Most of the water on this page lies along one corridor. The R759 over the Sally Gap and the R755 south through Roundwood and Laragh take in Lough Tay, the J.B. Malone Memorial viewpoint above it, Lough Dan under Luggala and Glenmacnass Waterfall at the head of its valley, so several of these can be seen in one afternoon’s driving. The same caveat repeats along the way: Lough Tay, Lough Dan and the Luggala estate are private, with no public right of way to the shore, so the view from the road or from the Wicklow Way is the whole visit.
Rain and water level change what you get. Glenmacnass falls 80 metres in three staggered drops and reads as a wide silver ribbon rather than a plunge, so it repays a trip after heavy rain. Vartry Reservoir at Roundwood goes the other way; in a dry summer the stonework of a submerged bridge reappears on the Lower Trail. Vartry also has the easiest walking here, with three free waymarked loops running from 3 km to 7.2 km.
The rest are spread out. Blessington’s lakes sit on the western side of the mountains over a valley flooded in the 1930s, with a flat Greenway along the southern shore to Russborough House. Annamoe, ten minutes north of Glendalough, has a four-acre trout lake but no pub or shop. Lough Ouler is the hardest of them, unmarked and boggy, its heart shape only showing from Tonelagee above.
Dark water and an imported white strand below the granite cliffs of Luggala, seen from the Sally Gap road because the shore itself is private.
Boomerang-shaped ribbon lake set deep below Luggala and Knocknacloghoge, a protected valley with privately owned land and no public right of way to the water.
Eighty metres of water over three staggered drops at the head of a glaciated valley, free to park at and best after rain.
A crossroads village on the Avonmore with a four-acre trout lake, a 1746 humpback bridge and woods holding great spotted woodpeckers.
Thirty kilometres from Lough Dan to the Meeting of the Waters, with the Avonmore Way tracking it through Clara Vale's semi-natural woodland.
18 of 21 shown — tap a pin for the place.
Roundwood, wicklow
Dark water and a white crescent of sand give Lough Tay its Guinness Lake nickname. For a view, head to the J.B. Malone Memorial in Ballinastoe Woods. Luggala Estate prohibits public access to the lake and shore.
Roundwood, wicklow
Laragh, wicklow
Annamoe, wicklow
Annamoe stands on the Avonmore between Roundwood and Laragh, built around a stone humpback bridge of 1746. Contact the separately run trout fishery before travelling and use its visitor entrance.
wicklow
The Avonmore runs about 30 km from Lough Dan to the Meeting of the Waters, the confluence Thomas Moore set to music in his Irish Melodies. The Avonmore Way follows it for 12 km through Clara Vale, Wicklow's largest semi-natural woodland, and Avondale's treetop walk overlooks the valley. Watch your car at the trailhead car parks – break-ins have been reported.
Blessington, wicklow
Blessington sits at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains beside Poulaphouca Reservoir, which filled in 1940 and is a protected bird site. From the south end of town a mixed-surface greenway runs towards Russborough House. ESB advises against swimming in its reservoirs.
Enniskerry, wicklow
The Dargle flows from the Wicklow uplands past Enniskerry to Bray. See it from public paths, or make a separate visit to the managed Powerscourt Waterfall site.
J. B. Malone Memorial Viewpoint, wicklow
The J.B. Malone Memorial is a granite plaque on the Wicklow Way, reached by a forest path and boardwalk across blanket bog. It honours J.B. Malone, who proposed the Wicklow Way in 1966. The viewpoint looks down on Lough Tay, the dark 'Guinness Lake', but the shore and Luggala estate below are private.
Lough Bray, wicklow
Upper and Lower Lough Bray occupy two glacial hollows on the side of Kippure, below granite crags. Leave private ground undisturbed and choose a marked national park trail for a walk.
Wicklow Mountains, wicklow
Luggala's cliffs fall straight into Lough Tay, the black lake with a crescent of white sand that everyone calls the Guinness Lake. The view from the R759 is the whole of it for visitors: the 5,000-acre estate below is private, with no public right of way onto the mountain, the lodge or the lakeshore.
wicklow
The Avonbeg rises on Camenabologue and drops through Glenmalure before joining the Avonmore at the Meeting of the Waters, the confluence that gave Thomas Moore his ballad. It is a spate river that changes character with the rain, good for trout, red kites and the walks out of Baravore.
Southeast Ireland, wicklow
Rising on Lugnaquilla, the River Slaney runs 117 km through Wicklow, Carlow and Wexford to the Irish Sea. It's a reputed spring salmon river, now fished catch-and-release, past a trail of Norman castles, Cistercian ruins and 1798 rebellion landmarks.
Wicklow Mountains National Park, wicklow
Lough Ouler, a heart-shaped glacial lake, sits in a corrie beneath Tonelagee, which rises to 817 m in the Wicklow Mountains. The upper slopes are exposed mountain terrain. For signed routes nearby, start at the national park’s trail hub in Glendalough.
Roundwood, wicklow
Vartry Reservoir still supplies part of Dublin's drinking water, more than 160 years after its dam was built to help end the city's cholera outbreaks. The Upper Vartry loop starts at Knockraheen with views towards the Sugar Loaf and Djouce. Visit Wicklow lists the Lower Vartry Trail as closed, so check local notices before choosing a route.
Aughrim, wicklow
Broadlough, wicklow
Wicklow Mountains, wicklow
Roundwood, wicklow
Wicklow Mountains National Park, wicklow
Glendalough, wicklow
wicklow
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