Overview
Ess na Larach is a thundering double drop on the Glenariff River, and the best-known of the falls on the Glenariff waterfall walk in Glenariff Forest Park. You don’t earn it with a hard climb: a boardwalk carries you down through the wooded gorge to within a few metres of the water, which is why this is one of the most-walked waterfall trails in Northern Ireland. After heavy rain the volume jumps and the gorge fills with noise and spray. In a dry spell it’s a gentler thing – autumn and winter, when the rivers are up, are when it really performs.
The walk
The waterfall walk is a roughly 3 km loop from the main car park, rated easy, and it passes three falls in the glen: Ess-na-Crub, Ess-na-Larach itself, and the final drop known as Mare’s Tail or Hermit’s Fall. An elevated boardwalk keeps you on a firm surface through mixed woodland. Don’t take “easy” to mean effortless, though – the boardwalk has steps and some steep sections, so it’s harder going than a flat path for very young children or anyone unsteady on their feet. Allow 30 minutes to an hour for the loop. Stronger walkers can join the Scenic Trail for a 5.2-mile moderate circuit taking in more of the park.
History & the name
The falls have drawn walkers for well over a century. The waterfall walk first opened to the public in 1889, laid out by the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway to bring day-trippers up the glen, and the Ess-na-Larach Tea House opened at the top in 1891. Its successor, Laragh Lodge, still trades on the same spot – so the cup of tea at the end has genuine provenance.
The name is usually read as ‘fall of the mare’, though the specific story behind it is thin on the ground. The wider glen, Glenariff, is ‘valley of the ploughman’. The woodlands are managed by the Northern Ireland Forest Service and sit within the Antrim Coast & Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; the gorge itself is a National Nature Reserve.
Photography & Wildlife
The combination of vertical rock faces, dense foliage, and constant water movement creates strong photographic opportunities. Early morning light tends to cut through the canopy best, while late afternoon often catches the mist in a softer glow. If you’re shooting with a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a neutral-density filter helps achieve those smooth, long-exposure water effects, and a polariser will cut the glare off the wet rock surfaces.
Beyond the water, the forest supports red squirrels in the higher branches, badgers, Irish hares and a range of woodland birds; hen harriers hunt the open ground above the tree line. Winter draws out the most vocal species, when the forest floor is quiet and the water flow is at its peak.
Getting there & parking
The trailhead is at the Glenariff Forest Park visitor centre, on the A2 coastal road roughly 30 km north-west of Belfast. Here’s the thing the older guides get wrong: the main car park is not free. Expect a parking fee of around £5, and bring coins – one recent visitor reported the machine takes nothing else. The car park fills quickly on summer weekends and school holidays, so come before 10am or after 3pm. Some walkers park free at the Laragh Lodge restaurant car park instead. By bus, Ulsterbus service 150 stops at the front entrance gate, and services between Belfast and Cushendall/Waterfoot also serve the area; check timetables, as Sunday and bank-holiday services are thinner.
Nearby stops & amenities
Laragh Lodge sits a short walk from the trail entrance and serves food daily from 11am – the obvious place to end the walk. The park also has a visitor centre, picnic and barbecue areas, and a touring caravan and campervan site open from mid-March to early November (no tent camping). For a meal or a bed further afield, Cushendall is about a 10-minute drive, and Ballymena has a wider spread of pubs and B&Bs. The surrounding Antrim Coast and Glens has plenty more walking if you’ve a full day.
Practical details
- Admission & parking: No charge for the trails, but the main car park charges a fee (typically £5, coins). Free parking at the Laragh Lodge restaurant car park.
- Dogs: Welcome on the trails, but keep them on a lead.
- Accessibility: The boardwalk includes steps and uneven wooden sections and can be difficult for standard wheelchairs or small-wheeled pushchairs. Contact the park office for current conditions.
- Footwear & weather: The boardwalk gets wet and slick after rain, and icy in winter. Boots with grip and waterproofs are worth having in any season.
- Best time to visit: Autumn and winter for the fullest, most dramatic flow; mid-week mornings for the fewest people.
For trail closures or weather warnings, check the Northern Ireland Forest Service or Antrim Coast & Glens AONB pages before heading out – heavy storms can close the walkway on safety grounds.