Visit Ballycroy National Park.

Ballycroy National Park is a wilderness park in County Mayo. Classified as Ireland’s 6th national park, it covers over 11,000 hectares of mountains, forests, moorland and peat bogs… Lakes are also part of the landscape, offering magnificent views of the surrounding area. A true paradise for wilderness lovers!

Visit Ballycroy National Park

Geography

The park is located on the west coast of the island of Ireland, in north-west County Mayo. It covers an area of 11,000 hectares, dominated by the Nephin Beg massif. The two highest peaks are Slieve Carr (721 m) and Nephin Beg (627 m). To the west of the mountains lies the Owenduff peat bog.

An exceptional park, full of activities!

Ballycroy Park is criss-crossed by an imposing mountain range known as Nephin Beg. Slieve Carr, at 721 metres, is the most imposing mountain. It offers breathtaking views over the entire park.

The park is above all famous for Owenduff, a gigantic peat bog known to scientists as one of the most interesting active peat bogs in Western Europe. Its fauna is of rare diversity, and offers visitors an exceptional view.

Ballycroy Park has a Visitor Centre, located in the village of Ballycroy, on Route 59 between Mulranny and Bangor Erris. Don’t hesitate to ask them which trails are passable: there are many possible hikes in the area.
Don’t forget to bring a backpack, something to eat and drink, something to cover up in case of rain, and above all, a good camera to immortalize your exploration! The site is magnificent: feel free to explore (but never go off on your own).

Biodiversity

he park’s natural habitats are highly diverse. There are highland meadows, dry and wet moors, lakes and rivers. The most common habitat is blanket bog, which covers most of the park. These bogs are some of the last intact in Ireland, and indeed in the whole of Western Europe.

The park’s wildlife is of rare diversity, offering particular interest to nature lovers. Numerous species of animals and plants find refuge in the park, some of which are endemic to this region.