From the small town of Glendalough (meaning valley of the two lakes), lies many different trails within the Wicklow Mountains National Park. With varying lengths and difficulty levels, we decided to do the popular and rewarding Spinc Loop (White Route). Another great day trip from Dublin, that can even be reached by public transport. Below is a guide to hiking in Wicklow Mountains National Park.
At a glance:
Distance: 13km loop
Time: 4 hours
Elevation Gain: 560m
Difficulty Level: Moderate-Difficult
Monastic Site
Starting from the Glendalough Visitor Centre, walk through the nearby Monastary ruins built by monks around 1000 years ago. The ruins are full of gravestones and Celtic crosses, as well as St Kevin’s Church, the Cathedral, the Priest’s House, and the impressive 33m high Round Tower.
Founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, Glendalough was where he lived alone in a cave as a hermit amongst nature. Unfortunately for St Kevin, Glendalough began to expand and by the 9th century, was one of Ireland’s main monastic sites. The ruins are due to English forces, who destroyed the settlement back in 1398.
Lower and Upper Lake
From the monastic site, cross the bridge and turn right along the forest trail. Follow the signs along this short trail to the Lower Lake. This lake is small and pretty unimpressive, keep walking along the flat trail for the real views at the Upper Lake! The Upper Lake is much bigger and surrounded by mountains, casting a picturesque reflection into the water. This is also where the real start of your hike begins.
Spinc Trail
Turn left at the lake and head up, following the signs for the 9km Spinc (meaning pointed hill) Trail. Almost immediately you are taken uphill towards Poulanass Waterfall, a small waterfall surrounded by a lush forest. At the large intersection past the falls, BE CAREFUL WHICH TURN YOU TAKE. You are following the White Arrows for this hike, but we ended up taking a wrong turn (we headed straight instead of a sharp right, and somehow missed the arrow). We hiked further above and away from the lake than we were meant to, and had to turn around and go back to the intersection. From here was ANOTHER uphill battle of over 600 steps. At the top, take a brief rest and take in the views of the Lower Lake and round tower. Congrats, the steepest part is behind you!
Continue walking along the ridge of the mountain on boardwalks until the Upper Lake comes into view. Eventually you will reach a viewing platform, these are some of the best views of the two lakes. Take your time and enjoy it before your final heave over the last hill.
The views from the highest point (the Spinc) aren’t as good as the viewing platform, as you are further from the edge and can’t see the lakes as well. Keep your eyes open for wild goats though! Once you’ve made it over the highest point it’s an easy and slow descent from here along boardwalks.
As you descend into the valley, cross the bridge and enjoy some lunch at a spot along the Glenealo river. There are more great elevated views of the Upper Lake to enjoy from a different angle.
Miner’s Way
Continue down the rocky trail that zigzags into the valley. Near the base of the lake is Miner’s Way, where you’ll find leftover ruins of when people mined here for lead, zinc and silver. Mining took place here for over 150 years, from the 1790’s until 1957, with 2000 people employed at one point. The rest of the walk is again easy and flat along the edge of the lake.
This is a great day hike and took us about 4 hours (including our wrong turn and lunch break), if you hustle it could be done in about 3 – but it’s not worth rushing! When we returned to the Upper Lake we relaxed in the sunshine on the beach, and watched a few brave people run in for a swim in March.
How to get there via public transport:
Giant bus tours do make trips into the Wicklow Mountains for the day, but it’s one of the few places in Ireland that is easy to get to via public transport. The first option from Dublin Connolly Station, is to take the train to Rathdrum. The best way to get to Glendalough from here is to rent a taxi and share the cost with friends, which was about €25 total.
Another option is to take the St Kevin’s Glendalough shuttle bus which is €20 euors for a round trip from Dublin (1hr 20min each way). We decided against this option because we wanted to start earlier than when the first shuttle leaves Dublin (11:30am). There are other shuttle options that depart Dublin such as Glendalough Shuttle Bus. This service only gives you about 3 hours in the park, which is too rushed if you want to do the whole hike, but perfect if you only want to explore the lakes and trails from below the mountain ridge.
If you rent a car, it is only a 1 hour drive from Dublin. You can park in the free Lower Car Park by the Visitor Centre, giving you a chance to explore the Monastic Site. If you choose to park at the Upper Car Park near the Upper Lake, it costs €4 and only reduces your walking time by 15min.
There are bathrooms at the Visitor Centre, as well as at the Upper Lake parking lot. There were also a few food and gift vendors.
And there you have it, a guide to hiking in Wicklow Mountains National Park! Looking for more adventures in Ireland? Don’t miss making a trip out to the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, and Northern Ireland!
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