Protect our Upland Habitats 

Source: Facebook @madaboutireland

Trekkers Nature Watch - Autumn/Winter 

Broadleaf trees are coming into beautiful colour and the change of season is the time to visit your favourite woods whether in the Uplands or in the Dublin area. 

Please email me Geraldine Boland email with your favourite places in Dublin, Counties Louth or Wicklow that you recommend to other club members to visit this Autumn/Winter.  I will include them on this page. 

Here are two of my personal favourites in Autumn that are accessible to all club members: 

Glendalough Valley

Ravensdale Forest, Cooley Peninsula

Source: Mark Duffy Photography https://www.markduffyphotography.com/prints/p/autumn-in-ravensdale-forest-park    

To Watch:

Would you like to see an aerial view of the spectacular forest foliage in New England, USA? 

Grab a cuppa, relax and enjoy this short video.  

Click on this YouTube Link: 

New England Autumn 2026 by Explore World 4K

To Browse or Download:

Do you want to learn more about Ireland's native trees?

The Irish Tree Council has a list of the 28 native Irish trees, with illustrations. 

Click on this link: 

28 Native Irish Trees List

To Follow on Facebook:

The Wicklow National Parks and Wildlife Service Facebook (and Instagram) pages are worth following for regular posts on wildlife and nature talks and events that are nearby to most Trekker Club Members.  Here is the link: 

Wicklow National Park and Wildlife Service Facebook Page

 Recent Environmental Walks 

The two environmental walks in September/ October were popular among Trekkers. 

Janic Schulte, an Education Guide from the National Parks Service led the first in Deputy's Pass Nature Reserve, Glenealy  and the second in Knocksink Wood specifically for social walkers.  

An environmental walk focuses on flora and fauna and information about natural upland and/or woodland habitats. The next environmental walks will be in Spring 2027. 

Car sharing guidelines

When appropriate and feasible, the Trekkers club promotes car sharing for Wednesday and Friday walks, in order to limit our carbon footprint and to reduce the number of cars in the Uplands. Individuals registered on hikes are asked to check the attendance list the day before walking and to organise car sharing with others living nearby or on the route to the start point.  

Trekkers are reminded to avoid blocking gateways or parking on narrow country roads. Large farm vehicles or the emergency services may need access. In unmarked parking areas, make sure that space isn’t wasted between vehicles.

The Trekkers Club uses hired buses for Saturday hikes, which also serves to reduce CO2 emissions and to ease pressure on limited car parking spaces in rural and upland areas.

Where available, the use of public transport to walk start points is also recommended.

Reporting illegal dumping - this is how to report an illegal dumping site in Wicklow or the Dublin Uplands to the PURE office.

Source: www.pureproject.ie

If you come across an illegal dumping site on a hike, you should report it. Leaving the litter where it has been dumped will encourage more fly-tippers. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Take a photo of the contents of the dump site
2. Use Google Maps to save a pin drop of the exact location
3. Email Alana Sweeney, PURE Office Administrator at info@pureproject.ie as soon as possible
4. Include the date, photo and location pin drop (or grid reference) and short description in your email.

Remember, the PURE Project only covers Wicklow and the Dublin Uplands. www.pureproject.ie

For illegal dumping in the Uplands in other counties, call the National Complaints Line on 1800 365 123

PURE Mile litter picks.

Our club received a "Clean Up the Wicklow/ Dublin Uplands Award" at the PURE Mile 20th Year Celebration in October. Fran Behan, a PURE Mile Leader accepted the award and a cheque for €150 on behalf of Trekkers. Rita Tuohy, Dorothy Behan and Geraldine Boland also attended.  

This  award is in recognition of the 30 Trekkers PURE volunteers who completed three litter pick mornings this year. Helen Lawless (featured on left in photo), Environment and Access Manager with Mountaineering Ireland congratulated the Trekkers Club on its commitment over many years to keeping the Uplands clean and green. 

 We can be proud of the fact that a our volunteers filled the equivalent weight of 110 bags of rubbish in 2026. Upcoming dates will be announced in January 2027. 

Want to find out more about the background of the PURE Project? 

Here is their website: https://www.pureproject.ie/

Trekkers PURE volunteers featured on the RTE environmental programme HEATED in 2024. You might like to look at the short clip, the first item in Episode 1: 

https://www.rte.ie/player/series/heated/10002421-00-0000?epguid=IP10002422-01-0001

Access

The purpose of this section is to alert Trekker leaders to current access issues: e.g. diversions or closures of certain trails by Coillte, Wicklow NPWS, Dublin Mountains Partnership, Wicklow Uplands Council. 

Public enjoyment of the vast majority of Ireland’s mountains and crags is due to the goodwill and tolerance of the landowners, rather than access being based on any formal arrangement. Land ownership in Ireland is a complex jigsaw of individually-owned land, commonage areas (where a number of people share grazing or other rights to the land) and State-owned lands (e.g. Coillte, national parks, Forest Service and Northern Ireland Water properties).

As land ownership and other circumstances can change, access should not be taken for granted, even on routes that have been used for decades.

Maintaining the goodwill that access depends upon is a shared responsibility. Taking the time to say hello or check about parking can make a big difference.

Report an Access Issue

If you experience difficulty in gaining access for hillwalking, please email helen@mountaineering.ie providing details of the location, a description of the difficulty you encountered, and your contact number. ALSO - PLEASE COPY THE TREKKERS ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER (Geraldine Boland) ON YOUR EMAIL gmboland@gmail.com

Temporary Trail Closures or Diversions (Last updated- 2/11/2026 )  

If you are aware of a trail closure or temporary access problem in the Dublin or County Wicklow Uplands, please email Geraldine at gmboland@gmail.com Include a photo if possible of any signage related to the closure. 

Where?	When does the closure end?	Map
Kilmacanogue Car Park	The carpark in Kilmacanogue is currently closed for renovation works. The scheduled completion date is 6th November but this may overrun. There is parking on the opposite side of the N11 but it is limited.
Glendalough Valley	From Monday 20th of July, repair work started on the White Trail (Spinc and Glenealo Valley) The work is expected to take 5 to 6 months (up to December, 2026). The area affected is known as the "White Zig Zags from the Miners Village up to the footbridge. There may also be be some disruption along the Blue Trail (Spinc Shortcut) as materials are moved.  Wicklow National Parks Service say that the trails will remain open, except for one or two days when they will bring stone in by helicopter. The crew will work on short 10 metre sections at a time. Signage guiding hikers will be in place