Photos: Kenneth Allen — CC BY-SA 2.0 (geograph.org.uk)
A full dayHow long
All agesBest for
FreeEntry
On siteParking
OutdoorsSetting
Dungannon Park — a free 70-acre park wrapped around a 12-acre lake that is one of the best-known stocked trout fisheries in the area, with woodland trails, a playground and a lakeside caravan site.
What you'll do: Walk the woodland and lakeside trails, watch the anglers cast for trout, let the children loose on the playground, or run the weekly parkrun.
How long: A full day worth making the time for — three waymarked walks, a picnic and the lake fill it easily.
Cost: Free to walk in and enjoy the park.
The catch — fishing needs a permit: The lake is a fly-only trout fishery; you need a permit from the park office before you cast. Check current permit prices and rules with the council.
Come ready: Around 3 miles of trails across three waymarked loops — sturdy shoes and a flask make it easy.
When: Open daily from 8:30am. Closing time changes with the season — as early as 5pm in winter, up to 10pm at the height of summer — so check the current times before an evening visit.
Plan your visit
A lake, three walks and room to stay the night
The park sits on rolling ground on the edge of Dungannon, with the 12-acre lake at its heart and mature woodland all around. Three waymarked walks branch off from the visitor centre — the longer Park Trail at about 1.6 miles, plus the shorter Lakeside Walk and Willow Way — so you can make it a gentle stroll with the buggy or a proper couple of hours on foot. The children's play area keeps younger ones busy with swings, slides and climbing frames on soft safety surfacing, and there are tennis courts and football and cricket pitches for the sporty. Anglers come for the trout, casting from the bank or a boat out on the water. And because there is a caravan and camping site right by the lake, you can turn a day out into a night or two away. On a still, misty morning the lake is glassy and the fish are rising; on a bright afternoon it is a picnic and a slow lap of the water.
Free park12-acre trout lakePlayground3 waymarked walksParkrun each weekCaravan & camping
Good to know before you go:
The park opens at 8:30am every day, but closing time shifts through the year — from around 5pm in the depths of winter to 10pm at the height of summer. Check the council's current times before an evening visit so you are not caught out at the gate.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
🥾Comfy shoesAround 3 miles of woodland and lakeside trails — good footwear turns a walk into a pleasure.
🧥LayersOpen water and mature trees — a coat or jumper keeps everyone happy whatever the sky is doing.
🧺A picnicPlenty of grass, benches and a barbecue site; bring the flask and sandwiches, and a hat and water on bright days.
🎣Fishing gear & permitIf you are here to fish, sort your permit at the park office first — the lake is fly-only for trout.
What's on
Events at the park
Dungannon Park hosts a free weekly parkrun — a timed 5 km run every Saturday morning, open to all ages and abilities (register once online before your first run). The lake also runs angling and get-active sessions through the summer with the council.
The park is a regular venue for seasonal council events and outdoor activities through the year. Always check what is on with the council before you travel.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Free to enter the park; a permit is required to fish the lake (check current prices with the council)
Opening
Open daily from 8:30am. Closing is seasonal — about 7pm (Mar/Oct), 9pm (Apr/Sep), 10pm (May–Aug) and 5pm (Nov–Feb). Check current times.
Best for ages
All ages — playground for younger children, walks, lake and fishing for everyone
What's there
12-acre stocked trout fishing lake, three waymarked walks, children's playground, tennis courts, football and cricket pitches, barbecue site, caravan & camping site, visitor centre
Fishing
Fly-only trout fishery, stocked with rainbow trout; permit required from the park office. Under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. Check current permit prices and rules.
Toilets
Toilets at the visitor centre, along with laundry, kitchen facilities and a TV lounge; accessible toilets available
Parking
On-site parking, with designated disabled spaces close to key areas
Dogs
Welcome; there is a dedicated dog park with separate enclosures for small and large dogs. Keep dogs under close control
Accessibility
Many trails are paved or compacted gravel and suited to wheelchairs and pushchairs; disabled parking near key areas
Staying over
Caravan and camping site by the lake — 24 serviced hard-standing pitches plus space for motorhomes and tents, with electric hook-ups, showers and toilets, a laundry and barbecue areas. Season runs 17 March – 30 September; book online.
How long to allow
A full day with a picnic, the lake and the walks
Address
Dungannon Park, Moy Road, Dungannon BT71 6DY
Questions
Before you go
Is it free to get in?
Yes — walking into Dungannon Park and enjoying the trails, playground and lakeside is free. You only pay if you want to fish the lake or stay at the caravan site.
Can we fish here — do we need a permit?
The lake is a fly-only trout fishery, stocked with rainbow trout, and you do need a permit to fish it — bought from the park office before you cast. Under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. Check the council's current permit prices and rules before you travel.
What are the opening hours?
Open daily from 8:30am. The closing time is seasonal — roughly 7pm in March and October, 9pm in April and September, 10pm from May to August, and 5pm from November to February. Check the council's current times before an evening visit.
Is there parking?
Yes — there is on-site parking, with designated disabled spaces close to the main areas.
Are there toilets?
Yes — toilets are at the visitor centre, which also has laundry, kitchen facilities and a TV lounge, plus accessible toilets.
Can we stay overnight?
Yes — there is a caravan and camping site by the lake with serviced pitches, electric hook-ups, showers, a laundry and barbecue areas. The season runs 17 March to 30 September; book online through the council.
Can we bring the dog?
Yes — dogs are welcome, and there is a dedicated dog park with separate enclosures for small and large dogs. Keep dogs under close control elsewhere.
Getting there
Dungannon Park is on Moy Road, Dungannon BT71 6DY, on the edge of the town. There is on-site parking with disabled spaces near the main areas. Tap below for the official council page — where you can check hours, fishing permits and caravan bookings — or for turn-by-turn directions.
Dungannon Park spreads over about 70 acres on the southern edge of the town, and its centrepiece is a 12-acre man-made lake ringed by mature woodland. The lake is stocked regularly with rainbow trout and has long been known well beyond Co. Tyrone as a fly fishery, drawing anglers who fish from the bank and from boats out on the water.
The council developed the site as a public park, laying out walks through the trees and around the shore, adding a children's play area, sports pitches and a barbecue site, and building a caravan and camping ground by the lake so visitors could stay overnight. A visitor centre with toilets, a kitchen, a laundry and a lounge anchors the day-to-day running of the park.
Today it works quietly on several levels at once — a morning walk for local families, a parkrun start line on a Saturday, a base for a fishing trip, and a peaceful lakeside pitch for a night or two under canvas. Whatever the weather, the lake and the woodland give the whole place a calm that keeps people coming back, day in and day out.
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