Days Out NI
Worth the drive Forest & woodland Limavady

Roe Valley Country Park

A wooded river gorge of tumbling rapids, arched footbridges and ivy-clad mill ruins — free, and open all year.

5 photos
Open all yearCar parks 9–9 summer, shorter in winter
FreeFree parking too
LimavadyForest & woodland
Get directionsOfficial website
Two to three hours for a riverside loop; a half day with the café, museum and a proper exploreHow long
FreeEntry
All agesBest for
On leadsDogs
FreeParking

Roe Valley Country Park — a wooded river gorge of tumbling rapids, arched footbridges and ivy-clad mill ruins, free and open every day of the year.

  • What you'll do: follow the River Roe through its gorge on riverside and woodland paths — white-water rapids and weirs, a string of footbridges crossing back and forth, the romantic ruins of old water-powered linen mills, and the little Dogleap power station. Salmon and trout fishing, canoeing, rock climbing and orienteering for the more adventurous.
  • How long: two to three hours for a good riverside loop; a half day if you add the café, the museum and a proper wander.
  • Come ready: the riverside paths are gorgeous but the gorge has steps and some steep, rooty stretches, and the water runs fast in places — walking shoes or wellies, and keep little ones close by the rapids and unfenced edges.
  • Playground: there's no play park inside the country park itself — the nearest is Roe Mill Play Park, a couple of minutes away, if the children want swings as well as the river.
  • Cost & food: free to visit and free to park (four car parks around the park). AL's Coffee sits by the main car park at Dogleap Road — locals rate the coffee and tray bakes; it can get busy and prices are on the higher side, so go for the baking and a good coffee. Picnic tables and spots by the river too.
  • When: car parks and toilets follow the seasons — 9am–9pm April to August, easing to 8am–4pm in deep winter. Café usually 10am–5pm. The Green Lane Museum opens weekends and bank holidays, roughly April to September. Confirm on the day.
Plan your visit

What you'll actually do here

The river is the whole show. Walk in from the main car park at Dogleap Road and the River Roe is right there below you, running fast and clear over the rocks. Paths thread along both banks and the footbridges let you cross back and forth, so you can make the walk as short or as long as small legs allow. Along the way you pass the ivy-covered shells of the old linen mills that once used the river's power, and the little stone power house at the Dogleap — said to be the first place in Ireland lit by hydro-electricity, back in 1896. Children love the bridges, the rushing water, the stepping-stone rocks and hunting for the mill ruins; grown-ups love the green calm of it. The Green Lane Museum tucked in the park tells the story of local rural life, and the more adventurous come here to fish the Roe for salmon and trout, to canoe, to climb the crags or to try orienteering.

Free to visit and free to park, all year round Riverside and woodland paths on both banks, linked by footbridges Old linen-mill ruins and Ireland's earliest hydro-electric power house Café by the main car park, plus picnic spots by the water Salmon and trout fishing, canoeing, climbing and orienteering Green Lane Museum on-site, open weekends April–September
Good to know before you go:

This is a real river gorge, so parts of the path run close to fast water and drop away steeply — a brilliant adventure with children, just keep them within arm's reach near the rapids and the mill ruins. After heavy rain the river runs high and some low riverside sections can be muddy or slippery; sturdy footwear makes the day.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 👟Walking shoes or welliesThe gorge paths have steps, roots and the odd muddy patch after rain — comfy, grippy feet win the day.
  • 🧥A coatDown in the trees by the water it stays fresh and cool; dress for it and the rain only makes the river more dramatic.
  • 💧Water and a snackThere's a café, but it can be busy — a bottle and a treat keep small explorers going between bridges.
  • 📷A cameraThe mossy footbridges, the rapids and the ivy-clad mills are made for photos.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Free to visit and free to park. Fishing is by seasonal permit; canoeing, climbing and organised activities may need their own arrangements.
Opening / season
Open all year. Car parks and toilets: 9am–9pm April–August; 9am–5pm March and September; 8am–4pm October–February. Café (AL's Coffee) usually daily 10am–5pm. Green Lane Museum weekends and bank holidays, roughly April–September, 11am–3pm. Confirm on the day.
Best for ages
All ages. Toddlers in a carrier and confident older children both do well; the bridges and rapids are the big draw. Because of the fast water and steep drops, keep under-5s close.
What you'll see
The River Roe gorge, white-water rapids and weirs, footbridges, ivy-clad linen-mill ruins, the Dogleap hydro-electric power house, the Green Lane countryside museum, woodland and river wildlife.
Food
AL's Coffee sits by the main car park at Dogleap Road — well liked for its coffee, scones and tray bakes, with extra seating in the little museum when the main room is full. It can get busy and prices lean high, so it's best for a good coffee and a bake rather than a big cheap feed. Picnic tables and riverside spots too.
Toilets
Toilets by the main car park, open on the same seasonal hours as the car parks.
Parking
Free, at four car parks: the main one on Dogleap Road (by the café), O'Cahan's (off Roemill Road), Carrick Mills (off Ballyquin Road) and Carrick Rocks (off Drumrane Road).
Dogs
Dogs welcome on the riverside and woodland paths, kept on a lead.
Accessibility
The café is wheelchair accessible and a mobility scooter can be borrowed. There's a disabled anglers' jetty and a specially designed wildlife trail for disabled visitors with an audio guide for blind and partially sighted visitors, plus benches along the way. Note that the deeper gorge paths include steps and steep sections.
How long to allow
Two to three hours for a riverside loop; a half day with the café, museum and a proper explore.
Address
Roe Valley Country Park, Dogleap Road, Limavady, BT49 9NN
Questions

Before you go

Is it free?
Yes — free to visit and free to park, all year. Fishing needs a seasonal permit, and some activities like canoeing or climbing may have their own arrangements.
Is there a playground?
Not inside the country park itself — the park is all about the river, the walks and the mill ruins. The nearest playground is Roe Mill Play Park, just a couple of minutes away, so you can pair the two for a full day.
What will we see?
The River Roe running through its gorge, white-water rapids and weirs, a series of footbridges, the ivy-clad ruins of old water-powered linen mills, the little Dogleap power house, and the Green Lane countryside museum. Woodland and river wildlife throughout.
Can I bring the dog?
Yes — dogs are welcome on the riverside and woodland paths, kept on a lead.
Where do I park?
Free parking at four car parks: the main one on Dogleap Road (beside the café), O'Cahan's off Roemill Road, Carrick Mills off Ballyquin Road, and Carrick Rocks off Drumrane Road. The main car park is the easiest first visit.
Getting there

Roe Valley Country Park is just south of Limavady. The main entrance, café and toilets are at the Dogleap Road car park (BT49 9NN); three more free car parks — O'Cahan's, Carrick Mills and Carrick Rocks — give access to different stretches of the river. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

Roe Mill Play ParkThe nearest playground — pair it with the park More days out around LimavadySee what else is close by
The story

The river that powered a town

For centuries the River Roe did the work of Limavady. Its fast, reliable flow turned the wheels of water-powered mills strung along the gorge — beetling, scutching and weaving the flax that made this one of the most important linen districts in the county. The ivy-clad stone shells you pass on the walk are what's left of that industry, slowly being reclaimed by the woodland that grew up around them.

The river's most surprising chapter came in 1896, when a local man, John Edward Ritter, harnessed it at the Dogleap to generate electricity — said to be the first hydro-electric power scheme in Ireland, and the reason Limavady was lit by the river long before many bigger towns had power at all. The little power house kept the lights on until 1965, and still stands beside the water today.

The whole valley became a country park in the care of what is now the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, so the mills, the weirs, the leats and the woodland are all protected and open to wander for free. The Green Lane Museum, tucked into the old mill buildings, keeps the story going with tools, photographs and everyday objects from the Roe Valley's rural and industrial past.