The best hiking routes in County Limerick

County Limerick lacks the high, jagged peaks of Ireland's far west, offering instead a landscape of low-lying farmland, tidal flats, and gentle limestone hills. In the north, the terrain is defined by the wide Shannon Estuary, where the walking follows flat, exposed embankments over salt marshes and alluvial clay. This is a working agricultural county, meaning many paths skirt active pastures, drainage ditches, and quiet farm lanes rather than wilderness.

Further south, the ground rises into the volcanic hills of the Lough Gur area and the sandstone ridges of the Ballyhoura Mountains. Here, the underfoot conditions transition from muddy field paths to gravel forestry tracks and sections of peat. You will notice how the limestone geology shapes the landscape, with ancient stone forts and craggy outcrops rising directly from the green dairy pastures.

In November, the deciduous woodlands around Curraghchase lose their leaves, revealing the grey limestone ruins of the old estate. While the popular forest trails near the larger towns can be busier with local families, the upland forestry tracks in the south offer a much quieter, more solitary walking experience.