First pick
Blackrock Park
Park or garden
10 ha3.9 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.9 km of path
1.0 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Sarah777 at English Wikipedia · Public domain96%near a park
Outdoors in Booterstown · parks, paths & countryside
Booterstown is on the coast
The sea makes up 29% of the area within 5 km. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 9.1 km away. 69 km of footpaths run through the neighbourhood and the kilometre around it, 5.4 for every square kilometre.
Near a park
96%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
3.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
69 km
5.4 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
2.2%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
29%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Booterstown?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast29% 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.A neighbourhood of footpaths5.4 km of path per km², more than 77% of Irish towns. The typical town has 2.1.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 9.1 km south-west.
Booterstown’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Booterstown 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)
56out of 100
Public green space3.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
43out of 100
Footpaths5.4 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
78out of 100
Protected for nature0.2%of the land within 5 km
29out of 100
Woodland2.2%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
42out of 100
The sea29%of the area within 5 km
88out 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
Booterstown has the 8th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (7,364 to 9,805 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Cabra West (7.8 km per km²) to Tuam (0.4 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Booterstown5.4
Towns its size2.5
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Booterstown3.3
Towns its size4.9
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Booterstown96%
Towns its size96%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Booterstown stands out most for path per km²: only 7 of the other 39 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 27 of the others do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabra West Dublin | 7.8 | 4.5% | 0% | – |
| 2 | Sandyford Dublin | 7.5 | 4.8% | 0.3% | 6.2% |
| 3 | Grand Canal Dock Dublin | 6.6 | 0.9% | 1.4% | 16% |
| 4 | Glasnevin Dublin | 6.6 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 5 | Killiney Dublin | 6 | 7.7% | 0.5% | 45% |
| 6 | Dubber Dublin | 5.7 | 2.1% | 0% | – |
| 7 | Ballybough Dublin | 5.5 | 1.4% | 1% | 9% |
| 8 | Booterstown Dublin | 5.4 | 2.2% | 0.2% | 29% |
| 9 | Clongriffin Dublin | 5 | 0.2% | 6.6% | 31% |
| 10 | Cherry Orchard Dublin | 4.6 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 11 | Finglas North Dublin | 4.2 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 12 | Baldoyle Dublin | 3.7 | 0.3% | 11% | 40% |
| 13 | Perrystown Dublin | 3.6 | 1.8% | 0% | – |
| 14 | Donaghmede Dublin | 3.5 | 2.7% | 6.2% | 31% |
| 15 | Kilmore Dublin | 3.1 | 2.2% | 3.5% | 9.5% |
| 16 | Raheny Dublin | 3.1 | 2.8% | 11% | 46% |
| 17 | Farranshone Limerick | 2.8 | 1.5% | 11% | – |
| 18 | Walkinstown Dublin | 2.8 | 0.3% | 0% | – |
| 19 | Donabate Dublin | 2.8 | 6.8% | 2.8% | 32% |
| 20 | Dalkey Dublin | 2.6 | 3.5% | 0.2% | 60% |
| 21 | Kinsealy-Drinan Dublin | 2.3 | 1.8% | 1.1% | 8.3% |
| 22 | Howth Dublin | 2.2 | 2.4% | 18% | 75% |
| 23 | Hollyhill and Ballincolly Cork | 2.1 | 7.2% | 0.5% | – |
| 24 | Frankfield and Grange Cork | 2.1 | 4.3% | 2.1% | – |
| 25 | Kilcock Kildare | 1.7 | 2.8% | 0% | – |
| 26 | Ballyvolane Cork | 1.6 | 6.7% | 2.8% | – |
| 27 | Trim Meath | 1.3 | 0.9% | 1.5% | – |
| 28 | Monaghan Monaghan | 1.3 | 8.7% | 0% | – |
| 29 | Waterford City Centre Waterford | 1.3 | 1.5% | 6% | – |
| 30 | Caherdavin Limerick | 1.2 | 3.4% | 12% | – |
| 31 | Lusk Dublin | 1.1 | 0.6% | 1.3% | 6.4% |
| 32 | Youghal Cork | 0.9 | 0.6% | 13% | 29% |
| 33 | New Ross Wexford | 0.9 | 7.3% | 5.4% | – |
| 34 | Portarlington Laois | 0.8 | 2.5% | 1.6% | – |
| 35 | Grantstown and Ballinakill Waterford | 0.6 | 4.5% | 10% | – |
| 36 | Clane Kildare | 0.6 | 1.9% | 1.5% | – |
| 37 | Thurles Tipperary | 0.5 | 2.8% | 1.2% | – |
| 38 | Bandon Cork | 0.4 | 5.6% | 0% | – |
| 39 | Edenderry Offaly | 0.4 | 7% | 1.7% | – |
| 40 | Tuam Galway | 0.4 | 1.4% | 2.7% | – |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Booterstown’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 Booterstown
The biggest is Blackrock Park, 10 ha (25 acres).
Booterstown Park
Park or garden
2.1 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
0.7 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Belfield Woods
Park or garden · 130 m outside town
1.7 ha0.4 km of path
0.8 km westfrom 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 Booterstown 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 (4.2%)
Booterstown96%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 400 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 Booterstown
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 Booterstown2.3%
Within 5 km0.2%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
5 protected sites lie within 5 km of Booterstown. Ireland’s National Parks have a block of their own on this page; much of their land also lies inside these sites.
South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 22 km² · reaches Booterstown
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.3 km² · reaches Booterstown
NPWS pageNorth Bull Island SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 19 km² · 4.8 km from the edge
NPWS pageNorth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 15 km² · 4.9 km from the edge
NPWS pageNorth-West Irish Sea cSPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2,333 km² · 4.9 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
Wicklow Mountains National Park is 9.1 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
9.1 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 Booterstown
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 12.9 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
2.2%
about 0.3 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
3
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
BooterstownCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths5.4
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BooterstownCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland2.2%
0%50%100%
Booterstown has more footpath per km² than 78% of Irish towns and less woodland than 58% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
3 waymarked trails start near Booterstown
69 km of footpaths are mapped in Booterstown and the kilometre around it, 5.4 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayGreenway
National Famine Way168.6 km
Royal Canal Greenway Walking Trail121.4 km
Wicklow Way128.1 km
One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
One more waymarked walk on OpenStreetMap
National
European long distance path E8 - part Ireland2.9 km
Trails: Sport Ireland National Trails Register (CC BY 4.0), registered trails within 5 km; footpaths: OpenStreetMap (ODbL). More waymarked walks: OpenStreetMap route relations (ODbL) within 2 km, those already on the register left out. 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 Booterstown: 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 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 66 | 55 | 54 | 52 | 55 | 61 | 55 | 62 | 61 | 78 | 89 | 73 |
April is the driest month (52 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 89 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Booterstown →
The coast
The coast and bathing waters near Booterstown
29% of the area within 5 km of Booterstown is sea. 5 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
Sandymount StrandSufficient (2025) · 1.5 km from town
beaches.ieSeapointExcellent (2025) · 1.6 km from town
beaches.ieHalf MoonExcellent (2025) · 4.0 km from town
beaches.ieSandycove BeachGood (2025) · 4.7 km from town
beaches.ieForty Foot Bathing PlaceExcellent (2025) · 4.7 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 23 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 reserves1Picnic sites23Playgrounds2.1× the typical Irish town, per resident1Dog parks
Per resident, playgrounds stand out most: Booterstown has 2.1× 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 · in town
DirectionsBooterstown Nature Reserve0.1 ha · in town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 23
McCabe's Villas Playgroundin town
DirectionsElmpark Playground0.2 km from town
DirectionsLakelands Childcare1.5 km from town
DirectionsWindy Arbour Playground2.0 km from town
DirectionsNewtown Park Playground2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 18 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
6 gardens and nature sites to visit near Booterstown
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Dublin Garden TrailGarden · 0.2 km from town
Its pageAirfield EstateGarden · 2.4 km from town
Its pageIveagh GardensGarden · 3.8 km from town
Its pageMerrion SquareGarden · 3.9 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 3.9 km from town
Its pageNational Botanic GardensGarden · 7.7 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Booterstown
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
BlackrockStillorganClonskeaghSandymountMonkstownSandyfordBooterstown
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booterstown | 96% | 3.3 | 5.4 | 0.2% |
| Blackrock 1.9 km | 96% | 3.7 | 4.7 | 0.2% |
| Stillorgan 2.0 km | 100% | 3.5 | 6.5 | 0.1% |
| Clonskeagh 2.2 km | 100% | 5.1 | 6.0 | 0.1% |
| Sandymount 2.8 km | 100% | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.6% |
| Monkstown 3.0 km | 100% | 4.5 | 4.2 | 0.3% |
| Sandyford 3.2 km | 97% | 5.0 | 7.5 | 0.3% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Booterstown.
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 Booterstown
What is the biggest park in Booterstown?
Blackrock Park, 10 ha (25 acres). Booterstown Park (2.1 ha) is second. 4 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Booterstown?
5 protected sites lie within 5 km, though together they cover under 1% of the land.
What are the best walks near Booterstown?
3 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the National Famine Way, Royal Canal Greenway Walking Trail and Wicklow Way.
Where can you swim near Booterstown?
The nearest bathing water is Sandymount Strand, 1.5 km from town: Sufficient (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Booterstown 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 Booterstown?
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 Booterstown near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 9.1 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Booterstown?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 2 viewpoints, 3 nature reserves and 1 picnic site; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Booterstown’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).