Croaghanmoira Loop
Croaghanmoira is the pointed one — a sharp, pyramid-shaped top that stands out among the rounded south-Wicklow hills, with a trig pillar at 664 m and a view that runs from Lugnaquilla to the Blackstairs on a clear day. The usual loop is around 12 km from Drumgoff in Glenmalure, following the yellow-waymarked Wicklow Way at first before climbing onto open mountain.
Where this walk goes
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Highlights of this walk
- A genuinely pointed summit — unusual in Wicklow — with a trig pillar and a wide view
- The lower section is on the well-made, yellow-waymarked Wicklow Way
- Views to Lugnaquilla, the Ow and Avonbeg valleys, and south to Mount Leinster
- A satisfying loop rather than an up-and-down
How to walk it
Start at Drumgoff in Glenmalure, near the Lodge, and follow the Wicklow Way south on the Military Road — yellow walking-man waymarks lead you in.
The Way takes you to the corner of the forest about 800 m along, where you leave the waymarked trail and climb through a conifer plantation onto open ground. From there the route steepens for the pull to Croaghanmoira's pointed summit and its trig pillar at 664 m. The top can be boggy, and the views are the payoff — the Ow and Avonbeg valleys below, Lugnaquilla to the north, and the Blackstairs and Mount Leinster to the south on a clear day. The descent typically follows a plantation boundary back down to a short stretch of road and your car. Allow around four and a half hours. The mountain itself is unmarked once you leave the Wicklow Way, so carry a map.
Local tips
- Boots for the boggy ground near the summit
- The mountain is open and unmarked once you leave the Wicklow Way — bring a map
- Parking is limited at Drumgoff, opposite Glenmalure Lodge
- The area borders the Glen of Imaal firing range — check for live-firing notices before you go
- Glenmalure Lodge is the obvious stop for food afterwards
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