Castlewellan Forest Park – Lakeside Walk
This walk circumnavigates Castlewellan Lake providing good views of Slievenaslat and Castlewellan Castle.
The Green / Easy mountain bike trail also follows this trail, which is on well maintained wide forest paths and relatively flat.
County Down
Distance 2.4 miles
OS Map Sheet 29
Terrain Easy
Nearest Town Castlewellan
Route Shape Circular
Grid Reference J335364
Route Type Forest, Lakeland, Woodland
Part of the new Castlewellan Walking Trails launched in November 2014, this trail is signposted from the Lakeside car park – follow the green waymarkers. This is also the Green / Easy mountain bike trail.
This relatively flat trail leads around Castlewellan Lake, a natural lake extended by the Annesley family early in the 19th centuary. With excellent views across the lake and the surrounding woodland the trail passes close to the Ice House and the iconic Castle built in 1856.
This is an ‘Easy’ walk suitable for most people in good health including those with limited mobility and some buggies. Surfaces are even and consistent throughout. The gradient is relatively flat.
This walk is situated in a working forest environment and may be subject to diversion and closure from time to time.
Up to date information is available on the Forest Service web site
Ice House, views of Castlewellan Castle
From Castlewellan the forest is signposted from Main Street.
Translink – journeyplanner.translink.co.uk
Car park (fee charged), café, toilets (disabled access), picnic areas, The Peace Maze, Activity Centre, lecture room/ classroom, camping & caravaning, orienteering route, mountain bike trails. The following facilities are available for users with limited mobility: – Café (wheelchair accessible) – Disabled toilets – Disabled parking.
Grade 3
- The path may not be hard and firm in all weathers with loose stones (not bigger than 5cm) with occasional tree roots and pot holes and will be at least 1m wide for its entire length.
- The path will not be steeper than 6° or have a cross slope of greater than 6°.
- There will not be any obstacles such as steps or stiles and surface breaks will be between 12mm and 75mm in width.
- There will be a clear head height of greater than 2.10m for the entire length of the route.
- There will be passing places at least every 150m and rest areas at least every 1km.
Comments will be reviewed and those that cause offence will be removed. This is at the discretion of WalkNI.
We want everyone to be able to enjoy the walking routes listed on WalkNI safely and easily.
If you have come across any problems whilst walking a route, please let us so we can pass on any issues to the appropriate management body responsible for maintaining the walk.
Walk Route
Castlewellan Forest Park – Lakeside Walk
Stayed at the castle weekend past there and each night we would take the walk around the lake. It is brilliant a good enough distance for your heart to pump and the views of the lake itself and the mountains on background is really hard to beat anywhere else 👍
Just back from a weekend in Castlewellan Forest park campsite. Lake side walk was lovely, peace and quiet and at night a bbq and camp fire. Liked it so much we booked in for the next few weekends.