Ards Forest Park: A Local Treasure in Ireland

Ards Forest Park is one of those unique, under the radar destinations that I love discovering.

The locals — in this case the Irish — know about it.

But it’s not a spot that you’ll find in all the guidebooks.

And that’s what makes it so special — because you get to hang out with the locals and not just other travelers.

Not that I don’t like my fellow travelers.

Because I do.

But it’s so nice to be amongst the people of the country or region you are visiting.

So what’s this park all about?

 

Where is Ards Forest Park?

Ards is located in northern County Donegal just 6km from one of my favorite Irish towns, Dunfanaghy.

It’s just off the N56 as you drive to Creeslough and it’s well posted so you can’t miss it.

There are actually a couple of different turnoffs for it.

One will take you into the forested park area.

The other takes you to Ards Friary where there is a church, a retreat center and a coffee shop.

Either one will take you to trails.

Even though the Friary/Retreat Center and Ards Park are managed by 2 different entities, the trails all connect.

 

Does it cost to visit?

It does cost to enter Ards Forest Park through the main gate if you are driving.

But it’s only €5 and well worth it.

If you take the road to Ards Friary, there is a lot of parking in front of the church and retreat center.

But I cannot remember if I paid to park here and I don’t see anything on the website about it.

On less busy days, you can find parking along the N56 at the park’s main gate.

 

What is Ards Forest Park all about?

Believe it or not, it’s not just about the forest.

It’s also about some beautiful beaches, salt marshes and lakes.

I’ll get to those in a minute.

Ards Forest Park covers 1200 acres.

The part that belongs to the Friary covers 200 acres.

So there’s quite a bit to explore.

Let’s start with the forest.

It’s beautiful!

There are spots that seem a bit eerie.

I expect to see fairies and leprechauns.

But really, the walks through the forest are peaceful.

There are also salt water marshes and lakes where you can find all kinds of birds and other wildlife.

Then there are the beaches and sand dunes.

The beaches are gorgeous.

You’ll definitely want to walk on them!

And the trails are easy walking as you make your way through all these different habitats.

In fact there are about 9 different trails that you can connect together.

It’s easy enough to spend the better part of a day here — walking on the trails, playing on the beaches and maybe even having a picnic if the weather allows.

 

What’s so great about this park?

I visited this park twice on my recent visit to Dunfanaghy.

The first time I went, I parked at the Friary.

It was the Saturday of Easter weekend and the weather was quite nice.

Ards Forest Park was busy — with Irish people.

Many of them were from other parts of Ireland.

But I wasn’t surrounded by Americans or Germans or English.

It definitely had a more local vibe to it which I quite liked.

In fact, I met some folks from Dublin and ran into them later in Dunfanaghy where they were staying for their Easter holiday.

I was so surprised by this park — the wonderful trails, the beaches and the beauty of the forest.

On my second visit, I parked by the Ards Forest Park entrance, along the N56.

The weather was a bit Irish-like with some misty rain.

It was a weekday.

And there were only a few folks in this part of the park.

But the walk by the salt marsh and into the forest was wonderful.

The trail lead me through the forest then took me out to the sand dunes and a beach.

Again, I was surprised at how beautiful and how diverse this park is.

I love that I can visit as a solo person and that it’s also a great place for families, couples or groups of friends.

 

So what do you think of Ards Forest Park?

Would you visit this park on your trip to County Donegal?

I think it’s an unknown treasure in this part of Ireland — at least for outsiders.

The Irish are in the know!

But if you’re looking for some time in nature and to spend time in a spot where the locals are, then Ards Forest Park is the place for you.