First pick
Garryduff Woods
Wood or forest
38 ha6.8 km of path
1 h 30 minto walk all 6.8 km of path
2.2 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Hywel Williams · CC BY-SA 2.057%near a park
Outdoors in Douglas · parks, paths & countryside
Cork Harbour SPA reaches the edge of Douglas
5% of the land within 5 km is protected for nature, the nearest site being Cork Harbour SPA. 57% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park or playing field. Parks and playing fields in Douglas add up to 2.5 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical Irish town has 4.1.
Near a park
57%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
2.5 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
84 km
1.7 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
5%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Cork Harbour SPA
Woodland
4.6%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Douglas?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Protected land nearbyCork Harbour SPA reaches the edge of Douglas.Parks can be a walk away43% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Douglas’ strongest suit is protected land close by. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Against other towns
How Douglas compares with Irish towns
Each figure against Ireland’s 321 towns and city neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (city hubs left out): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Ireland has no Outdoors Grade yet: the figures are described, each against other Irish towns, and none of them counts towards the overall grade.
A park within a walk57%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
8out of 100
Public green space2.5 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
33out of 100
Footpaths1.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
45out of 100
Protected for nature5%of the land within 5 km
73out of 100
Woodland4.6%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
73out of 100
Parks, paths and woods: OpenStreetMap; residents: CSO Census 2022 Small Areas; protected sites: NPWS; sea: CSO and ONS land outlines. A 0 means nothing is mapped.
Towns its size
Douglas has the 14th fewest footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (18,076 to 26,180 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Esker (10.5 km per km²) to Portlaoise (0.6 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Douglas1.7
Towns its size3.0
Co. Cork towns1.8
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Douglas2.5
Towns its size4.1
Co. Cork towns4.3
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Douglas57%
Towns its size96%
Co. Cork towns90%
Typical Irish town92%
Douglas falls furthest behind on path per km², where 26 of the 39 others do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esker Dublin | 10.5 | 2.1% | 0.1% | – |
| 2 | Old Bawn Dublin | 8.5 | 3% | 1.8% | – |
| 3 | Dolphins Barn Dublin | 8.4 | 2.9% | 0% | – |
| 4 | Stoneybatter Dublin | 7.5 | 1.6% | 0% | – |
| 5 | The Liberties Dublin | 7.4 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Carpenterstown Dublin | 7.3 | 11% | 0% | – |
| 7 | Blanchardstown Dublin | 7 | 3.8% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Lucan Dublin | 6.8 | 7.3% | 0.2% | – |
| 9 | Mulhuddart Dublin | 6.6 | 4% | 0% | – |
| 10 | Stillorgan Dublin | 6.5 | 3% | 0.1% | 17% |
| 11 | Ballymun Dublin | 6.5 | 2.6% | 0% | – |
| 12 | Clonsilla Dublin | 6.4 | 3% | 0.1% | – |
| 13 | Jobstown Dublin | 6.3 | 1.9% | 2.2% | – |
| 14 | Rathmines West Dublin | 6 | 1.7% | 0.1% | 5.8% |
| 15 | Crumlin Dublin | 5.4 | 0.8% | 0% | – |
| 16 | Templeogue Dublin | 5.2 | 3.8% | 0.1% | – |
| 17 | Clondalkin Dublin | 4.6 | 3.3% | 0% | – |
| 18 | Stepaside Dublin | 4.3 | 15% | 6.4% | 5.9% |
| 19 | Sandymount Dublin | 3.6 | 1.2% | 3.6% | 35% |
| 20 | Clontarf East Dublin | 3.1 | 3% | 6.1% | 38% |
| 21 | Beaumont Dublin | 2.9 | 2% | 3.4% | 9.7% |
| 22 | Celbridge Kildare | 2.4 | 6.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 23 | Malahide Dublin | 2.4 | 3.4% | 2.1% | 32% |
| 24 | Greystones-Delgany Wicklow | 2.2 | 11% | 5% | 35% |
| 25 | Balbriggan Dublin | 2.1 | 1.6% | 0% | 37% |
| 26 | Naas Kildare | 1.9 | 1.4% | 0% | – |
| 27 | Douglas Cork | 1.7 | 4.6% | 5% | – |
| 28 | Knocknacarra Galway | 1.6 | 3.4% | 32% | 34% |
| 29 | Ballincollig Cork | 1.3 | 8.4% | 0% | – |
| 30 | Athlone Westmeath | 1.3 | 6.1% | 14% | – |
| 31 | Sligo Sligo | 1.2 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 18% |
| 32 | Tralee Kerry | 1.1 | 2.4% | 21% | 6.4% |
| 33 | Clonmel Tipperary | 1.1 | 14% | 3.9% | – |
| 34 | Wexford Wexford | 1.1 | 3.8% | 13% | 22% |
| 35 | Dooradoyle Limerick | 1 | 2.6% | 7.7% | – |
| 36 | Carrigaline Cork | 0.9 | 6.5% | 0.2% | 6.7% |
| 37 | Mullingar Westmeath | 0.8 | 8.9% | 3.3% | – |
| 38 | Letterkenny Donegal | 0.7 | 4.9% | 4.3% | 5.3% |
| 39 | Newbridge Kildare | 0.6 | 1.6% | 4.9% | – |
| 40 | Portlaoise Laois | 0.6 | 2.6% | 1.1% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Douglas’ neighbourhood.
Green: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces and woods, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · NPWS · Sport Ireland · CSO
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Douglas
The biggest is Garryduff Woods, 38 ha (93 acres).
All 9 named parks and woods by size: 78 ha (192 acres) and 10 km of path
Parks & gardens 6.2 haWoods 72 ha
The two biggest, Garryduff Woods and Doman's Wood, are 64% of the named green space and carry 7 km of path between them. 3 of the 9 are under 2 ha.
Ballybrack Woods
Wood or forest
10 ha1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
0.8 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Joe McHugh Park
Park or garden
3.4 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
2.2 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Douglas Park
Park or garden
1.8 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
1.3 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Skehard Road Park - Area 1
Park or garden · 230 m outside town
0.7 ha
2.0 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 9 named parks and green spaces
Garryduff WoodsWood or forest · 38 ha · 6.8 km of path
DirectionsBallybrack WoodsWood or forest · 10 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsJoe McHugh ParkPark or garden · 3.4 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsDoman's WoodWood or forest · 12 ha
DirectionsDouglas ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsRochestown WoodWood or forest · 7.2 ha
DirectionsMulcon ValleyWood or forest · 4.3 ha
DirectionsSkehard Road Park - Area 1Park or garden · 0.7 ha · just outside town
DirectionsSkehard Road Park - Area 3Park or garden · 0.3 ha · just outside town
DirectionsNamed parks, gardens, commons and woods in the town or within 400 m of it, from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL); pieces of one name that touch are one place. Sizes are the whole site; directions go to a point inside.
Close to home
6 in 10 Douglas residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Each square is 1 in 100 residents: green lives within 400 m of a public park, garden or playing field (CSO Census 2022 Small Areas against OpenStreetMap).
Within 400 m (57%)Further (43%)
Douglas57%
Co. Cork towns90%
Typical Irish town92%
About 9,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
The 2 protected sites within 5 km of Douglas
Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Natural Heritage Areas designated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, within 5 km of the town’s edge.
Inside Douglas9.6%
Within 5 km5%
Co. Cork towns1.5%
Typical Irish town1.8%
2 protected sites lie within 5 km of Douglas. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 5.2% of the land within 5 km as well; many have been proposed since 1995 and aren’t counted here. Ireland’s National Parks have a block of their own on this page; much of their land also lies inside these sites.
Protected sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service designated site boundaries (CC BY 4.0), 2026; land within 5 km from CSO Small Areas and, over the border, ONS. Overlapping sites are counted once.
National Parks
Killarney National Park is 72 km away
Ireland’s National Parks within 100 km, and the nearest always, by direction and distance from the town’s edge; circle size shows each park’s area.
National ParkThe 5 km around the town
National Park
Killarney National Park
72 km west104 km²
National Park boundaries: National Parks and Wildlife Service, generalised to 50 m (CC BY 4.0, © Government of Ireland), 2022. Distances from the town’s outline (CSO Small Areas).
Footpaths and woods
84 km of footpaths cross Douglas
Footways that aren’t pavements, paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and mapped woods and forest, in the town and 1 km around it, each beside the county’s and Ireland’s typical town of 2,500+.
Footpaths
84 km
over 49.8 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
4.6%
about 2.3 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
1
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
DouglasCo. Cork townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths1.7
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
DouglasCo. Cork townsTypical Irish town
Woodland4.6%
0%50%100%
Douglas has less footpath per km² than 55% of Irish towns and more woodland than 73% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
One waymarked trail starts near Douglas
84 km of footpaths are mapped in Douglas and the kilometre around it, 1.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Greenway
Carrigaline to Crosshaven Greenway Walking Trail5.0 km
2 cycling or paddling trails also start within 5 km.
Trails: Sport Ireland National Trails Register (CC BY 4.0), registered trails within 5 km; footpaths: OpenStreetMap (ODbL). Coillte’s own forest trails and recreation sites aren’t included: Coillte’s terms limit its data to research or private study. Its trails on the National Trails Register are listed.
When to get out
The best walking months in Douglas: May to September
Met Éireann’s 1991–2020 averages for the town’s 1 km square and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.3 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.7 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
| Rain (mm) | 122 | 90 | 86 | 79 | 74 | 75 | 78 | 86 | 83 | 123 | 121 | 129 |
May is the driest month (74 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.8 hours of daylight in December, and 129 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. The climate in Douglas →
Things to do
2 viewpoints and 12 playgrounds
Mapped on OpenStreetMap in the town and 2 km around it; each count per resident beside Irish towns’ typical town of 2,500+. Beaches are on the coast’s list, from the EPA.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Vernon Mount View0.9 km from town
DirectionsCity View Summit1.0 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 12
Bayly Playgroundin town
DirectionsMarina Park Playground1.6 km from town
DirectionsLittle Island Playground1.7 km from town
DirectionsMonkey Maze1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
2 gardens and nature sites to visit near Douglas
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Fota House Arboretum & GardensGarden · 4.0 km from town
Its pageFota Arboretum & GardensGarden · 4.1 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Douglas
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
TramoreFrankfield and GrangeMahonBallinloughKnockreaTurner's CrossDouglas
Under 1%1–10%10–25%25–50%50%+
| Town | Near a park | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Paths (km/km²) | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | 57% | 2.5 | 1.7 | 5% |
| Tramore 2.5 km | 100% | 17.6 | 4.7 | 3.7% |
| Frankfield and Grange 2.6 km | 61% | 12.8 | 2.1 | 2.1% |
| Mahon 2.7 km | 96% | 5.6 | 3.6 | 5.3% |
| Ballinlough 2.7 km | 100% | 6.3 | 4.9 | 3.8% |
| Knockrea 3.6 km | 100% | 9.5 | 4.7 | 3.7% |
| Turner's Cross 3.9 km | 100% | 11.5 | 5.3 | 1.3% |
In Tramore, 100% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park, more than here. Tramore, Frankfield and Grange and Mahon have at least twice Douglas’ green space per resident.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (CSO Small Areas, by where people live) within 400 m of a park, garden, common or playing field mapped on OpenStreetMap. Mapping is uneven: a town whose parks nobody has mapped looks greyer than it is.
- Protected areas. Land in a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area or Natural Heritage Area within 5 km, overlaps counted once. Protected for nature doesn’t always mean open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footways that aren’t pavements, paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, in the town and 1 km around it, from OpenStreetMap. Trails are the registered ones within 5 km; a trail often follows mapped paths, so the two aren’t added.
- Woodland. Woods and forest as OpenStreetMap maps them, private and Coillte forests included: mapped cover, not access.
- No grade yet. Ireland’s grades don’t include the outdoors yet: these figures describe the town and stand beside the median Irish town.
Questions about the outdoors in Douglas
What is the biggest park in Douglas?
Joe McHugh Park, 3.4 ha (8 acres), just outside the built-up area. Douglas Park (1.8 ha) is second. 8 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Douglas?
Yes: 5% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 2 sites. Cork Harbour SPA reaches Douglas.
What are the best walks near Douglas?
One waymarked trail starts within 5 km: the Carrigaline to Crosshaven Greenway Walking Trail.
How many people in Douglas live near a park?
57% of residents live within 400 m, about a 5-minute walk, of a park or playing field; in the typical Irish town it is 92%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Douglas?
On the town’s 1991–2020 averages and its daylight: May to September, when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light for the place.
Is Douglas near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Killarney National Park, 72 km west of the town’s edge; it covers about 104 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Douglas?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 2 viewpoints; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Douglas’ outdoors figures come from
- Parks, woods and paths. OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL): parks, woods and footpaths, Geofabrik extract, October 2026
- Protected sites. National Parks and Wildlife Service: designated sites (SAC, SPA, NHA), 2026
- Trails. Sport Ireland: National Trails Register, 2026
- Residents. CSO: Census 2022 Small Areas (residents)
- National Parks. National Parks and Wildlife Service: National Park boundaries, generalised to 50 m (CC BY 4.0), 2022
- Things to do. OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL): viewpoints, hills, waterfalls, nature reserves, picnic sites, playgrounds, campsites and waymarked walks, Geofabrik extract, October 2026
- Weather. Met Éireann: 1991–2020 averages (Copyright Met Éireann)
Protected sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service (CC BY 4.0). Trails: Sport Ireland National Trails Register (CC BY 4.0). Bathing water: EPA (CC BY 4.0). Parks, woods and paths: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Not on this page yet: Coillte’s forest trails (its terms) and bike routes.
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).