One corner of County Down where the granite Mournes drop straight onto sandy beaches. Forest parks, a Norman castle, a giant hedge maze and the warmest paddling water in the north — and eight of these ten are free to walk in.
The patch — everything here clusters around the Mournes. Most of it sits within about half an hour of Newcastle, and even the far ends — Rostrevor, Cranfield — are one scenic run down the coast road. Pick two or three and make a full day of it.
Cost — eight are free to walk in. The forest parks charge about £5 a car to park (Tollymore, Castlewellan, Silent Valley), and Montalto is the only ticketed entry. Every place below links to our full guide with prices, hours and parking.
Car parks fill fast on sunny weekends.Tollymore and Castlewellan both queue on bright days — an early start beats the line every time.
Swimming — flags first. Lifeguards are seasonal: Newcastle is patrolled in the main summer season, Cranfield daily through July and August, and Murlough has no lifeguard at all. Check the flags and mind the tide.
Food — Newcastle's prom does the heavy lifting: cafés, chip shops and ice cream a stone's throw from the sand. Kilbroney and Montalto have cafés on site (some seasonal); Tollymore, Murlough and Dundrum Castle don't, so a picnic earns its place in the boot.
When — the beaches and Dundrum Castle are open all year, and the forest parks run daily from morning to sunset. Long summer evenings in the Mournes are the local secret — the crowds thin while the light gets better.
1
Tollymore Forest Park
Newcastle · Free to walk in · £5 a car to park
Northern Ireland's first forest park, and still the one to beat. You enter under the Barbican — a castellated gothic gateway that's pure theatre — then the Shimna River takes over: stepping stones, old stone bridges, grottoes and giant redwoods, with the Mournes rising straight out of the treetops. Game of Thrones fans will know it as the haunted forest north of the Wall. Colour-coded trails run from a gentle half-mile arboretum loop to five-mile mountain routes. Open 10am to sunset, free on foot.
2–3 hours for the river loopFree to walk in · £5 a carNo café inside — pack a flask; Newcastle is five minutes away
A forest park built around a lake, with a Scottish-baronial castle mirrored in the water — and the Peace Maze, said to be one of the world's largest hedge mazes. Race the kids to the bell in the middle, then walk it off on the 2.4-mile lakeshore loop, level and surfaced the whole way round. Animal Wood adds a woodland play area for ages four to eleven, and the arboretum and walled garden fill whatever's left of the afternoon. A proper half day.
A good half dayFree on foot · £5 to park a carThe Peace Maze can close in bad weather — check before you promise it
A great granite dam holding back a mirror-still lake in the heart of the Mournes, with the famous Mourne Wall climbing the summits all around it. The lakeside walks are easy, the drama is free with them, and there's a visitor centre, café, picnic areas and a playpark by the entrance. When it's running, a seasonal shuttle takes you up to the wilder Ben Crom reservoir. You pay at the gate — usually around £5 per car — and a half day is about right.
Half a day · longer with Ben Crom~£5 a car · pay at the gateMountain weather changes fast — layers on, and check gate hours first
Dundrum · Free to walk · NT parking charge (members free)
Northern Ireland's first nature reserve — a wild dune system with boardwalk trails threading out to a long sandy beach, and the whole Mourne range sweeping down to the sea behind you. Summer brings butterflies and wildflowers to the dunes, and seals sometimes haul out across the bay. It's free to walk, open all year; the only charge is the National Trust car park (members free, card only). Allow two to three hours, and stick to the marked paths — the dunes are protected.
2–3 hours, longer on a sunny dayFree · parking charge, NT members freeNo lifeguard — mind the tide, and keep dogs on leads
A ruined Norman castle on a hilltop with a huge round keep you can look right into — and one of the finest views anywhere over Dundrum Bay, Murlough and the Mournes. It's a genuine ruin rather than a fitted-out attraction, which is exactly the appeal: curtain walls, a ruined gatehouse and open grass to wander, completely free, open access. Most families do it in about an hour, then drop into the village below for a café stop. Pairs perfectly with Murlough across the bay.
45 mins – 1 hourFree entry · no ticketUphill walk on uneven ground — proper shoes, and no toilets at the top
Newcastle · Free · Pay-and-display parking in town
The postcard: a long sweep of sand and a proper seaside promenade, with Slieve Donard dropping straight down to the water behind it. Build castles, paddle, then take a dip in the Rock Pool — a 1930s open-air seawater lido that opens on summer days with its own small admission. Cafés, chip shops and ice cream line the front, public toilets sit by the seafront, and Donard Park gives you the edge of the mountains when you want more. Free, all year, all ages.
2–4 hours, easily a dayCafés, chip shops & ice cream on the promLifeguards in the main summer season only — check the flags on the day
Rostrevor · Free to enter · Parking may be charged
A forest park on the slopes above Rostrevor with a party trick: the Cloughmore Stone, a giant granite boulder sitting high on the hillside, and a view over Carlingford Lough to the Cooley Mountains that ranks with the best in the Mournes. Red squirrels live in the oakwood, the Rostrevor mountain-bike trails pull riders from all over Ireland, and there's a playpark and café below. Free to enter; the climb to the Big Stone is a proper uphill — or drive the forest road most of the way.
A good half dayFree to enter · check parking rates on the dayCafé and facilities can be seasonal — pack food to be sure
Ballynahinch · Ticketed · Play trail included, under-5s free
The one ticketed entry on this list, and it earns the spot: a treetop play trail strung between the trees — raised timber walkways, a rope bridge and slides, a serious step up from a standard playground. Built for adventurous kids from around age four up, while the woodland, lake and garden walks suit everyone. The trail comes with your Trails & Gardens ticket (under-5s free, no pre-booking needed) and there's a café on the estate. Prices change, so check before you go.
Open daily 9.30am–4pmTicketed · under-5s freeLast trail entry 3pm — don't leave it late
Killyleagh · Free on foot · Parking charge in summer
Strangford Lough on the doorstep and a day's worth of reasons to stay: an adventure playground with a zip line, a miniature railway, four waymarked walks, a heronry and the Strangford Stone, plus picnic and barbecue areas and a coffee kiosk. The playground genuinely covers toddlers through to older kids, which makes it a rare all-ages banker. Free to enter on foot or bike; the parking charge applies June to September, weekends and holidays — and it includes admission.
Open daily from 9am to duskFree on foot · summer parking charge covers admissionZip line & a miniature railway
The finisher, and the one locals keep for themselves: a gently-sloping sandy beach at the very mouth of Carlingford Lough, where the water runs warm, shallow and sheltered — some of the best family paddling in County Down, with the Cooley Mountains standing right across the water. Toilets, showers, a promenade, a grassy picnic area and a children's play park back the sand, and it's completely free, including the car park. RNLI lifeguards patrol daily through July and August.
2–4 hours, longer on a warm oneToilets, showers & a play parkLough-mouth tides move — swim between the flags, keep paddlers close
The classic: Tollymore's river trails in the morning, fish and chips on Newcastle prom, then the beach — and the Rock Pool if it's open — until home time.
The castle-and-sand day: Dundrum Castle first for the view (an easy hour), a café stop in the village, then across the bay to Murlough's boardwalks and beach for the afternoon.
The deep-Mournes day: Silent Valley's dam and lakeside walks in the morning, then down the road to Cranfield for a warm-water paddle while the sun's still on the lough.
Keep exploring
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