First pick
Blackrock Park
Park or garden
10 ha3.9 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.9 km of path
1.6 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: William Murphy · CC BY-SA 2.096%near a park
Outdoors in Blackrock · parks, paths & countryside
Blackrock is on the coast
The sea makes up 30% of the area within 5 km. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 8.4 km away. 2 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Blackrock, among them the Dublin Mountains Way and Wicklow Way.
Near a park
96%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
3.7 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
69 km
4.7 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
0.2%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPA
Woodland
1.4%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
30%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Blackrock?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast30% of the area within 5 km is sea.A park on every doorstep96% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 8.4 km south-west.Protected land nearbySouth Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPA reaches the edge of Blackrock.
Blackrock’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Blackrock 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 walk96%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
58out of 100
Public green space3.7 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
47out of 100
Footpaths4.7 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
72out of 100
Protected for nature0.2%of the land within 5 km
29out of 100
Woodland1.4%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
24out of 100
The sea30%of the area within 5 km
89out 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
Blackrock has the 20th fewest footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (11,009 to 14,937 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Cabra East (8 km per km²) to Enniscorthy (0.4 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Blackrock4.7
Towns its size4.9
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Blackrock3.7
Towns its size4.6
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Blackrock96%
Towns its size94%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Blackrock falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 22 of the 39 others do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabra East Dublin | 8 | 2.2% | 0% | – |
| 2 | Deansrath Dublin | 7.9 | 2.2% | 0% | – |
| 3 | Phibsborough Dublin | 7.6 | 0.4% | 0% | – |
| 4 | Ballyowen Dublin | 7.5 | 6% | 0% | – |
| 5 | Kilnamanagh Dublin | 7.4 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 6 | Fettercairn Dublin | 7 | 3.5% | 0.4% | – |
| 7 | Palmerston Dublin | 6.9 | 8.6% | 0% | – |
| 8 | Firhouse Dublin | 6.8 | 4.4% | 4.2% | – |
| 9 | Ronanstown Dublin | 6.6 | 0.7% | 0% | – |
| 10 | Ballsbridge Dublin | 6.3 | 1.3% | 1.2% | 18% |
| 11 | Ballygall Dublin | 6.3 | 1.4% | 0% | – |
| 12 | Ashtown Dublin | 6.3 | 6.9% | 0% | – |
| 13 | Summerhill Dublin | 6 | 0.4% | 0.2% | 8.5% |
| 14 | Clonskeagh Dublin | 6 | 2.7% | 0.1% | 16% |
| 15 | Foxrock Dublin | 5.8 | 5.3% | 0.2% | 25% |
| 16 | Knocklyon Dublin | 5.8 | 4.7% | 3.2% | – |
| 17 | Drumcondra Dublin | 5.6 | 1.6% | 0.8% | 6.9% |
| 18 | Finglas South Dublin | 5.6 | 1.7% | 0% | – |
| 19 | Whitehall Dublin | 5.6 | 2.6% | 0.3% | – |
| 20 | Sallynoggin Dublin | 5 | 2% | 0.3% | 47% |
| 21 | Blackrock Dublin | 4.7 | 1.4% | 0.2% | 30% |
| 22 | Ongar Dublin | 4.2 | 2.7% | 0.2% | – |
| 23 | Mahon Cork | 3.6 | 6.1% | 5.3% | – |
| 24 | Shankill Dublin | 3.6 | 12% | 3.8% | 28% |
| 25 | Hollystown Dublin | 3.3 | 2% | 0% | – |
| 26 | Bishopstown Cork | 3.2 | 6% | 0.2% | – |
| 27 | Corbally and King's Island Limerick | 3 | 3.7% | 9.5% | – |
| 28 | Darndale Dublin | 2.7 | 1.9% | 3.7% | 11% |
| 29 | Midleton Cork | 1.6 | 2.6% | 4.5% | – |
| 30 | Killarney Kerry | 1.3 | 14% | 34% | – |
| 31 | Wicklow Wicklow | 1.1 | 0.9% | 4.3% | 38% |
| 32 | Castlebar Mayo | 1 | 3.1% | 2.3% | – |
| 33 | Athy Kildare | 0.9 | 0.3% | 1.6% | – |
| 34 | Tramore Waterford | 0.8 | 0.9% | 3.9% | 34% |
| 35 | Cobh Cork | 0.8 | 3.5% | 13% | 23% |
| 36 | Arklow Wicklow | 0.7 | 5.7% | 0.3% | 34% |
| 37 | Gorey Wexford | 0.7 | 3.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 38 | Cavan Cavan | 0.6 | 6.7% | 5.1% | – |
| 39 | Mallow Cork | 0.6 | 5.1% | 3.2% | – |
| 40 | Enniscorthy Wexford | 0.4 | 6.9% | 2.1% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Blackrock’s 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 Blackrock
The biggest is Blackrock Park, 10 ha (25 acres).
All 7 named parks and woods by size: 31 ha (77 acres) and 10 km of path
Parks & gardens 31 ha
The two biggest, Blackrock Park and Rockfield Park, are 61% of the named green space and carry 6 km of path between them. 3 of the 7 are under 2 ha.
Rockfield Park
Park or garden
8.6 ha2.4 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Blackrock
Directionsto a point inside
Carysfort Park
Park or garden
5.9 ha2 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Blackrock
Directionsto a point inside
Newtown Park
Park or garden · 100 m outside town
3.7 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
1.0 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Longford Park
Park or garden · 380 m outside town
1.6 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.8 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Temple Park
Park or garden
0.5 ha0.3 km of path
1.1 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
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
Almost everyone in Blackrock lives 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 (96%)Further (3.6%)
Blackrock96%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 500 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPA reaches Blackrock
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 Blackrock0%
Within 5 km0.2%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
2 protected sites lie within 5 km of Blackrock. 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
Wicklow Mountains National Park is 8.4 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
Wicklow Mountains National Park
8.4 km south-west223 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
69 km of footpaths cross Blackrock
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
69 km
over 14.6 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
1.4%
about 0.2 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
2
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
BlackrockCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths4.7
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BlackrockCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland1.4%
0%50%100%
Blackrock has more footpath per km² than 72% of Irish towns and less woodland than 76% 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 Blackrock
69 km of footpaths are mapped in Blackrock and the kilometre around it, 4.7 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance way
Dublin Mountains Way41.2 km
Wicklow Way128.1 km
One cycling or paddling trail also starts 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 Blackrock: 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) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 71 | 59 | 57 | 54 | 57 | 63 | 55 | 62 | 63 | 81 | 95 | 78 |
April is the driest month (54 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 95 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Blackrock →
The coast
The coast and bathing waters near Blackrock
30% of the area within 5 km of Blackrock is sea. 5 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
SeapointExcellent (2025) · 0.5 km from town
beaches.ieSandymount StrandSufficient (2025) · 3.0 km from town
beaches.ieSandycove BeachGood (2025) · 3.6 km from town
beaches.ieForty Foot Bathing PlaceExcellent (2025) · 3.6 km from town
beaches.ieHalf MoonExcellent (2025) · 4.3 km from town
beaches.ie3 of the 5 are rated excellent, Seapoint among them.
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
2 viewpoints and 30 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.
2Viewpoints3Nature reserves2Picnic sites30Playgrounds1.8× the typical Irish town, per resident1Dog parks
Per resident, playgrounds stand out most: Blackrock has 1.8× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 3
Booterstown Marsh0.9 ha · 0.9 km from town
DirectionsBooterstown Nature Reserve0.1 ha · 1.4 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Picnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 30
Newtown Park Playground0.2 km from town
DirectionsMcCabe's Villas Playground0.8 km from town
DirectionsSoldiers & Sailors Park Playground1.0 km from town
DirectionsLakelands Childcare1.5 km from town
DirectionsElmpark Playground1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 25 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
4 gardens and nature sites to visit near Blackrock
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Dublin Garden TrailGarden · In Blackrock
Its pageAirfield EstateGarden · 2.7 km from town
Its pageMornington GardenGarden · 4.4 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 5.9 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Blackrock
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
MonkstownStillorganBooterstownSandyfordFoxrockSallynogginBlackrock
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackrock | 96% | 3.7 | 4.7 | 0.2% |
| Monkstown 1.2 km | 100% | 4.5 | 4.2 | 0.3% |
| Stillorgan 1.6 km | 100% | 3.5 | 6.5 | 0.1% |
| Booterstown 1.9 km | 96% | 3.3 | 5.4 | 0.2% |
| Sandyford 2.8 km | 97% | 5.0 | 7.5 | 0.3% |
| Foxrock 2.9 km | 100% | 9.4 | 5.8 | 0.2% |
| Sallynoggin 3.2 km | 97% | 4.1 | 5.0 | 0.3% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Blackrock. Foxrock has at least twice Blackrock’s 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 Blackrock
What is the biggest park in Blackrock?
Blackrock Park, 10 ha (25 acres). Rockfield Park (8.6 ha) is second. 7 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Blackrock?
2 protected sites lie within 5 km, though together they cover under 1% of the land.
What are the best walks near Blackrock?
2 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Dublin Mountains Way and Wicklow Way.
Where can you swim near Blackrock?
The nearest bathing water is Seapoint, 0.5 km from town: Excellent (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Blackrock live near a park?
96% 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 Blackrock?
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 Blackrock near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 8.4 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Blackrock?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 2 viewpoints, 3 nature reserves and 2 picnic sites; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Blackrock’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
- Bathing water. EPA: bathing water quality, 2025 season
- 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).