Days Out NI
Greenway & cycle trail Antrim

Loughshore Trail (Lough Neagh)

A flat circuit of Lough Neagh on quiet lanes, with free family-friendly parks to start from

6 photos
Open accessRide it any time — best in daylight
FreeNo ticket needed
AntrimGreenway & cycle trail
Get directionsOfficial website
113 milesDistance
An hourHow long
FreeCost
TarmacSurface
Buggy okBest for

Loughshore Trail (Lough Neagh) — A flat circuit of Lough Neagh on quiet lanes, with free family-friendly parks to start from.

  • Distance: Full circuit about 113 miles (150km); ride a short flat section with kids.
  • Surface: Mostly sealed tarmac, with short unsealed stretches.
  • Gradient: Mostly flat / level throughout.
  • Traffic-free: Only partly. Most of the circuit is on quiet minor roads; just short sections are true traffic-free path. Lakeside park paths are traffic-free.
  • Bike hire: Not on the trail; Craigavon Watersports Centre offers hire nearby (028 3834 2669).
  • Buggy / scooter: Yes on the flat lakeside park paths; not on the open-road circuit.
Plan your visit

A flat circuit of the biggest lake in these islands

The trail is NCN Route 94, a roughly 113-mile loop right around Lough Neagh, and it is mostly level the whole way. The surface is predominantly sealed tarmac with only short unsealed stretches. The honest part: only about a tenth of it is dedicated traffic-free path, with the rest on quiet, virtually traffic-free minor roads and lanes. That means you will meet the odd car, farm vehicle and busier patch through towns and villages. Along the route you pass the Celtic high cross at Ardboe, the railway viaduct at Randalstown, marinas, nature reserves and lakeside parks. Confident riders can take on a full day or split it across several.

Free Flat Mostly tarmac Lakeside Marina café stops Mostly quiet roads
Good to know before you go:

Greenways and lakeside trails host seasonal sportives, family cycle days and ranger events through the year, and Antrim Lough Shore Park runs summer activities, boat trips and family days. Check listings for dates.

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
Free parking at Antrim Lough Shore Park, plus Ballyronan Marina, Kinnego Marina and Maghery Country Park
Distance
Full circuit about 113 miles (150km); ride a short flat section with kids
Surface
Mostly sealed tarmac, with short unsealed stretches
Gradient
Mostly flat / level throughout
Traffic-free?
Only partly. Most of the circuit is on quiet minor roads; just short sections are true traffic-free path. Lakeside park paths are traffic-free.
Bike hire
Not on the trail; Craigavon Watersports Centre offers hire nearby (028 3834 2669)
Buggy / scooter friendly
Yes on the flat lakeside park paths; not on the open-road circuit
Toilets / food
Toilets and café at Antrim Lough Shore Park (Boathouse Restaurant & Café); toilets at the main marina access points
How long to allow
An hour or two for a lakeside ride; a full day or multi-day for the whole loop
Address
Antrim Lough Shore Park, Lough Road, Antrim, BT41 4DQ
Questions

Before you go

Is it free?
Free
How long is the route?
Full circuit about 113 miles (150km); ride a short flat section with kids
Is it traffic-free?
Only partly. Most of the circuit is on quiet minor roads; just short sections are true traffic-free path. Lakeside park paths are traffic-free.
Can I hire a bike?
Not on the trail; Craigavon Watersports Centre offers hire nearby (028 3834 2669)
Is it buggy and scooter friendly?
Yes on the flat lakeside park paths; not on the open-road circuit
Getting there

Loughshore Trail (Lough Neagh) starts at Free parking at Antrim Lough Shore Park, plus Ballyronan Marina, Kinnego Marina and Maghery Country Park. 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 AntrimSee what else is close by More greenways & trails across NITraffic-free routes to walk and cycle
The story

About this trail

Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, and the Loughshore Trail was created as a way to cycle the whole way around it. It is signed as National Cycle Network Route 94, part of the Sustrans network, and links over 25 sites of interest including marinas, nature reserves, parks and places of archaeological note.

The circuit threads past real history. At Ardboe stands a Celtic high cross more than a thousand years old, while Randalstown is marked by its striking old railway viaduct. Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House sit close to the Antrim shore, reached on foot along the Six Mile Water river path.

Today the route is best known as a long-distance ride for confident cyclists, with the lakeside parks at Antrim, Ballyronan, Kinnego and Maghery giving families an easy, flat, traffic-free way to enjoy a slice of it.