Days Out NI
Greenway & cycle trail Craigavon

Craigavon Black Paths

A free car-free path network built for bikes and buggies, looping Craigavon's two lakes.

5 photos
Open accessRide it any time — best in daylight
FreeNo ticket needed
CraigavonGreenway & cycle trail
Get directionsOfficial website
5kmDistance
An hourHow long
FreeCost
TarmacSurface
Buggy okBest for

Craigavon Black Paths — A free car-free path network built for bikes and buggies, looping Craigavon's two lakes.

  • Distance: 3-mile (about 5km) lakes loop; wider network almost 40km; separate 10km MTB trail.
  • Surface: Wide tarmac on the lakes loop; varies from tarmac to rougher and muddy patches on the outer links.
  • Gradient: Mostly flat or gently rolling on the lakes loop.
  • Traffic-free: Largely traffic-free, with over 40 underpasses and six bridges; outer links to Portadown and Lurgan are not fully segregated.
  • Bike hire: None on site — bring your own.
  • Buggy / scooter: Yes on the tarmac lakes loop; the nature-reserve detour is not suitable for pushchairs.
Plan your visit

Two lakes, a flat tarmac loop and a marathon of car-free paths

The family favourite is the circuit of the two Craigavon Lakes: 3 miles (about 5km) on a wide, mostly flat tarmac path, graded easy and taking roughly 45 minutes to an hour to walk. You pass both lakes, Tannaghmore Gardens and a local nature reserve known for wildflowers, butterflies and orchids, ducking under two bridges to close the loop. Beyond the lakes, the full Black Paths network runs to almost 40km, the longest greenway in Northern Ireland, with over 40 underpasses and six pedestrian-and-cycle bridges spanning the dual carriageways. Be honest with yourself about surface and segregation: the core paths are smooth and car-free, but the outer links toward Portadown and Lurgan have rougher patches and aren't fully separated from traffic. There's also a separate 10km mountain-bike trail looping the lakes and woods for older, steadier riders.

Free Largely traffic-free Mostly flat Tarmac lakes loop ~40km network Buggy-friendly
Good to know before you go:

Greenways and cycle routes across NI host seasonal sportives, family cycle days and ranger events through the year — check listings for dates near you.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🚲Bikes (or hire on the day)Check whether you bring your own or can hire at the start.
  • 🪖Helmets for everyoneEspecially the kids — a comfy helmet makes the whole spin better.
  • 💧Water and snacksNot every route has a café on it, so pack a little something.
  • 🧥A light layerYou warm up cycling but cool down at stops — easy to peel on and off.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Free
Start / parking
Craigavon Watersports Centre car park (grid ref J048569); alternative parking at Rushmere Shopping Centre with footbridge access
Distance
3-mile (about 5km) lakes loop; wider network almost 40km; separate 10km MTB trail
Surface
Wide tarmac on the lakes loop; varies from tarmac to rougher and muddy patches on the outer links
Gradient
Mostly flat or gently rolling on the lakes loop
Traffic-free?
Largely traffic-free, with over 40 underpasses and six bridges; outer links to Portadown and Lurgan are not fully segregated
Bike hire
None on site — bring your own
Buggy / scooter friendly
Yes on the tarmac lakes loop; the nature-reserve detour is not suitable for pushchairs
Toilets / food
Toilets and refreshments at Craigavon Watersports Centre and at Tannaghmore Gardens / animal farm; disabled toilets available
How long to allow
About an hour for the lakes loop, or a half-day with the gardens and farm
Address
Craigavon Watersports Centre, Craigavon Lakes, Craigavon, Co Armagh
Questions

Before you go

Is it free?
Free
How long is the route?
3-mile (about 5km) lakes loop; wider network almost 40km; separate 10km MTB trail
Is it traffic-free?
Largely traffic-free, with over 40 underpasses and six bridges; outer links to Portadown and Lurgan are not fully segregated
Can I hire a bike?
None on site — bring your own
Is it buggy and scooter friendly?
Yes on the tarmac lakes loop; the nature-reserve detour is not suitable for pushchairs
Getting there

Craigavon Black Paths starts at Craigavon Watersports Centre car park (grid ref J048569); alternative parking at Rushmere Shopping Centre with footbridge access. Tap below for directions to the start.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out around CraigavonSee what else is close by More greenways & trails across NITraffic-free routes to walk and cycle
The story

About this trail

Craigavon was planned in the early 1960s as a "new town", and its designers built something ahead of its time: a separate transport system for people on foot and on bikes, threaded under and over the road network rather than alongside it. The paths were laid more than 50 years ago, predicting the traffic and congestion that would come.

The result, known locally as the Black Paths, is now reckoned to be the longest greenway in Northern Ireland. Unlike a typical greenway following one disused railway or canal, this is a connected web of routes linking Portadown, Craigavon and Lurgan, with over 40 underpasses and six concrete bridges, none of them for cars, carrying walkers and cyclists clear of the dual carriageways.

The two Craigavon Lakes sit at the centre of it, set in parkland with Tannaghmore Gardens, a nature reserve and a 10km mountain-bike trail. The network was mapped online for the first time in recent years through community efforts to help more people find and use it.