Derryclare Lough
4.5 miles (7.3 km)This walk visits Derryclare Lough and the Derryclare Nature Reserve in County Galway.
The reserve is located at the northern end of the lake and includes peaceful footpaths with views of the lough.... Established in 1980 and managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, it safeguards one of the few remaining areas of native oak woodland in Ireland.
The woodland is dominated by sessile oak, with birch, holly, hazel and rowan also present. The ground layer includes typical Atlantic woodland plants such as bluebell, wood sorrel, wood anemone, primrose and ferns. This habitat supports a range of woodland birds and mammals, and the reserve is notable for a population of native red squirrels reintroduced in 2005, which have since become established in the area.
A short walking trail passes through the woodland and along the edge of Derryclare Lough. The lake sits beneath the Twelve Bens and the Maumturk Mountains, giving wide mountain views from the shoreline. The lough is also known for its freshwater fish, including brown trout, and forms an integral part of the reserve’s landscape and ecology.
You can continue your walking at the nearby Lough Inagh.
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Nearby Routes
Lough Inagh Clifden Castle Sky Road Kylemore Abbey Killary Fjord Lough Bofin and The Quiet Man Bridge Derroura Woods
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