Lugnaquilla
925 m
Ireland
Also known as Log na Coille, ლუნაკილა, +2Also known as
Log na Coille · ლუნაკილა · Лугнакилла · Lugnaquillia Mountain
- Elevation
- 925 m
- Prominence
- 905 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- May–Jun
- Routes
- 2
Path closedReported 1 Aug 2025
Mountaineering Ireland (update dated only 'August 2025'): the Zig Zags route in Glenmalure remains closed after an assault on landowner Pat Dunne by a dog walker in March 2023. Descend from Lugnaquilla by Fraughan Rock Glen or via Cloghernagh and Art's Lough instead.
mountaineering.ieAdvisoryReported 1 Aug 2025
Mountaineering Ireland (August 2025, month precision only): the route from Coillte's Drumgoff car park has reopened following storm damage earlier in 2025.
mountaineering.ie
Routes
2The shortest and easiest way up: about 13 km return and 750 m of ascent from Fenton's pub in the Glen of Imaal, along a military access road and up the grassy shoulder of Camarahill to the broad summit plateau of Percy's Table. The route runs through the Defence Forces artillery range and is closed during live firing.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 6.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +739 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 925 m
- Time Up
- 3h 18m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 24m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at Fenton's pub at Seskin in the Glen of Imaal (about 230 m). A worn path behind the pub leads to the military road; follow it for about a mile to a bend, where a path climbs onto Camarahill (477 m). This is a designated walking route through the Glen of Imaal artillery range: stay on it, obey the triangular warning signs, and do not stray into the range on either side, where unexploded ordnance may lie even when there is no firing. When firing is in progress a red flag or light is shown and sentries are posted; check the Defence Forces closure notices beforehand. Firing usually takes place midweek. From Camarahill a steady rise over peaty ground leads to a saddle, then a steeper, rock-strewn slope with the North Prison corrie on the left. Above, the gradient eases onto Percy's Table, the wide grassy summit plateau, and an easy walk east leads to the trig pillar. The path is clear lower down but fades on the upper slopes, and the plateau is featureless in cloud: take care not to walk into the North or South Prison crags. Descend the same way. The round trip takes 4–5 hours. When the range is closed, the summit can be reached instead from Ballinfoyle via Ballineddan Mountain and Slievemaan.
Start
Fenton's197 m
- No practical public transport to the Glen of Imaal; drive via Donard
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fenton's → Lugnaquilla | 6.6 | 739 | 11 | 3h 18m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Fenton's197 m
Pub car park at Seskin; the Army information office is next door
- Shoulder: Camarahill472 m
- Feature: North Prison767 m
Corrie on the left of the final climb; keep away from the edge (not on route line)
- Summit: Lugnaquilla925 m
Key Passages
- Military road through the Glen of Imaal range
- Camarahill shoulder
- Rocky slope beside the North Prison
- Percy's Table summit plateau
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest mountain in Leinster and the highest in Ireland outside County Kerry (925 m): a broad, flat-topped granite and schist dome in the Wicklow Mountains, ringed by the crags of the North and South Prisons. A long moorland walk where navigation in cloud is the real test.
Lugnaquilla, 'Lug' to Irish walkers, rises at the southern end of the Wicklow Mountains, about 60 km south of Dublin, between the Glen of Imaal to the west, Glenmalure to the north-east and Aghavannagh to the south. Its summit is Percy's Table, a wide grassy plateau with a trig pillar, bounded by two steep glacial corries: the North Prison above the Glen of Imaal and the South Prison above the River Ow. On clear days the view takes in most of Leinster and sometimes the mountains of Wales.
None of the routes is technical, but all are long (12–17 km), largely unmarked and boggy, and the plateau sits in cloud far more often than the surrounding hills. The weather on top can be much colder and windier than in the valleys, and the main danger is descending in poor visibility towards the Prison crags. The shortest route, from the Glen of Imaal, passes through an active Defence Forces artillery range and closes during firing; the more scenic Glenmalure approach climbs through Fraughan Rock Glen.
As the highest point of a province and an easy day trip from Dublin, Lugnaquilla is a popular objective and a classic training walk for bigger mountains.
Climbing Notes
Expect a 4–6 hour day with 750–900 m of ascent on rough, boggy ground. The essential skill is map and compass navigation: paths fade on the upper slopes and the plateau is featureless in mist, with steep crags on two sides. Carry OSi Discovery sheet 56 or the EastWest Mapping 1:25,000 Lugnaquilla & Glendalough map, full waterproofs and warm layers, and start early in winter when daylight is short. After snowfall, microspikes or crampons and an ice axe may be needed on the steeper slopes.
For the Glen of Imaal route, check the Defence Forces walking-route closure notices first; firing normally happens midweek, and you must stay on the designated route through the range at all times. In Glenmalure, respect the landowner restrictions: the Zig Zags descent to Carrawaystick is closed, and the circuit over Cloghernagh is accepted only if you descend via Art's Lough. Local guiding companies run regular guided ascents for those without navigation experience.
History
The Irish name Log na Coille means 'hollow of the wood'; P. W. Joyce's alternative, Log na Coilleach ('hollow of the grouse cocks'), is considered doubtful. Some older maps spell it Lugnaquillia. The summit plateau is named after Colonel Percy, an 18th-century local landowner. Geologically the mountain is a granite dome capped by Ordovician schist, the remnant roof of the magma chamber; cosmogenic dating suggests the summit stood above the ice sheet as a nunatak during the Last Glacial Maximum. The River Slaney rises on its slopes.
Season
Best May–Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Short days; snow and ice possible on the plateau
- Feb
- Winter conditions likely; strong wind chill
- Mar
- Late snow possible; very wet ground
- Apr
- Longer days; bog still wet
- May
- Often the driest month
- Jun
- Long days
- Jul
- Long days; busy at weekends
- Aug
- Busy at weekends; midges near the valleys
- Sep
- Often settled weather
- Oct
- Shortening days; increasingly wet
- Nov
- Wet and windy; short days
- Dec
- Short days; snow possible
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The Glen of Imaal route uses a designated walking route through a Defence Forces artillery range; it is closed during live firing (usually midweek), shown by red flags or lights and sentries. Stay on the route at all times because of unexploded ordnance.
- Glenmalure: the Zig Zags route from Carrawaystick is closed by the landowner. The Lugnaquilla–Cloghernagh ridge is partly private; access is accepted only if you descend via Art's Lough.
- When the range is closed, approach from Ballinfoyle via Ballineddan Mountain and Slievemaan instead.
- Getting There
Donard (Glen of Imaal); Rathdrum and Laragh (Glenmalure)
Dublin Airport (DUB)
- Car is effectively required: the Glen of Imaal (Fenton's, Seskin) is about 70 minutes from Dublin Airport via Donard
- Baravore car park at the head of Glenmalure is about 80 km and 1½ hours from Dublin via the M50 and R755; Coillte's Drumgoff car park lower in the valley is an alternative start
- Neither trailhead has regular public transport
Hazards
- Weather
- Exposure