Farran Forest Park is a 45-hectare woodland on the southern shore of Inniscarra Lake, 20 minutes west of Cork city, with waymarked walks, a deer enclosure and a treetop adventure course in the canopy.
Two waymarked trails cover the park: the Enclosure Trail (1.1 km, 25 mins, easy) loops the deer enclosure and duck pond, while the Woodland Loop (3 km, 1 hour, moderate) takes in the full park with a homeward leg along Inniscarra Lake. A spur trail at the back leads down to Mallard Cove, where you can watch fish jumping.
The enclosure holds a herd of red and fallow deer, best seen during the autumn rut and in spring when the young arrive. The duck pond is home to mallard, teal, wigeon, shoveler and several goose species, viewable from the trail that skirts the fence.
Zipit runs colour-coded high-rope circuits from 1 m to 15 m above the forest floor, with ziplines, rope bridges and cargo nets — 86 activities in all. Sessions run up to 3 hours, minimum age 7, and spectators enter free. Book online; you must arrive 15-30 minutes before your slot.
A newly redeveloped children's playground sits near the adventure course, and there are picnic benches around the park. It is a good spot for a family picnic, with toilets on site.
Permanent orienteering courses use downloadable maps and answer sheets from the Coillte site, plus school work packs for primary and secondary groups.
The park overlooks Inniscarra Lake and the National Rowing Centre, so you can watch rowers of every level training. The lake is a 1950s reservoir created for the nearby Inniscarra hydroelectric station.
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