5 Reasons You Need to Explore the Unique Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park Ireland
Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park is Ireland’s newest national park.
And while I only made a quick drive through this area, this park is one I want to explore more and one that I’m recommending to you.
This is a gorgeous, unique and time worthy destination as well as a spot for those of you seeking something a bit off the main tourist trail.
As always, we’ll begin with the where.
Where is this Irish National Park?
This incredible park in located in County Mayo.
And specifically Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park is in the northern part of this county between the towns of Mallaranny and Bangor Erris.
You can get there from the fun town of Westport in about 45 minutes to an hour by car.
This park was first established in 1998 as Ballycroy National Park.
In 2017 it was expanded to include the Nephin Beg mountain range.
Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park is 11,000 hectares so it’s a good-sized park.
It’s an under visited piece of Ireland and in the middle of nowhere — 2 aspects that make it worthy of time.
So why else should you visit?
And what makes Wild Nephin Ballycroy so special and unique?
5 Reasons to Visit Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park
Off the Main Tourist Track
First of all, Ireland’s newest national park is also its least visited park.
It’s located in a less dense population area so it doesn’t draw as many visitors from outside of Ireland.
This is simply because it’s not on the main tourist trail like Killarney National Park in County Kerry.
So if you want to visit a spot that sees fewer people then Wild Nephin Ballycroy is the place for you.
Sure, it will take a bit more time to get here.
But once you do you’ll be rewarded with peace and quiet.
Blanket Bog
The West of Ireland has a lot of bog land.
Connemara in County Galway has some incredible tracts of bog.
Be sure to check out Connemara National Park!
Here in Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park you’ll find Owenduff bog.
Owenduff is one of the last intact active blanket bog system in Ireland and in Western Europe.
This bog is a significant scientific and scenic feature of the park.
So much grows and lives in these blanket bogs.
They’re like the rain forests of Ireland with lots of flora and fauna in them — even wee little micro organisms we can’t see with the naked eye.
This active blanket bog is what makes Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park so special and unique — and why you should visit!
Nephin Beg Mountains
The addition of this mountain range to the park was a great idea.
You know me — I love mountains.
So of course I’m all for adding mountains to a national park!
But it really was a natural addition since these mountains are next to the bog land that comprise the original Ballycroy National Park.
There is some forested area along the mountain range as well.
The Nephin range looks over the bogs so it does dominate the landscape of the park.
Nephin is actually the highest peak of the range at 806m (2646 ft).
You can climb it as it’s not particularly long at 10km.
But since this is Ireland and weather is an issue, do tackle it only if you have decent weather and have a bit of experience hiking mountainous trails.
Speaking of trails….
Trails for Walking and Hiking
Another great reason to visit Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park is to get out on some trails.
If tackling Nephin is not your cup of Irish tea, there are other trails such as the Letterkeen Loop trails that range from 6-12km.
These trails also range in difficulty so be sure to choose one that fits your fitness level.
The Bangor Trail looks like a challenging one at 40km.
It starts in Bangor Erris and finishes in Newport.
The Bangor Trail is an old road through the Nephin Beg range that used to be the main route from Bangor to Newport.
While this route was pretty popular at one point, it’s a bit more challenging now due to the terrain so it’s a bit quieter.
This is not a beginner path so if you decide to walk it, do be sure you are an experienced walker/hiker.
The one trail I did walk a little ways on is the Claggan Mountain Coastal Trail.
This boardwalk path is just 2km and it sits along a gorgeous coastal bay.
You can’t miss the parking area off the main N59 for the trailhead.
Do get out on this trail.
On my next visit to Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park, I plan to get out on a few trails for sure.
Dark Sky Park
The best thing about Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park is that — as of 2016 — it also became the Mayo Dark Sky Park.
The Mayo Dark Sky Park also encompasses some areas outside the national park.
What is a dark sky park?
These are areas where the skies are pristine and dark — free of light pollution — so you can actually see tons of stars, the planets, the Milky Way and often meteor showers.
Dark Sky Parks are special places — there aren’t many of them.
And Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park is one of these unique and very special spots in the world.
One more reason to visit this Irish national park!
Check out this article from the International Dark Sky Association website on how the Mayo Dark Sky Park came to be.
Are You Sold on Visiting Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park?
Personally, I can’t wait to return to this park to explore more.
This national park in Ireland fascinates me with its diverse landscape and the dark sky park designation.
I remember driving through it and thinking how wonderful it would be to have some time to explore.
So I highly recommend a full day or 2 and not just a drive through.
If you’ve spent some time in Wild Nephin Ballycroy, I’d love to hear from you.
Leave a comment below!
Some additional resources:
Towns to base yourself include Mallarany, Bangor Erris or the the village of Ballycroy where the Visitor’s Center is located.
Please note that Wander Your Way does not recommend travel at this time due to the current global health situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, many destinations and attractions found on this website will not be operating although some places have opened. Please stay up to date using official sources like the WHO and CDC.
I do plan to continue to write about incredible destinations and to offer tips on travel to Europe, so that you will find some solace in these posts — so you dream about travel and learn about travel. This way when we can all travel again, you’ll be ready to go! For now, stay home (or close to home) and stay safe!
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Wow I’ve never been to Ireland, but when I go I am definitely adding this to the list! It looks amazing!!
I do highly recommend Ireland in general.
There are so many great views throughout this national park! I’ve been to Ireland a couple of times but haven’t heard of this spot before.
I hadn’t heard of it either until I saw it on map as I planned out a trip a few years ago. I knew I’d simply be driving through it then. So now it’s time to go back and explore more.
Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park looks beautiful! I’m surprised it doesn’t attract more visitors, even if it is a little further afield. It looks like a stunning place to explore without hoards of crowds though! What an incredible hidden gem! Thanks for the great guide!
You’re welcome. And yes, it needs to be on more Ireland itineraries.
What a gooorgeous area! We used to visit County Mayo quite regularly, but somehow I never made it to Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park. I looove the look of the mountains, the bogs and all those gorgeous views. I especially like the look of the boardwalk! I am used to getting wet soggy feet hiking near the bogs in areas like this!!
Yes, the bog area is so intriguing — even if exploring it means wet feet!
This park seems so awesome. I’m a big fan of doing things that aren’t on the tourist map- although I did get engaged at the Cliffs of Moher haha. Thanks for sharing!!!
Well, the Cliffs of Moher are quite beautiful. But Wild Nephin Ballycroy is definitely off the tourist track and gorgeous!