Glencar Waterfall

Largandoon / Glencar Lough, County Leitrim, Ireland

About Glencar Waterfall


Hiking Distance: 800m loop
Suggested Time: about 15-30 minutes

Date first visited: 2024-07-14
Date last visited: 2024-07-14

Waterfall Latitude: 54.34044
Waterfall Longitude: -8.3678

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Glencar Waterfall is a popular excursion on the north shore of Glencar Lough (Glencar Lake) in County Leitrim just to the east of its border with County Sligo.

This waterfall’s popularity stood out to me because I didn’t really see nor understand why this was the case.

Glencar_Falls_043_07142024 - Glencar Waterfall
Glencar Waterfall

After all, the falls was fairly mid-sized and plunging with a height of 50ft (roughly 15m) as there were plenty of other waterfalls that seemed to be less popular that actually exceeded this in height and/or width.

It’s also kind of in a seemingly quieter part of the northwest of the Republic of Ireland, and yet there was a tea house as well as an ice cream truck or snack vendor in its parking lot (further confirming its popularity).

I suspect the main reason why this place was so well-visited had to do with its association to the Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet William Butler Yeats.

Yeats could very well have been inspired or at least made a direct reference to the Glencar Waterfall in his work “The Stolen Child”.

Glencar_010_iPhone_07142024 - This was what appeared to be a swimming area in the Glencar Lough just 300m west of the car park for the Glencar Waterfall
This was what appeared to be a swimming area in the Glencar Lough just 300m west of the car park for the Glencar Waterfall

Further adding to this place’s appeal, about 300m west of the car park for the waterfall was an area providing swimming access to the Glencar Lough.

As for experiencing the Glencar Waterfall, I merely had to go on a gentle nature walk in a figure-8 loop of about 800-900m in length.

In the lower part of the loop, there were branching paths allowing you to choose whether to stick close to the stream (minor rapids and all) or to go on a wider, more direct path.

These lower paths eventually converge near a bridge fronting a trail junction with a bench and a circular “roundabout”.

Glencar_Falls_017_07142024 - Following a narrower branch of the lower loop path that stayed close to the intermediate rapids on the stream on the way up to the Glencar Waterfall
Following a narrower branch of the lower loop path that stayed close to the intermediate rapids on the stream on the way up to the Glencar Waterfall

This trail junction marked the beginning and end of the upper part of the loop, where signs had us walk this upper loop in a counterclockwise manner.

On the approach to the Glencar Waterfall, the best viewing spot was where the trail veered to the left right before a lookout yielding a profile view of the falls at the base of ascending steps.

This was the only clean view of the waterfall that I was able to get.

So after having my fill of this spot, I then continued going up the steps, which led to the rim of the gorge skirting by someone’s open pasture (though the trail still remained beneath tree cover).

Glencar_Falls_072_07142024 - Looking back at what I called the 'roundabout' with a rest bench, which marked the beginning and end of the counterclockwise upper loop of the Glencar Waterfall excursion
Looking back at what I called the ’roundabout’ with a rest bench, which marked the beginning and end of the counterclockwise upper loop of the Glencar Waterfall excursion

Eventually, this upper loop circled back to the “roundabout” with a rest bench, and that was where I then just went back to the car park via the wider, more direct route.

Overall, I wound up spending about 35 minutes away from the car on the waterfall excursion alone, but I easily could have lingered at the tea room or snacked away at the food truck in the car park.

Authorities

The Glencar Waterfall is straddles the County Sligo/Leitrim border near the city of Sligo, but it’s actually in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is managed by the Leitrim County Council. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the Leitrim Tourism website.

Glencar_Falls_001_07142024 - Serene view of the Glencar Lough as seen from the car park for the Glencar Waterfall
Glencar_Falls_006_07142024 - Looking down the narrow road connecting the Devil's Chimney to the Glencar Waterfall car park as seen before crossing the road to get to the trail leading up to the Glencar Waterfall
Glencar_Falls_011_07142024 - About to cross the street and head up to the Glencar Waterfall walk
Glencar_Falls_018_07142024 - Looking down the more direct trail in the lower part of the Glencar Waterfall Walk
Glencar_Falls_023_07142024 - Approaching a pedestrian 'roundabout' by a rest bench marking the start and end of the 'upper loop' for the Glencar Waterfall walk
Glencar_Falls_030_07142024 - Long exposure portrait look at the front of the Glencar Waterfall from a lookout between the pedestrian 'roundabout' and the actual lookout
Glencar_Falls_038_07142024 - This was the view of the Glencar Waterfall from the main lookout
Glencar_Falls_041_07142024 - Portrait look at the Glencar Waterfall in long exposure
Glencar_006_iPhone_07142024 - Wide contextual look at the Glencar Waterfall from its lookout
Glencar_Falls_058_07142024 - Looking down towards the context of the lookout for the Glencar Waterfall as I as ascending the steps to complete the 'upper loop'
Glencar_Falls_060_07142024 - Continuing up the steps leading up to the rim of the small gorge skirting an open pasture after continuing up the 'upper loop' beyond the Glencar Waterfall lookout
Glencar_Falls_063_07142024 - Approaching an open pasture part of the hike after the 'upper loop' part topped out and skirted the rim of the gorge
Glencar_Falls_075_07142024 - Descending towards the trailhead along the more direct part of the 'lower loop'
Glencar_Falls_080_07142024 - The table area of the tea house at the trailhead for the Glencar Waterfall
Glencar_Falls_082_07142024 - Looking back towards the car park after having left the tea house and ending the Glencar Waterfall excursion
Glencar_Falls_097_07142024 - About 300m from the Glencar Waterfall was what appeared to be swimming area at the Glencar Lough
Glencar_013_iPhone_07142024 - Broad look towards the Glencar Lough and viewing bench from what appeared to be the swimming area of the lake


The Glencar Waterfall is located near the city of Sligo.

That said, the waterfall straddles the Leitrim side of the county border between Sligo and Leitrim.

Drive_to_Devils_Chimney_032_MingSung_07142024 - On the narrow access road descending from the N16 and leading to both the Devil's Chimney and the Glencar Waterfall
On the narrow access road descending from the N16 and leading to both the Devil’s Chimney and the Glencar Waterfall

I’ll describe the approach to the Glencar Waterfall from Sligo since that was where we stayed at the time.

From Sligo, the most straightforward route would be to follow the N16 Road for about 7.5km before reaching the signed turnoff for Glencar Waterfall on the left.

We then took this access road and followed it for about 4.8km to the well-established car park for the Glencar Waterfall and the Glencar Lough.

This car park was roughly 1.6km east of the elongated lay-by opposite the Glencar Lough for the Devil’s Chimney.

Glencar_Falls_003_07142024 - The busy car park for the Glencar Waterfall
The busy car park for the Glencar Waterfall

Overall, this nearly 13km drive should take about 15 minutes though there was some road construction on the N16 requiring us to wait at lights as we going on a brief detour to avoid the construction zone.

For context, Sligo was about 23km (less than 30 minutes drive) west of Manorhamilton, 64km (under an hour drive) south of Donegal, about 138km (under 2 hours drive) north of Galway, about 86 miles (under 2 hours drive) southwest of Londonderry (Northern Ireland), 124 miles (about 2.5 hours drive) west of Belfast (Northern Ireland), and 209km (about 2.5 hours drive) northwest of Dublin.

Find A Place To Stay

Downstream to upstream sweep starting from a bridge showing some lower cascades before walking closer to a lookout before the steps before the main falls


Checking out the falls from the nearest spot to see it

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Tagged with: sligo, leitrim, largandoon, glencar lough, ireland, popular, ulster



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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