First pick
Ballyman Glen
Wood or forest
22 ha
1.5 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: William Murphy · CC BY-SA 3.070%near a park
Outdoors in Enniskerry · parks, paths & countryside
Woods cover more of Enniskerry than of 10 in 10 Irish towns
Mapped woodland takes up 24% of Enniskerry and the kilometre around it. 17 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Enniskerry, among them the Barnaslingan - Scalp Lookout Trail (Red) and Barnaslingan - Pine loop trail (Blue). Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 2.5 km away.
Near a park
70%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
2.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
25 km
1.8 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
6.2%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Knocksink Wood SAC
Woodland
24%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Enniskerry?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
Wooded country24% mapped woodland in and around town, more than 99% of Irish towns.Hills with a view5 mapped viewpoints, about 68× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 2.5 km west.Parks can be a walk away31% of residents live more than 400 m from a park or playing field.
Enniskerry’s strongest suit is its woods, followed by its views. Where it falls short is how far some homes are from a park.
Against other towns
How Enniskerry 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 walk70%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
20out of 100
Public green space2.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
34out of 100
Footpaths1.8 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
46out of 100
Protected for nature6.2%of the land within 5 km
81out of 100
Woodland24%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
100out 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
Enniskerry has the 14th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (2,000 to 3,141 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
Enniskerry1.8
Towns its size0.7
Co. Wicklow towns1.2
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Enniskerry2.6
Towns its size3.8
Co. Wicklow towns1.5
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Enniskerry70%
Towns its size83%
Co. Wicklow towns75%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Enniskerry stands out most for path per km²: only 13 of the other 39 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 26 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 | Enniskerry Wicklow | 1.8 | 24% | 6.2% | – |
| 15 | Grange Upper Waterford | 1.4 | 1.5% | 6.6% | – |
| 16 | Blarney Cork | 1.4 | 14% | 0% | – |
| 17 | Kilbarry Waterford | 1.3 | 1.6% | 5.1% | – |
| 18 | Bantry Cork | 1 | 4.4% | 0% | 18% |
| 19 | Ballina Tipperary | 0.9 | 1.8% | 4.7% | – |
| 20 | Moate Westmeath | 0.7 | 2.4% | 2.4% | – |
| 21 | Callan Kilkenny | 0.7 | 0.1% | 2.3% | – |
| 22 | Kingscourt Cavan | 0.7 | 12% | 0% | – |
| 23 | Kenmare Kerry | 0.6 | 7.2% | 6.5% | 6.4% |
| 24 | Athboy Meath | 0.6 | 1.1% | 1.5% | – |
| 25 | Bundoran Donegal | 0.5 | 2% | 5.1% | 35% |
| 26 | Muinebeag (Bagenalstown) Carlow | 0.5 | 3.9% | 2.9% | – |
| 27 | Skibbereen Cork | 0.5 | 1.7% | 1.6% | – |
| 28 | Kinnegad Westmeath | 0.3 | 4.5% | 4.5% | – |
| 29 | Donegal Donegal | 0.3 | 4% | 4.1% | 12% |
| 30 | Boyle Roscommon | 0.3 | 3.2% | 0% | – |
| 31 | Bailieborough Cavan | 0.3 | 10% | 0% | – |
| 32 | Castleisland Kerry | 0.3 | 1.7% | 12% | – |
| 33 | Kanturk Cork | 0.3 | 0% | 5.1% | – |
| 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 Enniskerry’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 Enniskerry
The biggest is Ballyman Glen, 22 ha (55 acres).
The Bog Meadow
Wood or forest
6.7 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
Centralin the middle of Enniskerry
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
7 in 10 Enniskerry 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 (70%)Further (31%)
Enniskerry70%
Co. Wicklow towns75%
Typical Irish town92%
About 600 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
6.2% of the land around Enniskerry is protected for nature
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 Enniskerry3.5%
Within 5 km6.2%
Co. Wicklow towns3.9%
Typical Irish town1.8%
5 protected sites lie within 5 km of Enniskerry. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 7.7% 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 · reaches Enniskerry
NPWS pageBallyman Glen SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.2 km² · reaches Enniskerry
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 345 km² · 1.6 km from the edge
NPWS pageWicklow Mountains SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 287 km² · 2.1 km from the edge
NPWS pageBray Head SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 2.6 km² · 4.3 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 2.5 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
2.5 km 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
25 km of footpaths cross Enniskerry
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
25 km
over 14.1 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
24%
about 3.4 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
17
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
EnniskerryCo. Wicklow townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths1.8
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
EnniskerryCo. Wicklow townsTypical Irish town
Woodland24%
0%50%100%
Enniskerry has less footpath per km² than 54% of Irish towns and more woodland than 100% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
17 waymarked trails start near Enniskerry
25 km of footpaths are mapped in Enniskerry and the kilometre around it, 1.8 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Walking trailLong-distance wayMountain access
Barnaslingan - Scalp Lookout Trail (Red)1.4 km
Barnaslingan - Pine loop trail (Blue)0.9 km
Carrickgollogan - Mountain Access route2.0 km
Dublin Mountains Way41.2 km
Carrickgollogan - Lead Mines Way - (Orange)2.3 km
Wicklow Way128.1 km
Sugar Loaf Way4.5 km
Belmont Way5.0 km
Little Sugarloaf Access Route1.0 km
Crone Woods - Maulin Mountain Loop6.6 km
Crone Woods - Mountain Access Route2.0 km
Djouce Woods - Blue Loop4.2 km
Djouce Woods - Deerpark Walk7.2 km
Bray Head Loop Walk5.9 km
Plus 3 more trails within 5 km.
For a shorter walk, the Belmont Way is 5.0 km, graded strenuous. 8 cycling or paddling trails also start 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 Enniskerry: 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) | 8.1 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.5 | 7.6 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 112 | 94 | 86 | 81 | 78 | 77 | 64 | 74 | 81 | 118 | 141 | 127 |
July is the driest month (64 mm) and the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.6 hours of daylight in December, and 141 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Enniskerry →
The coast
Bathing waters near Enniskerry
2.2% of the area within 5 km of Enniskerry is sea. One bathing water is within 5 km.
Bray South PromenadeGood (2025) · 4.4 km from town
beaches.ieIt isn’t rated excellent this season.
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 viewpoints and 3 hills and peaks
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.
5Viewpoints68.4× the typical Irish town, per resident3Hills and peaks4Nature reserves4Playgrounds1.5× the typical Irish town, per resident
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Enniskerry has 68.4× as many as the typical Irish town. The highest named top on the map is Carrickgollogan Hill, at 328 m, 1.3 km from town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Plus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 3
Carrickgollogan Hill328 m · 1.3 km from town
DirectionsBarnaslingan Hill290 m · 1.3 km from town
DirectionsCarrigoona242 m · 1.5 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 4
The Bog Meadow6.7 ha · 0.0 km from town
DirectionsBallyman Glen22 ha · 0.6 km from town
DirectionsKnocksink Wood84 ha · 0.6 km from town
DirectionsBarnaslingan Wood42 ha · 1.4 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 4
Plus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
3 gardens and nature sites to visit near Enniskerry
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Powerscourt House & GardensGarden · 0.8 km from town
Its pageFestina Lente GardensGarden · 2.4 km from town
Its pageGreat Sugar Loaf MountainNature site · 3.9 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Enniskerry
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
KilmacanogueBrayShankillCabinteelyKillineyStepasideEnniskerry
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enniskerry | 70% | 2.6 | 1.8 | 6.2% |
| Kilmacanogue 3.4 km | 86% | 1.7 | 2.1 | 4.3% |
| Bray 3.9 km | 89% | 2.9 | 2.1 | 3.4% |
| Shankill 5.7 km | 86% | 8.9 | 3.6 | 3.8% |
| Cabinteely 7.4 km | 100% | 12.0 | 5.1 | 1.1% |
| Killiney 7.4 km | 100% | 13.6 | 6.0 | 0.5% |
| Stepaside 7.7 km | 98% | 4.3 | 4.3 | 6.4% |
In Cabinteely, 100% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park, more than here. Shankill, Cabinteely and Killiney have at least twice Enniskerry’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 Enniskerry
Is there protected countryside near Enniskerry?
Yes: 6.2% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 5 sites. Knocksink Wood SAC reaches Enniskerry.
What are the best walks near Enniskerry?
17 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Barnaslingan - Scalp Lookout Trail (Red), Barnaslingan - Pine loop trail (Blue) and Carrickgollogan - Mountain Access route.
Where can you swim near Enniskerry?
The nearest bathing water is Bray South Promenade, 4.4 km from town: Good (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Enniskerry live near a park?
70% 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 Enniskerry?
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 Enniskerry near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 2.5 km west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Enniskerry?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 5 viewpoints, 3 hills and peaks and 4 nature reserves; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Sources
Where Enniskerry’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).