Start at the red-arrow trailhead immediately beside the main Peatlands Park car park, reached from Derryhubbert Road by following the park signs from M1 junction 13. This is the full Peatlands Walk through the park's woodland, raised bog and Derryadd Lough, allowing about three hours for the walk and short stops.
Follow the red waymarks around the western park paths and Mullenakill woodland, then continue north along the bog edge into Annagarriff Wood. The route turns east through the nature reserve before heading south to cross Derryvane Road and reach Derryadd Lough. Walk the complete lake circuit, then follow the marked return across Derryvane Road and through the central park paths to the starting trailhead. Take care at both road crossings: they are ordinary crossings rather than traffic-controlled crossings.
The route mixes tarmac, woodland tracks and woodchip paths. Wet surfaces can be slippery and uneven, so wear suitable footwear and keep to the established path system. DAERA requires the site manager's permission before leaving the paths in Annagarriff Nature Reserve. The open bog and lake provide a contrast to the oak and birch woodland; flowers and wildlife vary with the season. Keep dogs under control and clear up after them.
Entry and the main car park are free. Check the displayed seasonal gate closing time before leaving the car and allow enough time to return. For an autumn visit, plan to finish before 17:00 rather than relying on late access. The park railway is currently not operating. Follow any local restriction signs and turn back if a path is closed.
Route and access information: Outmore NI's Peatlands Walk and full trail map, NI Direct's Peatlands Park visitor information, DAERA's Annagariff Nature Reserve page and Tourism NI's Peatlands Park listing, checked 4 October 2026. https://outmoreni.com/trail/peatlands-walk/
Cover photograph: Derryadd Lake © P Flannagan, taken 2 April 2007. Source: Geograph Ireland, https://www.geograph.ie/photo/494268. Reused under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 (CC BY-SA 2.0), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. Original photograph uploaded without alterations.