Natural Wonders in Co. Cork
3 places
1.Gougane Barra National Forest Park
Six free trails in a horseshoe mountain valley
A glaciated valley of sitka spruce and heather ringing a lake where St Finbarr founded a monastery in the 6th century. The infant River Lee rises among the surrounding peaks.
- Highlights
- Six waymarked trails for all abilities
- 3 km scenic forest drive
- St Finbarr's Oratory on a lake island
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
2.Mullinhassig Wood & Waterfalls, Aghavrin
A hidden waterfall glen with a sub-2km loop
A small Coillte woodland near Coachford where the Glashagarriff River tumbles through a steep, mossy glen into the Poulanassig waterfall and its plunge pool. Two linked trails, under 2 km in all, let you see it from above and from the water's edge.
- Highlights
- Poulanassig Waterfall and its plunge pool
- Upper and lower loop trails (less than 2 km)
- Mermaid folklore in the pool
3.Ballard Waterfall Forest Recreational Area
A hidden waterfall at the end of a 5.4km forest loop
A quiet, waymarked forest loop just outside Mitchelstown that ends at a hidden waterfall tumbling through a rocky gorge on the Muchnagh River.
- Highlights
- 5.4 km moderate waymarked loop, about 1.5 hours
- Hidden waterfall on the Muchnagh River with a timber viewing deck
- Two timber footbridges in a deep wooded valley