Lough Ouler: Hiking to Ireland’s Heart Shaped Lake (Map)

If you want to see the heart shaped lake in Wicklow you need to prepare for a tough climb.

The Lough Ouler hike can be tackled via two main trails, and each comes with its pros and cons:

• Route one: The Linear trail from Turlough Hill car park
• Route two: The Lough Ouler Loop from Glenmacnass car park

What to know before doing the Lough Ouler Hike

Unlike the nearby Djouce Mountain walk and the many Glendalough walks, the Lough Ouler hike isn’t overly straightforward, if you don’t know what to look out for.

1. Location

You’ll find Lough Ouler in the Wicklow Mountains, at the side of Tonelagee Mountain, the 33rd highest mountain in Ireland and the 3rd highest peak in the Wicklow Mountains (Luqnaquilla is the highest).

2. How long the hikes take

The linear Tonelagee hike takes 2-2.5 hours while the Lough Ouler Loop takes 4-4.5 hours to complete.

3. Where to park

There are two Lough Ouler car parks – the one you choose will depend on which version of the hike you do. If you’re doing the linear hike up Tonlegee Mountain, park here. If you’re doing the looped walk you’ll want the Glenmacnass Lough Ouler car park (here on maps).

4. Safety warnings

The trails for the Lough Ouler hike are non-existent in places. Combine this with the fact that the summit of Tonlegee Mountain is regularly covered in thick mist and you have a potential safety hazard. Only hike to see the heart shaped lake in Wicklow if you have the ability to navigate.

The linear hike up Tonlegee Mountain

The first Lough Ouler hike is the liner trail from the Turlough Hill side. This is the best route up Tonlegee Mountain, in my opinion.

This trail is roughly 4.5km in length and takes between 2-2.5 hours to complete.

Parking

The car park near Turlough hill (here’s the location on Google Maps) is the starting point for this trail.

It’s a big car park and it’s rarely busy, but keep in mind that it’s secluded so leave no valuables on show.

Finding the start of the trail

Finding the start of this Lough Ouler walk used to be straightforward, but the trail is no longer clear.

In the photos above you’ll see a little sign – it’s directly across from the car park. Cross the ditch beside it and start the ‘trail’ here.

Starting the climb

The path to the top of Tonlegee Mountain from here, as you’ll see in the photo above, is clear in places and non-existent in others.

You’ll often need to play it by eye.

This is fine on a good day, but less so when visibility is poor, so make sure you can navigate.

Reaching the summit and seeing Lough Ouler

The final stretch of the Tonelagee hike has a solid incline that you’ll need to tackle.

When I did this last, it took around an hour to reach the summit. When you reach level ground at the top of Tonlegee Mountain, whip out Google Maps.

If you zoom in on your location, you’ll be able to see the shape of Lough Ouler very clearly. Make your way towards it but be careful as it’s steep and there’s plenty of sheer drops.

Views and the return journey

Take some time to soak the views of Ireland’s heart shaped lake from above.

When you’ve finished, you need to return the same way (prefer looped trails? See my guide to the best walks in Wicklow).

The Lough Ouler loop from Glenmacnass

The second route that takes you up to see the heart shaped lake in Wicklow starts from just past Glenmacnass Waterfall (or just before it, if you’re approaching from the Lough Tay side).

Personally, I’d never recommend doing this Lough Ouler loop. The reason for this is that there’s 1, no clear trail 2, the beginning of the trail is dangerous and 3, the ground is extremely boggy in places.

Parking

Your Lough Ouler car park for this route is located right next to Glenmacnass here.

This car park is isolated – leave nothing of value visible in the car.

The route to the lake

After leaving your car, make your way along the river until you find a safe point to cross (see map above).

The stones here are incredibly slippy and I know of several people that have slipped and broken ankles and wrists here.

Walking to the base of the lake

After crossing the river, you need to continue upwards, via very boggy ground, towards the lake.

From there, walk anti-clockwise up and around to the summit of Tonlegee.

Take care and remember that there are plenty of sheer drops here.

Making your way back down

When you finish up taking in the views, follow the path around the lake (the lake will be on your left).

The trail is a little more obvious on this section of the route. Keep on going and retrace your steps from the base of the lake back to the car park.