First pick
Ballyseedy Wood
Wood or forest
48 ha4.5 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.5 km of path
3.3 km south-eastfrom the centre
The Coach Road
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Jonathan Thacker · CC BY-SA 2.077%near a park
Outdoors in Tralee · parks, paths & countryside
The Dingle Way runs through Tralee
3 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Tralee, among them the Dingle Way and North Kerry Way. 21% of the land within 5 km is protected for nature, the nearest site being Tralee Bay and Magharees Peninsula, West to Cloghane SAC. Killarney National Park begins 22 km away.
Near a park
77%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
2.3 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
52 km
1.1 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
21%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Tralee Bay and Magharees Peninsula, West to Cloghane SAC
Woodland
2.4%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
6.4%
of the area within 5 km
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Tralee?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On a long-distance trailThe Dingle Way passes through.Protected land nearbyTralee Bay and Magharees Peninsula, West to Cloghane SAC reaches the edge of Tralee.
Tralee’s strongest suit is the Dingle Way, followed by protected land close by.
Against other towns
How Tralee 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 walk77%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
30out of 100
Public green space2.3 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
28out of 100
Footpaths1.1 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
33out of 100
Protected for nature21%of the land within 5 km
98out of 100
Woodland2.4%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
45out of 100
The sea6.4%of the area within 5 km
72out 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
Tralee has the 9th fewest footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (18,460 to 33,886 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
Tralee1.1
Towns its size2.7
Co. Kerry towns0.6
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Tralee2.3
Towns its size4.0
Co. Kerry towns2.9
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Tralee77%
Towns its size95%
Co. Kerry towns77%
Typical Irish town92%
Tralee falls furthest behind on path per km², where 31 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 | 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 | Bray Wicklow | 2.1 | 13% | 3.4% | 37% |
| 25 | Balbriggan Dublin | 2.1 | 1.6% | 0% | 37% |
| 26 | Naas Kildare | 1.9 | 1.4% | 0% | – |
| 27 | Navan Meath | 1.7 | 4.7% | 2.2% | – |
| 28 | Douglas Cork | 1.7 | 4.6% | 5% | – |
| 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 | 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 Tralee’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 Tralee
The biggest is Ballyseedy Wood, 48 ha (119 acres).
All 10 named parks and woods by size: 79 ha (195 acres) and 9 km of path
Parks & gardens 31 haWoods 48 ha
The two biggest, Ballyseedy Wood and Town Park, are 77% of the named green space and carry 8 km of path between them. 4 of the 10 are under 2 ha.
Town Park
Park or garden
13 ha3.2 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.2 km of path
0.6 km south-westfrom the centre
Rose Walk
Directionsto a point inside
St. Brendan's Park
Park or garden
3.5 ha0.1 km of path
0.8 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
St. Brendan's Park FC
Park or garden
2.4 ha
1.5 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Island Of Geese
Park or garden
0.7 ha0.5 km of path
0.7 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Christ The King Park
Park or garden
0.4 ha0.2 km of path
1.0 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Ballyseedy WoodWood or forest · 48 ha · 4.5 km of path
DirectionsTown ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 3.2 km of path
DirectionsMounthawk ParkPark or garden · 6.0 ha
DirectionsPat Healy ParkPark or garden · 4.5 ha
DirectionsSt. Brendan's ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsSt. Brendan's Park FCPark or garden · 2.4 ha
DirectionsIsland Of GeesePark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsChrist The King ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsPáirc an PhairsaighPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSt. John's ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha
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
8 in 10 Tralee 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 (77%)Further (23%)
Tralee77%
Co. Kerry towns77%
Typical Irish town92%
About 6,000 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 21% of the land within 5 km of Tralee
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 Tralee3%
Within 5 km21%
Co. Kerry towns12%
Typical Irish town1.8%
5 protected sites lie within 5 km of Tralee. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 1% 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.
Tralee Bay and Magharees Peninsula, West to Cloghane SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 118 km² · reaches Tralee
NPWS pageTralee Bay Complex SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 37 km² · reaches Tralee
NPWS pageBallyseedy Wood SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.4 km² · reaches Tralee
NPWS pageSlieve Mish Mountains SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 98 km² · 1.0 km from the edge
NPWS pageStack's to Mullaghareirk Mountains, West Limerick Hills and Mount Eagle SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 268 km² · 1.3 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
Killarney National Park is 22 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
22 km south104 km²
National Park
Burren National Park
87 km north-east21 km²
2 of Ireland’s six National Parks are within 100 km of Tralee.
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
52 km of footpaths cross Tralee
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
52 km
over 46.9 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
2.4%
about 1.1 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
3
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
TraleeCo. Kerry townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths1.1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
TraleeCo. Kerry townsTypical Irish town
Woodland2.4%
0%50%100%
Tralee has less footpath per km² than 67% of Irish towns and less woodland than 55% 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 Tralee
52 km of footpaths are mapped in Tralee and the kilometre around it, 1.1 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Long-distance wayGreenway
Dingle Way162.9 km
North Kerry Way43.7 km
Kingdom of Kerry Greenways - Tralee to Fenit13.6 km
The Dingle Way (163 km end to end) passes through Tralee. One cycling or paddling trail also starts within 5 km.
9 more waymarked walks on OpenStreetMap
NationalLocal
Slí na Sláinte Tralee9.7 km
The Dingle Way5.5 km
Estate Trail Path4.8 km
Red Route1.5 km
Eastern Trail1.3 km
Orange Route1.3 km
Green Route0.9 km
Blue Route0.8 km
Garden Loop0.6 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 Tralee: 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) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
| Rain (mm) | 153 | 113 | 95 | 83 | 74 | 78 | 85 | 91 | 103 | 132 | 156 | 150 |
May is the driest month (74 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 20 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.7 hours of daylight in December, and 156 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Tralee →
The coast
Tralee is near the sea
6.4% of the area within 5 km of Tralee 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
5 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
Nature reserves 1
Tralee Bay Wetlands Eco and Activity Park9.2 ha · in town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 5
Climbing Tower & Toddler Playgroundin town
DirectionsTralee Town Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Woodlands Parkin town
DirectionsSlipways 1
Plus 1 slipway 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 Tralee
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Places to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Tralee
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
MilltownCastleislandTralee
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tralee | 77% | 2.3 | 1.1 | 21% |
| Milltown 14 km | 100% | 2.1 | 0.1 | 5.1% |
| Castleisland 17 km | 77% | 2.9 | 0.3 | 12% |
In Milltown, 100% 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 Tralee
What is the biggest park in Tralee?
Town Park, 13 ha (32 acres). Mounthawk Park (6.0 ha) is second. 12 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Tralee?
Yes: 21% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 5 sites. Tralee Bay and Magharees Peninsula, West to Cloghane SAC reaches Tralee.
What are the best walks near Tralee?
3 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Dingle Way, North Kerry Way and Kingdom of Kerry Greenways - Tralee to Fenit.
How many people in Tralee live near a park?
77% 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 Tralee?
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 Tralee near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Killarney National Park, 22 km south of the town’s edge; it covers about 104 km². One more is within 100 km.
What is there to do outdoors around Tralee?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 1 nature reserve; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Tralee’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).