Torc Waterfall: Parking, The Walk + Avoiding Crowds

Torc Waterfall in Killarney is glorious in the off-season and chaotic, at times, during the peak tourist season.

One of the first stops along the Ring of Kerry, the Killarney waterfall is 20 metres (66 ft) high and located within the National Park.

How you visit will likely depend on your fitness level and how much time you have. There are three options:

• The handy way: Drive to main car park and walk 5 minutes to it
• The Torc Waterfall walk: There’s a 5km and 10km trail – map 1/2 way down this article
• On bike: Arguably the best way

Visiting Torc Waterfall in Killarney

You’ll find Torc Waterfall in Killarney, along the Ring of Kerry, a stone’s thrown from Killarney Town and just outside Killarney National Park. 

One of the most popular things to do in Killarney, it stands at 20 metres (66 ft) high and 110 metres (360 ft) long and was formed by the nearby Owengarriff River as it drains from the uniquely named ‘Devil’s Punchbowl’ lake.

Naming

There’s an interesting story about where Torc Waterfall gets its name, and it all begins with the meaning behind the word ‘Torc’ in Irish (it translates to ‘Boar’).

The area where Torc Waterfall is located is associated with the legend of a local man that was cursed by the Devil.

Mythology 

According to legend, the cursed man was transformed into a wild boar every night and it’s said that he’d spend his evenings roaming the area near the waterfall.

This continued until the man’s secret was revealed by a local farmer. The revelation of the secret resulted in the man bursting into flames and disappearing into the nearby Devils Punchbowl.

There’s another story that involves the warrior Fionn MacCumhaill conquered a magical wild boar up Torc mountain with a golden spear.

Torc Waterfall car parks

There are two Torc Waterfall parking options:

• The closest car park: It’s located here. This parking area is tiny and it packs out during the summer months
• The second car park: It’s across the road here. There’s a forest trail that leads you to a clearing directly across from the first car park (use great caution when crossing the road)

The Torc Waterfall walk

Now, a warning – although there is a long and short version of the Torc Waterfall walk, the only difference is the 4-5km section between Muckross House and the trailhead.

Both trails take in the toughest section, which is the incline section after the start of the trailhead. Good fitness is required.

The long walk

The long version of the Torc Waterfall walk is 10km and takes 2.5 hours. This is a tough hike with a lot of ascent, steep ‘steps’ (they’re just rocks) and a dangerous terrain when wet, so good shoes are needed.

If you look at the map above, the trail begins at the car park at Muckross House. From there, you follow the trail along the lake before reaching the car park on the N71.

Cross the road carefully and you’ll see the start of the trail. It’s easy to follow from there.

The short walk

The shorter Torc Waterfall walk is 5km and it takes around 1 hour and 50 minutes to complete. You can park here and start the walk from the trailhead across the road.

Please take great care when crossing this road as cars ten to speed along it.

Other walks nearby

If you don’t like the sound of the trails above, there are many other walks in Killarney that start close by.

Two of the most popular are Cardiac Hill (takes around 1.5 hours) and the 2-3 hour Torc Mountain walk.

How to get to Torc Waterfall

There are several ways to get to Torc Waterfall and, if you’ve read any of my Killarney guides, you’ll know that I’m a fan of cycling to it. Here are the options:

By car

If you’re driving, head straight for the Torc Waterfall car park along the N71 Road here. If that’s full, you can try this car park just up the road.

By bike/on-foot

If you’re cycling or walking, avoid using the main road and head into the park. There’s clear cycle routes and it’s a mostly flat path to walk/cycle (rent a bike in Killarney here). The National Park is a breeze to cycle through and it’s nicely laid out, so you can cycle at your leisure. You can cycle over to Ross Castle, Muckross House and Muckross Abbey.

By bus

You can get to the waterfall by taking the hop-on-hop-off bus. Or, if you want to see the whole Ring of Kerry, this day tour will take you to Torc, also.

Things to see and do near the Killarney waterfall

One of the beauties of visiting Torc Waterfall in Kerry is that it’s a short spin away from a clatter many of the most popular places to visit in Kerry, both man-made and natural.

Below, you’ll find a handful of things to see and do a stone’s throw from Torc Waterfall. If you fancy a bite to eat there’s plenty of great restaurants in Killarney.

1. Muckross House and Gardens (15-minute drive): Explore the 19th century Victorian mansion, gardens and farms
2. Muckross Abbey (20-minute drive): Beautiful old ruins of a Franciscan friary founded around 1445
3. Ross Castle (25-minute drive): Impressive 15th century tower house overlooking the lower lake
4. Ladies View (25-minute drive): One of the most famous stops on our 1-day Ring of Kerry itinerary 

Frequently asked questions

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from where to park for the Torc Waterfall walk to how long it takes to get to it.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.