A freshwater Blue Flag beach and lakeside park on Lough Derg's Clare shore, backed by the woods and trails of Ballycuggeran. People come for a picnic, a swim off the wooden jetties and a flat shore walk in from Killaloe.
Two Mile Gate is one of the area's blue-flagged beaches and a designated freshwater bathing area — a rarity in Ireland. It's the classic local spot for a picnic and a swim, with views across the lake to the Tipperary hills.
Quaint wooden jetties and pontoons jut into the water just past the car park — take the small dirt path on the right-hand side, through the trees. The lake bed is stony, so wear beach shoes or wetsuit booties.
The amenity area beside the beach has public BBQ pits, making it an easy family cook-out spot with a lake view.
Trail 013 runs from Killaloe to Twomilegate (Ballycuggeran): 5km one way, roughly 3 hours 40 minutes, suited to guided beginners and independent intermediate paddlers. The Blueway as a whole has 21 paddling trails.
Based at Two Mile Gate, the UL Sport Adventure Centre teaches canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and windsurfing, and runs giant SUP and water orienteering sessions. Activities must be pre-booked.
The inflatable West Lake Aqua Park at Ballycuggeran lets kids run, slide, bounce and splash over a floating obstacle course on the lake.
The Ballycuggeran loop forestry walk starts just across the road; fitter walkers can push on to the summit of Moylussa, Clare's highest peak at 532m, for panoramas over Lough Derg.
A pathway links Killaloe all the way to Two Mile Gate, about 5km, so you can arrive car-free along the shore.
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