Overview
Ness Waterfall drops about 30 feet through a rock gorge the Burntollet River cut for itself, and it’s the single reason most people come. Time it for after heavy rain, when the river runs full and the falls are at their loudest – in a dry spell it’s a gentler thing. The park is a 55-hectare site (roughly 136 acres) taking in the Ness Wood and Ervey Wood Nature Reserve, about 4.5 km northwest of Claudy and 13 km southeast of Derry/Londonderry, signposted off the A6 via Oughtagh Road. Free entry, free parking, and over 7 km of waymarked trails make it a straightforward half-day.
The name comes from the Irish an las, or Ness, meaning waterfall.
The waterfall and the gorge
The falls are the product of the last Ice Age. As the glaciers retreated around ten thousand years ago, they dumped enough rock and debris to block the old course of the Burntollet River. Forced to find a new line, the water ground down through the exposed schist and left the gorges, rapids and portholes that run through the valley today. Stand at the lip and you get the whole story at once: water going over the edge and the sound of it filling the gorge below.
Walking the trails
Over 7 km of waymarked paths cross the park, at a range of grades. Maps are at the visitor centre.
- Waterfall Trail (3 km / 1.9 mi) – The main loop, and the one to do if you only do one. From the visitor centre it follows the river past stone footbridges, crosses the gorge and gives several views of the falls before looping back. The ground is unpaved and steep near the banks, so wear proper footwear.
- Meadow Route (0.75 km / 0.46 mi) – A flat asphalt loop around wildlife ponds and wildflower meadows, fully wheelchair-accessible and good for pushchairs.
- Meadow Plus Route (1.5 km / 0.93 mi) – Extends the meadow loop with a compacted-gravel section toward Ness Wood, still largely flat.
- Ervey Wood Trail (3 km / 1.9 mi) – A tougher route that follows the river downstream, then climbs to the Ervey Wood car park through oak, ash and beech, with interpretation panels along the way. From Ervey you can link onto the wider Faughan Valley Woodlands trails, managed by the Woodland Trust, and on into Burntollet Wood.
Wildlife and the woods through the year
Ness and Ervey Woods are old woodland, and they carry one genuine rarity: this is the only site in Northern Ireland where the Welsh pocket moss (Fissidens celticus) grows, on the damp, shaded banks above the river. Look too for red squirrels, badgers and otters, and in summer the purple hairstreak butterfly, itself scarce in Northern Ireland, up among the oak leaves.
The place changes character with the season:
- Spring brings bluebells and wood sorrel across the floor, and warblers back into the canopy.
- Summer is butterfly season, purple hairstreaks among the oaks.
- Autumn turns the wood gold and red, with rowan and holly berries for late colour.
- Winter strips it back – the river runs fuller and louder, and red squirrels and the odd otter are easier to pick out against the bare wood.
Practical information
- Parking and access: Four free car parks – the main one off Oughtagh Road, Donaghy’s at the main entrance, and the Ness Wood and Ervey Wood car parks. There’s an electric-vehicle charging point. Public transport is limited; the nearest hub is the North West Transport Hub in Derry, so this is really a drive-to spot.
- Facilities: The visitor centre has a coffee hub and take-out, and there are toilets (including disabled facilities) and baby-changing at the main car park. Picnic tables are dotted through the woods, and a children’s adventure playground sits near the main entrance.
- Safety and etiquette: The banks get slippery after rain. Stay on the marked paths to protect the woodland ground, and keep dogs on leads near the wildlife ponds and the steeper sections.
- Best time to visit: Early morning or late afternoon for the light and the quiet; weekdays for space at the picnic tables.
Come the day after a good downpour and give it two hours – the waterfall loop first, then the climb up through Ervey Wood. It’s one of the better short woodland walks in County Londonderry.