First pick
Barrack Hill Park
Park or garden
3.7 ha
0.7 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Rossographer · CC BY-SA 2.063%near a park
Outdoors in Carndonagh · parks, paths & countryside
Parks and walks in Carndonagh
1 km of footpaths run through the town and the kilometre around it, 0.1 for every square kilometre. 2 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Carndonagh, among them the Meenavogey Trail and Old Carn Road Drovers Trail. A park or playing field is within a 5-minute walk for 63% of residents.
Near a park
63%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
4.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
1 km
0.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
5.1%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North Inishowen Coast SAC
Woodland
4.9%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
5.8%
of the area within 5 km
Against other towns
How Carndonagh 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 walk63%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
13out of 100
Public green space4.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
54out of 100
Footpaths0.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
1out of 100
Protected for nature5.1%of the land within 5 km
75out of 100
Woodland4.9%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
75out of 100
The sea5.8%of the area within 5 km
70out 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
Carndonagh has the 2nd fewest footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (2,510 to 3,148 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Ballybrack (8.6 km per km²) to Sixmilebridge (0 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Carndonagh0.1
Towns its size0.7
Co. Donegal towns0.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Carndonagh4.3
Towns its size3.8
Co. Donegal towns2.2
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Carndonagh63%
Towns its size83%
Co. Donegal towns54%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Carndonagh stands out most for park space per resident: only 17 of the other 39 have more. It falls furthest behind on path per km², where 38 of the others do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ballybrack Dublin | 8.6 | 8% | 0.2% | 36% |
| 2 | Sunday's Well Cork | 7.3 | 2.7% | 0.4% | – |
| 3 | Blackpool Cork | 6.6 | 3% | 1.4% | – |
| 4 | Carna Dublin | 5.4 | 1.7% | 0% | – |
| 5 | Taylor's Hill Galway | 5.1 | 1.2% | 15% | 37% |
| 6 | Togher Cork | 5 | 1.5% | 0.5% | – |
| 7 | Decies Dublin | 4.8 | 7.2% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Mayfield Cork | 4.7 | 5.3% | 3.3% | – |
| 9 | Kylemore Dublin | 4 | 3% | 0% | – |
| 10 | Edenmore Dublin | 2.8 | 3.6% | 5.9% | 24% |
| 11 | Ballynanty Limerick | 2.5 | 5.7% | 12% | – |
| 12 | Claddagh Galway | 2.4 | 0.2% | 17% | 46% |
| 13 | Murrough Galway | 2.3 | 5.1% | 10% | 26% |
| 14 | Grange Upper Waterford | 1.4 | 1.5% | 6.6% | – |
| 15 | Blarney Cork | 1.4 | 14% | 0% | – |
| 16 | Kilbarry Waterford | 1.3 | 1.6% | 5.1% | – |
| 17 | Bantry Cork | 1 | 4.4% | 0% | 18% |
| 18 | Ballina Tipperary | 0.9 | 1.8% | 4.7% | – |
| 19 | Moate Westmeath | 0.7 | 2.4% | 2.4% | – |
| 20 | Callan Kilkenny | 0.7 | 0.1% | 2.3% | – |
| 21 | Kingscourt Cavan | 0.7 | 12% | 0% | – |
| 22 | Kenmare Kerry | 0.6 | 7.2% | 6.5% | 6.4% |
| 23 | Athboy Meath | 0.6 | 1.1% | 1.5% | – |
| 24 | Bundoran Donegal | 0.5 | 2% | 5.1% | 35% |
| 25 | Muinebeag (Bagenalstown) Carlow | 0.5 | 3.9% | 2.9% | – |
| 26 | Skibbereen Cork | 0.5 | 1.7% | 1.6% | – |
| 27 | Kinnegad Westmeath | 0.3 | 4.5% | 4.5% | – |
| 28 | Donegal Donegal | 0.3 | 4% | 4.1% | 12% |
| 29 | Boyle Roscommon | 0.3 | 3.2% | 0% | – |
| 30 | Bailieborough Cavan | 0.3 | 10% | 0% | – |
| 31 | Castleisland Kerry | 0.3 | 1.7% | 12% | – |
| 32 | Kanturk Cork | 0.3 | 0% | 5.1% | – |
| 33 | Ballinrobe Mayo | 0.3 | 0.5% | 11% | – |
| 34 | Baltinglass Wicklow | 0.2 | 4.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 35 | Ballyhaunis Mayo | 0.2 | 2.8% | 3.4% | – |
| 36 | Kilrush Clare | 0.2 | 9.8% | 37% | – |
| 37 | Ballyjamesduff Cavan | 0.2 | 7.6% | 0% | – |
| 38 | Gort Galway | 0.2 | 4.3% | 24% | – |
| 39 | Carndonagh Donegal | 0.1 | 4.9% | 5.1% | 5.8% |
| 40 | Sixmilebridge Clare | 0 | 0.7% | 2% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Carndonagh’s urban area.
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 Carndonagh
The biggest is Barrack Hill Park, 3.7 ha (9 acres).
Named 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 Carndonagh 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 (63%)Further (37%)
Carndonagh63%
Co. Donegal towns54%
Typical Irish town92%
About 1,000 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
Protected sites cover 5.1% of the land within 5 km of Carndonagh
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 Carndonagh0%
Within 5 km5.1%
Co. Donegal towns4.7%
Typical Irish town1.8%
4 protected sites lie within 5 km of Carndonagh. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 4.4% 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.
North Inishowen Coast SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 76 km² · 1.1 km from the edge
NPWS pageTrawbreaga Bay SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 16 km² · 1.1 km from the edge
NPWS pageSlieve Snaght Bogs NHANatural Heritage Area · 1.6 km² · 1.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageMagheradrumman Bog SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 10 km² · 3.1 km from the edge
NPWS pageProtected 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
Glenveagh National Park is 44 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
Glenveagh National Park
44 km south-west155 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
1 km of footpaths cross Carndonagh
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
1.3 km
over 21.6 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
4.9%
about 1.1 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
2
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
CarndonaghCo. Donegal townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths0.1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
CarndonaghCo. Donegal townsTypical Irish town
Woodland4.9%
0%50%100%
Carndonagh has less footpath per km² than 99% of Irish towns and more woodland than 75% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
2 waymarked trails start near Carndonagh
1 km of footpaths are mapped in Carndonagh and the kilometre around it, 0.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Walking trail
Meenavogey Trail3.0 km
Old Carn Road Drovers Trail5.6 km
For a shorter walk, the Old Carn Road Drovers Trail is 5.6 km, graded moderate.
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 Carndonagh: June 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) | 7.7 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.2 | 17.4 | 16.9 | 15.0 | 12.6 | 10.3 | 8.2 | 7.1 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 148 | 118 | 102 | 82 | 79 | 84 | 94 | 108 | 101 | 134 | 145 | 157 |
May is the driest month (79 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 18 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.1 hours of daylight in December, and 157 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. The climate in Carndonagh →
The coast
Carndonagh is near the sea
5.8% of the area within 5 km of Carndonagh is sea.
Bathing water classes: EPA, latest season (CC BY 4.0). Sea: the area outside CSO and ONS land outlines. Check today’s water quality on beaches.ie
Things to do
1 hill or peak
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
Hills and peaks 1
Crocknakilladerry0.8 km from town
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Next door
Next to Carndonagh
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
MovilleBuncranaGreencastleCarndonagh
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carndonagh | 63% | 4.3 | 0.1 | 5.1% |
| Moville 16 km | 69% | 5.1 | 0.4 | 0% |
| Buncrana 17 km | 53% | 2.7 | 0.3 | 12% |
| Greencastle 18 km | 25% | 1.6 | 0.5 | 3% |
In Moville, 69% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park, more than here.
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 Carndonagh
What is the biggest park in Carndonagh?
Barrack Hill Park, 3.7 ha (9 acres). Barrack Hill Community Gardens (0.1 ha) is second. 2 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Carndonagh?
Yes: 5.1% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 4 sites. The nearest is North Inishowen Coast SAC, 1.1 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Carndonagh?
2 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Meenavogey Trail and Old Carn Road Drovers Trail.
How many people in Carndonagh live near a park?
63% 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 Carndonagh?
On the town’s 1991–2020 averages and its daylight: June to September, when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light for the place.
Is Carndonagh near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Glenveagh National Park, 44 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 155 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Carndonagh?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 1 hill or peak; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Carndonagh’s 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).