Bonny Glen Wood is a Coillte forest near Glenties in west Donegal. Start from the entrance car park and choose between the short lough loop and a linear forest walk.
The land around Bonny Glen was once part of the Porter estate, and during the Great Famine the landlord paid the passage of his tenants here to America, a small mercy in a county that lost so many. The cleared ground was replanted as a Coillte forest, and it is that quiet woodland around Bonnyglen Lough that you come to walk today.
Set expectations first: despite the name, Bonnyglen Falls is not a thundering waterfall. It is a noted salmon pool on the Eany River, and the draw of the wider site is a peaceful lakeside walk rather than a big drop. If you have an hour, the easy loop around Bonnyglen Lough is the one to do.
The two walks
Both trails start and finish at the forest car park. The paths use forest road and woodland surfaces, which can be wet and uneven, so wear boots, especially after rain.
- Bonny Glen Walk. Sport Ireland lists a 0.9 km easy loop on forest road and path around Lough Bonnyglen, a good short stroll for young families.
- Lough Namanlagh Trail. Sport Ireland lists this as 1.5 km and moderate. It takes in Bonnyglen Lough, Lough Namanlagh and a few smaller lakes and streams. It is linear, so allow for the return along the same route. It is a step up from the loop. Look out for herons in the trees.
Check Coillte’s site information and follow any forestry signs. Keep dogs on leads and stay back from water edges.
Fishing the Eany
Bonnyglen Falls is part of the Eanywater fishery on the Eany, a salmon and sea-trout river. Inland Fisheries Ireland lists the 2026 salmon and sea-trout season as catch-and-release from 1 April to 30 September. Check the next season and any temporary closures, permits, licences and bank restrictions on that page before you fish, as the terms change from season to season.
Getting there
The wood is near Glenties, reached by road from the N56 and the R261. Start from the Bonny Glen Forest entrance car park, and check Coillte’s site page before you travel for the latest on access. Glenties, Ardara and Portnoo are the nearest places for food and fuel, so this is an easy inland stop to fold into a Wild Atlantic Way coast day rather than a destination in itself.