Wow. Great walk. Never knew this was here…read more Lovely views and sculptures. Nice to have a bit of elevation to walk up and down. Lovely wee pizza /cafe van in the car park to help a person replenish.

This little oasis of calm is a real treat for the senses and offers some great views and lovely…read morewalks. I regularly take my dogs here at the weekends and now there's a handy coffee truck to top up on caffeine! You can either walk a stretch of the tow path towards Shaws Bridge or go towards Edenderry village. Its very pretty and a bonus is that its not quite as busy as the lower tow path near Stranmillis. National Trust which manages the area have done lots of work here in recent years including building a terrace walk up to the Rose Garden which offers some great views over the Lagan Valley. You can really appreciate why the area used to be known as the Lagan Ridge as you achieve quite a height and can see right over to Cavehill. There's the option of walking on to Giant's Ring but as it's partly on the road its not the best option for dogs or prams. There are some interesting and quirky wooden sculptures (?) all carved out of tree stumps including a totem pole thing up at the Rose garden. Lots to see and do and definitely worth the slight detour from the more popular Shaws Bridge or New Forge lane parts of the tow path

From downtown Belfast you can't really tell what awaits you. The mountain is bigger than you might…read morethink from a distance. There's at least one cave on the northern route that you can scramble up to (need to be comfortable with exposure and basic climbing). Great views of the city and surrounding countryside, even Scotland if it's not raining. There are also lots of (steep) mountain biking trails.

If you are coming from Belfast city centre, you can take most pink metro buses for Antrim Road…read more (1d, 1e, 1c etc) and get off at Strathmore. There is a huge brown sign for Belfast Castle . Take Innisfayle Park and you cant miss the CaveHill park gates. I think there are three trails. Castle (1.3km), Estate (3.9km), CaveHill (4.5km). I have been around the different trails many times. From sunny strolls with a picnic on the Estate route to running the Cavehill trail in the lashing rain, its a park that offers much to its visitors. Cavehill trail starts at Castle with a gentle hill and dips into a forest lined with flora pathways and wooded areas covered with bluebells, streams and wildlife. You can stay on main trail or wander around to explore the many trees and vegetation. Just be on the look out for mountain bikers as they take many winding, smaller routes and appear out of nowhere. The trail had a few look out points with resting stones. McArt's Fort and Napoleons nose are some of the more well known features. There are a few ways to get to top. If you dont fancy the longer track to right after cave you can go left and run up either two small paths. Much harder on the quads but quicker and a lot more rewarding. Once at the top there are wonderful panoramic views over Belfast & beyond. Some additional points: Free parking and free access to trails O2 network has coverage at top (for selfie glory) Watch out at wooden steps as many visitors have worn down the ground revealing metal stakes that were put in to secure the land. When you are on a quick sprint down its easy to catch your toe and fall (as my friend did) Bring water! Family friendly but expect to carry smaller kids on steeper parts.

Northern Ireland seemed to be a huge outdoors section of our trip around the UK and Tollymore…read moreForest Park was one of the locations we visited. There are plenty of trails around to go walking, running, dog-walking, etc. We probably saw at least 10 people with dogs as we were walking around, and, yes, we wanted to play with all of them. The dogs, not the people. The area is obviously very scenic (it's a forest!), but there are also some cool ruins, lots of bridges, sweet stepping stones, and flowing water throughout. We spent more than a few hours here, I think, and enjoyed every bit of it.

This is one of my favourite places in Northern Ireland, the forest is well maintained and cared for…read moreby the workers. Recently whole sections of the forest had to be cut down but I've been told new trees will be planted. Situated in Newcastle the views from the top of the hills are magnificent....you can see right down to the town and the sea. It costs £5 entrance fee for a car, however we have a yearly pass which is £50, this allows unlimited visits to Tollymore and also Castlewellan and Gosford country parks if I remember correctly. There are several toilet blocks, lots of car parking and usually a chip van and Ice cream van (more so at weekends and holidays). There is also a caravan/camping site which is reasonably priced and who wouldnt enjoy waking up to a view of the Mournes. Definitely worth a visit if you fancy a change from busy shops and towns.

As you drive along Crawfordsburn Road there is a little parking area and a fence - beyond this…read morefence is a beautiful, peaceful sweeping forest. This walkway is very popular with local dog walkers, ramblers and cyclists. The track is well established and the terrain is mostly flat, making it suitable for even the most unfit person. I often take my dog here and my only gripe is the lack of dog waste bins - this leads many people to lift the poo but leave it in the colorful little bag along the path - why bother lifting it if you're not going to bin it? This walkway runs along the side of Blackwood Golf Center so you can often hear and see the men and women out playing golf - I find this quite reassuring as the forest can be quite dark, looming and a little scary. The walk is part of The Ulster Way and if you fancy a really big walk you can walk from Blackwood forest all the way to Helen's bay - a beach a few miles away. That walk will take a few hours but it is picturesque, beautiful and well worth it if you have the stamina and time. A lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Ballyholme Beach and Park's grounds stretch al the way along Ballyholme Bay. The coastal walk from…read moreKingsland (Ballyholme) to Orlock Point (Groomsport) is one of the most scenic in Ireland in my opinion, whether it's the views of Belfast Lough right across to Whitehead and Carrickfergus or the bramble laden paths that snake all the way to Groomsport you'll find something that will take your breath away. Ballyholme beach itself comes equipped with public toilets (only open 9-5), a large car park and 1.3km of sand. On a hot summers day in North Down this place is absolutely jam packed - you even get local ice cream vans taking up spots in the car park to cool down sun worshipers. One thing to note is that Dogs ARE allowed at this beach off their leads. So if you have small kids who may be afraid of bounding labradors then keep them close and if you are a dog owner bring your pooch down for a dip in the Ballyholme swell. Personally I have great affection for Ballyhome Beach, it is the site of some of the greatest sandcastles ever built (by me) and it offers a beautiful summers walk along the gold coast of North Down.

One of the seven wonders of North Down and situated in glorious ballyholme, this beach and park is…read morethe go to place for dog walkers and playing children for miles around, even if the far end of the beach does smell quite badly these days...! There are two mini play parks at either end of the beach perfect for occupying smaller adults and loads of car parking spaces too... Ballyholme shops being very close also make it perfect place for a summer bbq with a few relaxing beverages with friends and the walk round the coastal path to Groomsport is a great walk with some off track paths and turns into a kind of mini-hike at times... I have amassed around 1 million hours of football playing time on these green grasses and it's good to still see kids playing tol all hours of the night here as the summer approaches...!

The tower itself is closed to the public but the grounds are accessible at any time,I'm not a hippy…read moreor anything but I really want to get up early some morning in the summer and walk up to scrabo tower and have a bowl of cornflakes as the sun rises. The views on a sunny day are fantastic over Belfast,comber and the Irish sea. The walks through the quarries and through killyneither woods are long and challenging in places, great for a bit of exercise and peace and quiet , bring food and a disposable bbq there's lots of picnic tables throughout the park. Great place to bring your kids or walk your dog. Would benefit from a shop here for drinks and snacks. You can have dinner in the golf club though.

The price is 5 pound it's good you get to walk up to the top went a hour ago just to look inside it…read morewas fun haven't been in while that's why I went today

It's a delightful place to stroll/hike/jog and there's enough to keep kids enthralled…read more It has a great play area and there's a cafe hired to a private sector company that also has a cafe in the Kilbroney Park. We get in free at least for this year as we are residents who can choose one of our parks to have free entry. The decision to charge and hike our household rates was made by incompetent folks on a hundred k a year plus who always have free parking where they work enabled by councillors who enjoy generous expenses. We are always the suckers. No doubt we'll be hit for forest park payment next time round.

The Slieve Gullion Park was a wonderful experience. This was a very active stop on our tour. It…read moreincluded a 2 mile hike up a very rocky and unstable hill. The climb was not easy but very fun. There were two level a to the hike. The first part was a bit easier than the second. At the half way point there is an area to stop and rest, beyond that, the path gets much steeper and rockier. At the top we're two stone Stone Age monuments at the top of a rocky hill. There was a small entrance to what I think was a burial chamber which I did not enter. This is an invigorating, medium difficulty hike. It was well worth the climb.

Gorgeous weekend destination with lots to do and see in the downtown area and the outskirts. Plan a…read moresummer getaway here and include taking in the lough, beaches, castle and monastery ruins, downtown area, restaurants featuring oysters, and overall natural beauty!

The park first opened in 1967. Gortin Glen Forest Park is located on the western side of the scenic…read moresperrin mountains. The trees that were planted there were coniferous trees for lumber. The park also has a on site farm. The park has a drive through tour, which is a 5 mile paved road through many breath taking and beautiful views. Thers also many stopping points during the drive through tour, where you ma realx, take photographs and admire the scenery, go for picnics, go for a walk too. There is also a indoor exhibition centre and a souvenir shop too. Its also a great place for children.

The Glengormley Park is a great area for both kids and grown ups to come and enjoy on a sunny day…read more There's a play park for the kiddies (and not so kiddies who want to play) and there's a huge lawn area to walk the dog or take a gentle stroll around. This area can be a bit dodgy, so personally I'd stay away at night as I'd say it's probably frequented by the local hoods for their late night drinking sessions, but look on the bright side, go in the day and it's a gorgeous park. We should all try to help keep our local parks in good order and keep the vandals out. Glengormley isn't' maybe quite as nice as Hazelbank or the Cave Hill but it's great for those in the area to enjoy a bit of fresh air. Plus, the kids park has all sorts of amazing rides (I'm a big kid, I would know!) It also includes the following facilities; Toilets, Car Park, Dog Bin, Bowling Green, Pavilion, Walking Routes, Historic Feature, Picnic Area, Playground, Tennis Court and Basketball Court.

Glengormley Park does the job. It's not huge, so there are no great hikes to be had, nor is there…read moreany interesting plant life that would warrant a visit. No, Glengormely Park is simply a green space in the middle of a pretty dreary village, designed to give the residents somewhere to go, and, to be fair, it does that pretty well. As the aunt of 4 children, I can honestly say that Glengormley Park is a childminders' dream. The play area is pretty well equipped and keeps the kids occupied for hours at a time. So, while it might not be spectacular, Glengormley Park provides a service - one for which I'm sure mothers all over are glad!