First pick
Fernhill Park and Gardens
Park or garden
32 ha5.4 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.4 km of path
1.3 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Sarah777 · Public domain98%near a park
Outdoors in Stepaside · parks, paths & countryside
Stepaside is more wooded than 9 in 10 Irish towns
Woods cover 15% of Stepaside and the kilometre around it. 13 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Stepaside, among them the Dublin Mountains Way and Wicklow Way. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 3.2 km away.
Near a park
98%
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
149 km
4.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
6.4%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Knocksink Wood SAC
Woodland
15%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
5.9%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Stepaside?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Wooded country15% mapped woodland in and around town, more than 99% of Irish towns.A park on every doorstep98% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Hills with a view8 mapped viewpoints, about 10× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 3.2 km south-west.
Stepaside’s strongest suit is its woods, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Stepaside 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 walk98%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
62out of 100
Public green space4.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
54out of 100
Footpaths4.3 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
68out of 100
Protected for nature6.4%of the land within 5 km
82out of 100
Woodland15%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
99out of 100
The sea5.9%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
Stepaside has the 16th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (18,369 to 27,923 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
Stepaside4.3
Towns its size2.7
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Stepaside4.3
Towns its size4.0
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Stepaside98%
Towns its size95%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Stepaside stands out most for path per km²: only 15 of the other 39 have more.
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 | Ballymun Dublin | 6.5 | 2.6% | 0% | – |
| 11 | Clonsilla Dublin | 6.4 | 3% | 0.1% | – |
| 12 | Jobstown Dublin | 6.3 | 1.9% | 2.2% | – |
| 13 | Rathmines West Dublin | 6 | 1.7% | 0.1% | 5.8% |
| 14 | Crumlin Dublin | 5.4 | 0.8% | 0% | – |
| 15 | Clondalkin Dublin | 4.6 | 3.3% | 0% | – |
| 16 | Stepaside Dublin | 4.3 | 15% | 6.4% | 5.9% |
| 17 | Sandymount Dublin | 3.6 | 1.2% | 3.6% | 35% |
| 18 | Clontarf East Dublin | 3.1 | 3% | 6.1% | 38% |
| 19 | Kilkenny Kilkenny | 3.1 | 3.8% | 2.4% | – |
| 20 | Beaumont Dublin | 2.9 | 2% | 3.4% | 9.7% |
| 21 | Celbridge Kildare | 2.4 | 6.9% | 0.5% | – |
| 22 | Malahide Dublin | 2.4 | 3.4% | 2.1% | 32% |
| 23 | Greystones-Delgany Wicklow | 2.2 | 11% | 5% | 35% |
| 24 | Balbriggan Dublin | 2.1 | 1.6% | 0% | 37% |
| 25 | Naas Kildare | 1.9 | 1.4% | 0% | – |
| 26 | Douglas Cork | 1.7 | 4.6% | 5% | – |
| 27 | Knocknacarra Galway | 1.6 | 3.4% | 32% | 34% |
| 28 | Ballincollig Cork | 1.3 | 8.4% | 0% | – |
| 29 | Athlone Westmeath | 1.3 | 6.1% | 14% | – |
| 30 | Sligo Sligo | 1.2 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 18% |
| 31 | Tralee Kerry | 1.1 | 2.4% | 21% | 6.4% |
| 32 | Clonmel Tipperary | 1.1 | 14% | 3.9% | – |
| 33 | Wexford Wexford | 1.1 | 3.8% | 13% | 22% |
| 34 | Dooradoyle Limerick | 1 | 2.6% | 7.7% | – |
| 35 | Carlow Carlow | 0.9 | 1.3% | 2% | – |
| 36 | Mullingar Westmeath | 0.8 | 8.9% | 3.3% | – |
| 37 | Ennis Clare | 0.7 | 9.6% | 7.8% | – |
| 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 Stepaside’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 Stepaside
The biggest is Fernhill Park and Gardens, 32 ha (80 acres).
All 8 named parks and woods by size: 135 ha (333 acres) and 12 km of path
Parks & gardens 42 haWoods 92 ha
The two biggest, Ballyedmonduff Forest and Ticknock Wood, are 69% of the named green space and carry 5 km of path between them. 3 of the 8 are under 2 ha.
Ballyedmonduff Forest
Wood or forest · 330 m outside town
47 ha2.9 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.9 km of path
2.9 km south-westfrom the centre
Dublin Mountains Way
Directionsto a point inside
Ticknock Wood
Wood or forest · 290 m outside town
45 ha2.1 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
2.5 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Samuel Beckett Civic Campus
Park or garden
6.9 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
1.0 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Fernhill Heritage Garden
Park or garden
2.1 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
1.1 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 Stepaside 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 (98%)Further (2.4%)
Stepaside98%
Co. Dublin towns100%
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 6.4% of the land within 5 km of Stepaside
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 Stepaside0%
Within 5 km6.4%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
6 protected sites lie within 5 km of Stepaside. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 1.3% 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.
Knocksink Wood SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.9 km² · 2.1 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 345 km² · 3.0 km from the edge
NPWS pageBallyman Glen SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.2 km² · 3.0 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 14 km² · 3.2 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 22 km² · 3.3 km from the edge
NPWS pageSouth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 7.3 km² · 3.3 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 3.2 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
3.2 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
149 km of footpaths cross Stepaside
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
149 km
over 35.1 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
15%
about 5.3 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
13
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
StepasideCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths4.3
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
StepasideCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland15%
0%50%100%
Stepaside has more footpath per km² than 68% of Irish towns and more woodland than 99% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
13 waymarked trails start near Stepaside
149 km of footpaths are mapped in Stepaside and the kilometre around it, 4.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayWalking trail
Dublin Mountains Way41.2 km
Wicklow Way128.1 km
Barnaslingan - Scalp Lookout Trail (Red)1.4 km
Carrickgollogan - Lead Mines Way - (Orange)2.3 km
Barnaslingan - Pine loop trail (Blue)0.9 km
Carrickgollogan - Mountain Access route2.0 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Pine Forest/Glencullen0.6 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Kelly's Glen1.6 km
Tibradden Mountain Trail2.7 km
Tibradden - Mountain Access route Tibradden/Pine Forest1.3 km
Cruagh - Sli na Slainte3.7 km
Cruagh - Mountain Access route2.3 km
Massey's Estate - Nature trail2.5 km
One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
2 more waymarked walks on OpenStreetMap
NationalOther waymarked
European long distance path E8 - part Ireland8.3 km
Rathmichael Walk1.3 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.
History
One historic park or garden on the record in Stepaside
Parks, gardens, walled gardens and demesne walls in the town on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, each with its record.
Walled gardenGlencairnfrom 1855Regional rating (NIAH)
The oldest dated is Glencairn, from 1855.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0).
When to get out
The best walking months in Stepaside: 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 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 86 | 72 | 69 | 64 | 66 | 73 | 62 | 70 | 72 | 95 | 113 | 95 |
July is the driest month (62 mm) and the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 113 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Stepaside →
The coast
Stepaside is near the sea
5.9% of the area within 5 km of Stepaside is sea. 3 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
SeapointExcellent (2025) · 3.4 km from town
beaches.ieKillineyExcellent (2025) · 4.1 km from town
beaches.ieWhite Rock BeachExcellent (2025) · 4.6 km from town
beaches.ie3 of the 3 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
8 viewpoints, 6 hills and peaks and 5 waterfalls
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.
8Viewpoints9.6× the typical Irish town, per resident6Hills and peaks5Waterfalls5Nature reserves3Picnic sites43Playgrounds1.4× the typical Irish town, per resident6Dog parks
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Stepaside has 9.6× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 8
Plus 8 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 6
Telshaun Hill0.4 km from town
DirectionsThree Rock Mountain444 m · 0.6 km from town
DirectionsTwo Rock Mountain536 m · 1.2 km from town
DirectionsBarnaslingan Hill290 m · 1.6 km from town
DirectionsKilmashogue408 m · 1.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 5
Plus 5 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 5
Dingle Glen7.8 ha · in town
DirectionsFitzsimon's Wood14 ha · 0.4 km from town
DirectionsBallybetagh Bog5.0 ha · 0.9 km from town
DirectionsWildflower Meadow3.4 ha · 1.0 km from town
DirectionsBarnaslingan Wood42 ha · 1.5 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 43
Fernhill Woodland Adventure Playgroundin town
DirectionsUpper Playground0.6 km from town
DirectionsLakelands Childcare1.5 km from town
DirectionsMarley Playground1.5 km from town
DirectionsNewtown Park Playground1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 38 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 6
Large Dogin town
DirectionsSmall Dogin town
DirectionsPlus 4 dog parks 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 Stepaside
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Airfield EstateGarden · 2.4 km from town
Its pageSaint Enda's ParkGarden · 2.5 km from town
Its pageDublin Garden TrailGarden · 2.8 km from town
Its pageFestina Lente GardensGarden · 4.1 km from town
Its pageMornington GardenGarden · 4.4 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 7.7 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Stepaside
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
SandyfordFoxrockStillorganDundrumCabinteelyBallinteerStepaside
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stepaside | 98% | 4.3 | 4.3 | 6.4% |
| Sandyford 2.1 km | 97% | 5.0 | 7.5 | 0.3% |
| Foxrock 2.7 km | 100% | 9.4 | 5.8 | 0.2% |
| Stillorgan 3.0 km | 100% | 3.5 | 6.5 | 0.1% |
| Dundrum 3.6 km | 98% | 5.4 | 6.2 | 1.3% |
| Cabinteely 3.7 km | 100% | 12.0 | 5.1 | 1.1% |
| Ballinteer 3.9 km | 98% | 10.1 | 6.2 | 2.8% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Stepaside. Foxrock, Cabinteely and Ballinteer have at least twice Stepaside’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 Stepaside
What is the biggest park in Stepaside?
Fernhill Park and Gardens, 32 ha (80 acres). Samuel Beckett Civic Campus (6.9 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 Stepaside?
Yes: 6.4% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 6 sites. The nearest is Knocksink Wood SAC, 2.1 km from the edge of town.
What are the best walks near Stepaside?
13 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Dublin Mountains Way, Wicklow Way and Barnaslingan - Scalp Lookout Trail (Red).
Where can you swim near Stepaside?
The nearest bathing water is Seapoint, 3.4 km from town: Excellent (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Stepaside live near a park?
98% 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 Stepaside?
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 Stepaside near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 3.2 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Stepaside?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 8 viewpoints, 6 hills and peaks, 5 waterfalls, 5 nature reserves and 3 picnic sites; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Which parks in Stepaside are historic?
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records one historic park, garden or demesne in the town: Glencairn.
Sources
Where Stepaside’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
- Historic parks and gardens. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (CC BY 4.0)
- 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).