Overview
Letterkeen Wood is a working conifer plantation, not ancient forest – the whole block was planted from 1951 on what had been bare mountain pasture – but it’s the way into some of the emptiest country in Ireland. It holds one of the largest forest blocks in the state, lodgepole pine and Japanese larch on the slopes and sitka spruce in the valleys, spread across roughly 10 km of interlinked tracks on the north-west edge of the Nephin Beg range above Clew Bay. The wider wilderness beyond is now part of Wild Nephin National Park, home to Mayo’s Dark Sky Park.
A brief history
Before 1951 this was open, treeless hill ground. The state’s forestry programme brought in fast-growing conifers for timber and to hold the steep slopes, and the wood you walk through today is the result. There’s older history buried in it, though: hidden in the trees is a ringfort, Lios na Gaoithe, tied in local tradition to the Táin Bó Flidhais saga and excavated in the 1950s. In recent years the state has bought several thousand acres around Letterkeen, and the area is being folded into Wild Nephin National Park – the former Ballycroy National Park, established in 1998 and renamed and expanded in 2018 to around 15,000 hectares, with an interpretive centre at Ballycroy.
The three loop walks
The hub is the Brogan Carroll Bothy, an old stone hut rebuilt as a shelter that marks the trailhead well; information boards there set out the routes and some local history. Three colour-coded loops set off from here, sharing an opening stretch – so you’ll see red, blue and purple arrows together at first – before they branch.
| Loop | Distance | Difficulty | Ascent | Approx. Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | 9.6 km | Moderate | 310 m | 2.5 hrs |
| Blue | 10.1 km | Hard/Strenuous | 350 m | 3 hrs |
| Purple | 12 km | Hard/Strenuous | 350 m | 3-3.5 hrs |
Trail guides don’t fully agree on the distances: Mayo’s official trail information gives the main Letterkeen Loop as about 9 km, and there’s also a shorter 6 km Bothy Loop from the same trailhead, so read the board at the bothy before you commit. The purple loop is the most demanding, with a steep pull to a high point of 311 m and a payoff of long views over the Nephin Beg peaks and the distant coast. The red loop is the gentlest, winding along riverbanks, sandy paths and low tracks; the blue sits between the two, mixing moderate climbs with open mountain track.
What you’ll see on the trail
Along the way you’ll pass:
- The Altaconey River, a clear watercourse threading through the forest floor.
- Lake Avoher, glimpsed from the “Sheep Pass” ridge.
- A run of old stone footbridges and the occasional disused two-storey house, hints of the area’s farming past.
- The Mountain Meitheal Hut, a modest shelter near the midpoint where walkers often stop for a tea or a sandwich.
Getting there and trailhead details
Getting there – From Westport, follow the N59 to Newport. About 1 km beyond the town, turn right at the signpost for the Marine Institute and Lough Furnace. Continue past Lough Feeagh, Treenlaur Youth Hostel and Shramore Lodge, then cross the small bridge over the Srahrevagh River. Immediately after the bridge, turn left onto the forestry road marked for the Bangor Trail and the Western Way; the trailhead appears after roughly another kilometre, beside the stone bothy.
Parking – A small, free car park sits next to the Brogan Carroll Bothy, with space for a handful of vehicles. It can fill on peak summer weekends, so arrive early.
Waymarking – The loops are signposted with coloured arrows. The purple arrows mark the longest circuit, with red and blue guiding the shorter variants; markers are set at regular intervals and stay visible even on the steeper sections.
Practical tips for walkers
Dogs – Welcome on a lead throughout the forest.
Facilities – The bothy offers basic shelter and a bench, with picnic tables near the trailhead. There are no toilets on site; the nearest are in Newport.
Safety and gear – The purple and blue loops involve steep ascents and boggy ground that turns slick after rain, so wear proper hiking boots and consider gaiters in wet weather. Ticks are a real risk in the bracken and long grass – cover up and check afterwards. Mobile coverage is fine on the main road but patchy deep in the forest, so download a map or GPX file before you set out.
Maps and guides – The route is covered by OSI Discovery Series Sheet 31 and is available as a downloadable PDF from the Sport Ireland website, with a GPX file from the Mayo Trails site for GPS use.
Seasonality – The forest is open year-round. It walks in all seasons, but the higher sections can be snow-covered in winter and very wet in early spring.
After your walk
Newport, a short drive back toward Westport, has the nearest cafés, pubs and restaurants for a post-walk meal. From there you can push on to the Nephin Beg for more hill-walking, or pick up the Wild Atlantic Way at the coastal villages of Achill and Mulranny.
If you want the scenery without the full day, the red loop gives you the river and the forest in a couple of hours; save the purple for a settled, dry day when the top of the Nephin Beg is clear.