible treetop boardwalk with a 38-metre tower, and the Vale of Clara on the same river is oak wood with three waymarked loops from the church trailhead. Mount Usher at Ashford sits over on the coastal side, more than 5,000 species along the Vartry, open March to October.
Several of the northern sites pair up in a day. Enniskerry serves Powerscourt and Knocksink Wood on the Glencullen River; Rathdown Heritage Park is reached on foot from Greystones; Festina Lente’s walled garden is in Bray and free to enter. The high ground is a different proposition. Liffey Head Bog is wet all year and sits about 10 metres off the Military Road near the Sally Gap, so it needs a drive and clear weather to be worth it. Mount Usher closes for the winter; the bog, the oak woods and the Wicklow Way do not.
Palladian terraces, woodland walks and a 121-metre waterfall on one estate outside Enniskerry, ranked among the world's finest gardens and an easy day from Dublin.
Almost 23,000 hectares of blanket bog, heath and glacial valleys within an hour of Dublin, free to enter, with Glendalough and the Sally Gap the headline draws.
A forest estate around Parnell's Georgian birthplace, now led by Beyond the Trees, an accessible treetop boardwalk with a 38-metre tower and a spiral slide down.
More than 5,000 plant species laid out along the River Vartry in William Robinson's naturalistic style, open March to October, with Devil's Glen a few minutes away.
The most direct walk into the high Wicklows, following the Maulin Loop through pine and oak to views of Powerscourt Waterfall and the Great Sugarloaf.
14 of 16 shown — tap a pin for the place.
Enniskerry, wicklow
A 121-metre waterfall cascades through ancient woodland beside a restored Palladian mansion at Powerscourt. Ranked among the world’s finest gardens, the estate blends formal terraces, woodland walks and a boutique distillery into a compact day trip from Dublin.
wicklow
The Wicklow Mountains cover almost 23,000 hectares of blanket bog, heath and lake-filled glacial valleys within an hour of Dublin. Glendalough’s monastic ruins and the Sally Gap drive are the headline draws; entry is free, though the Glendalough car parks charge €4 a day.
Avondale, wicklow
Avondale pairs a forest estate with the Georgian house where Charles Stewart Parnell was born and where Irish forestry began. The draw is Beyond the Trees: a fully accessible treetop boardwalk, a 38-metre viewing tower and a 90-metre spiral slide back to the forest floor.
Ashford, wicklow
Mount Usher Gardens is the one thing to do in Ashford – more than 5,000 plant species laid out along the River Vartry in the naturalistic style of William Robinson, open March to October for €7. The village around it, bypassed by the N11 in 2004, is a quiet crossroads with a heritage centre and a good playground, and Devil’s Glen with its woodland sculpture trail is a few minutes away.
Wicklow Mountains, wicklow
Crone Woods offers a direct route into the heart of the Wicklow Mountains via the well-marked Maulin Loop. Walk through mature pine and oak plantations to Ride Rock, where the trail opens up to dramatic views of Powerscourt Waterfall, the Great Sugarloaf and Dublin Bay.
Southern Cross, wicklow
Kilruddery's formal gardens are among the oldest in Ireland to survive in their original 17th-century layout, set out in 1682 by Bonet, a pupil of André Le Nôtre. Twin Long Ponds run 168 metres toward Bray Head, and the Brabazon family has held the estate since 1618. The Killruddery Yard – farm shop, café and a Saturday market – is free to wander even if you skip the paid house and garden tour.
Rathdrum, wicklow
Rathdrum is a small Wicklow town on a ridge above the Avonmore, best known as the nearest town to Avondale, Charles Stewart Parnell's childhood home. In the town itself the free riverside Parnell Memorial Park and a Victorian railway viaduct are the draws; the real day out is the Avondale estate a short walk away.
Wicklow, wicklow
Opened in 1980, this was the first waymarked long-distance trail in Ireland, running about 130 km from Marlay Park in south Dublin to Clonegal in Carlow. It climbs over the Wicklow Mountains past Lough Tay, Glendalough and White Hill, and up to 24,000 walkers a year take on its most popular sections.
wicklow
One of the few Irish woodlands with roots back to the last Ice Age, Clara's 220 hectares of oak, hazel and birch run along the Avonmore River. Three waymarked loops start from the church trailhead, and the six-arch stone bridge nearby is reckoned the oldest in County Wicklow.
Bray, wicklow
Enniskerry, wicklow
Rathnew, wicklow
Wicklow Mountains, wicklow
Greystones, wicklow
Shillelagh, wicklow
Kilcoole, wicklow
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