Ard na Mona Wood

Ard na Mona Wood is a short, easy loop through native woodland near Donegal, covering 1.9 km / 1.2 mi with 34 m / 112 ft of climbing and taking about half an hour. The route reaches a highest point of 64 m / 209 ft and makes a gentle introduction to walking for anyone looking for a brief outing in the trees close to Lough Eske.

The route

This is a loop route, so it returns to its starting point without retracing the whole walk. A main track runs into the reserve and a circular path branches off just inside the entrance before rejoining the main avenue, creating a compact woodland circuit. The walk is short, but some sections can be steep and parts of the path may be wet.

Getting there

The walk starts near Donegal and the reserve lies about 5 km north-east of Donegal Town, just west of Lough Eske. There is free car parking at the trailhead, making it straightforward to reach by car for a short outing from town or from the Lough Eske area.

Woodland and wildlife

Ard na Mona is a native oak wood nature reserve with alder, oak, ash, rowan and birch in the canopy, and holly, hazel and willow below. The woodland is noted for its botanical interest, including old oak habitat and a rich ground flora with plants such as bluebell, foxglove, wood sorrel and wild garlic. Red squirrels are also known from the area.

Terrain and practicalities

With only 1.9 km / 1.2 mi to cover and modest elevation change, this is an easy walk best suited to a relaxed stroll rather than a full day out. Even so, the woodland setting means sturdy footwear is useful when the ground is damp, and the steeper sections make it unsuitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs.