Hiking with kids in Glenmalure can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it’s important to choose a trail that’s appropriate for their age and ability level. Below, are some trails and tips for Kid friendly Hikes in Glenmalure Wicklow:

Hike 1- Shay Elliott Carpark to Cullentragh Little Moutain

We did this great little walk lately with all the kids and they absolutely loved every second of it. Our 6-year-old ran most of it and our 4-year-old tried her best to keep up with her older sister. If you want to bring your buggy be prepared to carry the child for the last section.

Start in the Shay Elliot car park here. It’s not a long walk and the trail is very sheltered from the elements until the very last section.

 Hike key points

• 1.6km each way 3.2km total
• 95% buggy friendly- carrier required for the last 300m
• Nice sheltered woodland walk
• Amazing views of the Glendalough and Glenmalure valleys
• Perfect for all ages
• Allow 2 hours to walk this

Hiking route below: The route is not signposted but if you stay on the main path you can’t miss the mountain. This is a great starter walk for Kid friendly Hikes in Glenmalure Wicklow

Hike 2- The 3 waterfalls Glenmalure

The 3 waterfalls are called the Coolalingo Waterfalls. The Coolalingo waterfalls are perfect for kids of all ages to explore. I would give a word of caution, there is no real path to the waterfall and the route to the waterfalls are steep and on a main road. If you are cautious while exploring this should not cause a problem.

Secret waterfall Glenmalure Key points

• 1km down and 1 km return walk
• Small 200m road walk
• No signs
• Spectacular waterfalls
• No crowds even in summer

Step by Step directions to the SECRET waterfall:

Park here

Walk 200m down the road until you see a tree with a small pile of stones.

Enter the wood. The path leads to the left and right. Turn left and down the forest toward the stream. The path zig-zags down until you reach the river bed. Walk back upstream until you see the waterfalls.

Hike 3- Carrawaystick Waterfall

(Unfortunately, this is now closed)

Carrawaystick waterfall is a really nice waterfall to explore with the kids. This is one of the starting points to hike Lugnaquilla but you can still go and only explore this wonderful waterfall and a small walk around the base of the mountain.

We recommend not bringing kids younger than 5 to Lugnaquilla mountain on this route. Walk out to the waterfall and explore the area, the kids will love it.

Key points Carrawaystick Waterfall

• You have to park on the side of the road
• A lovely footbridge underneath the waterfall
• less than 1km walk

Hike 4-Baravore loop walk

The start of Baravore loop walk begins at the end of Glenamlure valley road. The start point has a large car park with lots of space. The loop walk is 6km long with steep sections. This walk is possible for young kids but can be challenging. If you don’t feel your kids are able for the full walk they can do a small section and turn around. There are footbridges and great views of the valley and river from the start of the walk. This is a great place for kids to explore.

Key points for Baravore loop walk

• Starting point here
• Suitable for kids 3-4 years plus
• Section of river walks
• Great views of the valley
• Small steep sections
• 2-3 hours to complete with lots of breaks
• 6km long
• Well signposted

Food Recommendations

Now, to one of the best parts of any hike, snacks and treats. We have a couple of good food recommendations after your hike. We always give the kids treats after a nice family walk. We have eaten in The Glenmalure Lodge after a number of our hikes in Glenmalure and found it to be a very nice family-run pub.

If you are going back to Laragh, the Wicklow Heather serves an amazing lunch or dinner, we highly recommend it for dinner.

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Bray head cross sits at an elevation of 190m above sea level. The cross was erected in 1950 during the holy year. The walk to the summit of the cross takes between 30-40 minutes depending on which route you take.

Bray Head Walk Map

The blue route is the main route to walk to the cross on Bray head. You should be able to walk to the summit on the blue route in 30-40 minutes. In wet conditions, the blue route is very slippery and you should use the red routes steps to avoid any potential slips or falls. The red route passes the old cable car, which is definitely worth a visit. Allow another 15 minutes if you walk the red route.

Bray Head & Greystones cliff walk Free parking

The most direct route to walk to the summit of Bray head Cross is from the free car park here. Parking at the promenade is also possible but you will have to pay for parking at the promenade.

Bray Head Cross- Key information

• Follow the green arrowed signs
• Allow 40 minutes – 1 hour up and back
• 2km up and back
• Very slippy in sections (if wet)
• Hiking boots required
• Optional step section but it is longer
• Additional walk to Bray head cairn, if a longer walk is required
• 6 out of 10 for views

Bray head walk- Starting point/Parking

We started our walk in the free car park here. We walked to the Bray Cross during the week and the car park was nearly full. We expect that this is a very busy walk and an early start will be required on the weekend if you want to use the free car park. Additional parking is available at the seafront but it is not free.

We walk out of the car park and walk on the coastal trail for 10 meters until we see a path leading up the hill through a gate in the wall. The surface here is concrete, we follow this path up the hill.

Walking Bray head trail

Continue on the concrete path until it stops. The main path turns to mud after 100 meters from the entrance. From this point, the path becomes very rocky, slippery and steep. The ground conditions become very dangerous in wet weather. Bring walking poles and good boots to help with this.

The trail meets a small stream (winter only), which makes the walk uphill even harder and slipper. The trail splits but both trails end up in the same location. We followed the drier path to help prevent slipping and falling.

We eventually walk into a drier section of the path and we can see the end of the woodland and gorse bushes in the distance. This section is more exposed but we eventually start getting views of the surrounding areas.

This section of the Bray head cross walk has larger stones and is steep but it is much safer and has fewer chances of a slip or fall. The path cuts through the Gorse bushes, which are quite spikey but they do provide a lovely yellow and orange coverage to the hillside.

We reach a very small patch of trees. We take a small break here admiring the stunning Wicklow coastline.

We eventually reach the base of the stone hill where the cross is erected upon. We walk to the right slightly following the trail and walking up between the two stone mounds.

Bray Head Cross walk time

The top of the Bray Head Cross hike provides stunning views across the sea and Bray seafront. The walk is not too physically hard but it is very slippy in a couple of sections near the start (when wet). Allow 40-60 minutes up and back. A great walk with beautiful views of the summit.

Bray Head walk distance

The distance to Bray head cross is only 1 km to the summit and 1 km descent. Bray head cliff walk is a 7km walk.

Is Bray Head a hard walk?

The walk is 190m climb up a rough path. Good walking boots are definitely required in wet conditions. It is a moderate climb but very rewarding. Allow 60 minutes to hike it.

Additional Bray head walks

(Optional) An alternative walk is available to avoid the slippy sections. It also passes the old Bray cable car and the ruins of an old church. The walk is slightly longer, but definitely safer.

Additional walks- Bray Head

If you are not too exhausted after the walk to Bray head cross you can walk to Bray’s head trig point afterwards. Bray head has a trig point and is an additional 30 minutes walk. The walk continues after the Bray head cross. Follow the path towards Greystones going through the metal gate and following the wide path the whole way to the trig point.

The trail walks around stone outcrops and provides great views of the coastline. At present, the Bray to Greystones walk is closed due to a landslide. This walk provides a great alternative route to the cliff walk.

Bray Head loop walk Map

Wicklow County Council has a map (below) on their Twitter page showing the alternative route loop trails which include the cliff walk.

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