Dog-Friendly Walks in Dublin and Wicklow

Dublin has a coast, a big city park and mountains half an hour away, and most of it is open to dogs. The rule that matters most is simple: in the hills there are sheep, so the lead stays on. Here are walks we checked against the council, park or forest’s own page in October 2026.

In and around the city

Killiney Hill Park, Dún Laoghaire. One of the few parks in Dublin where your dog can be off the lead, with views over Killiney Bay. Restricted breeds must stay on the lead here (DLR). Park on Burton Road.

North Bull Island, Dollymount. Miles of sand and dunes. It’s split into zones: dogs on a lead in the dunes, where birds nest on the ground, and off the lead on the green-zone beach outside bathing season, or outside 11 am to 8 pm in summer. Keep out of the salt marsh and the wildlife area at the northern tip (Dublin City Council).

Phoenix Park. Huge and open all day. Dogs can run in most of it, but keep the lead on near the deer, in the People’s Gardens, by the horse trekking and on the cycle lanes. No more than three dogs each, and watch the signs in fawning season (OPW code). Chasing the deer is an offence.

Marlay Park, Rathfarnham. Lead on in the park, with a separate off-lead area for dogs. The Wicklow Way starts here if you want to keep going.

Howth Cliff Path. A 7.8 km loop from Howth station along the cliffs, with seabirds and big views. We found no official dog rule for the path, but it’s narrow in places with steep drops, so a lead is the safe choice.

The Dublin Mountains

Ticknock, Fairy Castle Loop. About 6 km and under two hours from the forest car park, up to Fairy Castle. Above 300 m, the Dublin Mountains Partnership asks for dogs on a lead, because of sheep and ground-nesting birds like red grouse and skylark (Sport Ireland). The car park is open 6 am to 10 pm.

Wicklow

Glendalough. Nine trails from the Upper Lake car park, from a 1 km stroll to St Kevin’s Cell to the 11.5 km Spinc and Wicklow Way loop. Dogs must be on a lead everywhere in the national park. The park also asks people not to bring dogs between 10 am and 5 pm, when it’s busiest, after goats and deer were attacked (Wicklow Mountains National Park). Go early or late, and watch for feral goats on the Miners’ Road.

Djouce Woods. The Deerpark Walk is about 7 km and three hours, from the Long Hill car parks near Roundwood. Dogs on a lead.

The Devil’s Glen, Ashford. A waterfall walk of about 4.5 km and the Seamus Heaney Walk, both in forest. Dogs on a lead. The car park gate closes at 5 pm in winter.

Sugar Loaf Way, Kilmacanogue. A 4.5 km walk from the 1916 Commemorative Garden, about an hour or so. Dogs on a lead.

Powerscourt Waterfall welcomes dogs on a lead, but Powerscourt House and Gardens don’t allow dogs other than guide dogs. Check powerscourt.com before you go; we couldn’t read their pages ourselves.

Closed for now

Bray to Greystones cliff walk. Closed until further notice after landslides; in July 2026 it was still shut for safety. Check bray.ie before you plan it.

Where dogs can’t go

• Dublin Zoo: no pets. Guide dogs are looked after while you visit (Dublin Zoo).
• National Botanic Gardens and the Garden of Remembrance: no dogs at all (OPW).
• Playgrounds, cafes and walled gardens in OPW parks: no dogs.
• Powerscourt Gardens: see above.
• Restricted breeds on Coillte land: Coillte’s forest bye-laws bar the restricted breeds, which covers Ticknock, Djouce and the Devil’s Glen (bye-laws). Ask Coillte if you’re unsure.

Sheep: keep the lead on

This is the one rule worth taking seriously. In Ireland it’s an offence if your dog worries livestock, and that includes chasing, not just biting. A farmer can, in the narrow cases the law allows, shoot a dog that is worrying sheep (Control of Dogs Act 1986). The Department of Agriculture’s advice is plain: “keep your dog on a lead at all times when in the countryside. Even a ‘good’ dog can turn into a killer” (gov.ie). Lambing season, in spring, is the worst time for a loose dog.

Before you go

• Licence and ID. Your dog needs a licence (€20 a year) and a microchip, and a dog warden can ask to see the licence. More in our Dublin dog guide.
• Bags. Leaving the poo is a €250 fine.
• Getting there. The DART only takes a small dog on your lap, so for the mountains and Wicklow you’ll mostly need a car.
• Short days. In winter, forest car parks close early and it’s dark by five. Start in the morning.