A quiet Coillte forest on the lower slopes of the Comeragh Mountains, and the trailhead for the steep, spectacular climb to Coumshingaun Lough. Once part of the Curraghmore Estate, it is woodland, stream and big mountain views all in one stop.
The signature walk is the Coumshingaun Lough Loop, a roughly 6.13 km circuit climbing steeply from the car park to a horseshoe ridgeline above a glacial corrie lake. Allow 3 to 4 hours, go clockwise, and expect scrambling: waterproof boots and a head for heights are essential, and the weather rolls in fast on the exposed top.
A small picnic site sits by the car park beside the stream Uisce Solas, or bright water, which flows down off the Comeraghs. The trail starts right here by the picnic bench, so it is the natural place to begin and end.
If the full loop is too much, walk from the car park to the bottom of the lake and back, about 1.8 km each way. It still climbs, but rewards you with the cliff face and clear water without committing to the ridge.
Walking trails thread through coniferous woodland of Sitka spruce, Scots pine, Norway spruce, European larch and Western hemlock. Watch for red squirrels in the canopy, fallow deer, foxes and badgers, and peregrine falcon or hen harrier overhead.
Two Comeragh curiosities are a short drive away: Mahon Falls and the Magic Road, where a car parked at the bottom of a slope seems to roll back uphill when you release the brake. Dungarvan, about 20 minutes off, is the nearest town for food.
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