If you’ve ever dreamed of walking through treetops, not just beneath them, Avondale Forest Park in County Wicklow is your ticket. Just under an hour south of Dublin, this 500-hectare park hides a gentle but surprising adventure: Ireland’s very first treetop walk. And no, it’s not some rope bridge wobbled together between pines. It’s a 1,440-metre-long, fully accessible boardwalk that lifts you right up into the leafy canopies, weaving through over a hundred tree species like larch, fir, and ancient oak. You move with the forest—gradually rising above it, pausing at play zones, peeking down through gaps in the deck, then dipping beneath the ground through a tunnel carved with root-world dioramas. Kids love it. Adults pretend they’re learning something, but secretly love it too.
At the heart of it all is the showstopper: a 38-metre high spiral Viewing Tower. The kind of place you want to linger. You can climb it slowly or cruise up the gentle ramp, past interpretive panels and maybe a few puffing dads carrying backpacks. At the top, you’re gifted a 360-degree view of the Wicklow Mountains, the Avonmore River valley and—on a clear day—what feels like half of Ireland. There’s a bit of a hush up there. You just sort of stare. That is, until someone dares to take the fast way down. Yes, that’s a 90-metre tunnel slide curling through the tower’s core. If you're brave enough, it’s a giddy spiral through darkness, a quick whoosh from treetop back to trail. Some love it, some squeal, some chicken out. Totally fair.
Then there’s Treetop Night Lights—when the walkway comes alive after sunset. The forest transforms with soft glows, shadows flicker through the branches, and even grown-ups start whispering like kids at a campfire. It’s dreamy. A little surreal. And honestly, quite romantic if you’re into that kind of thing.
But Avondale isn’t all walkways and lights. There’s Avondale House, a stately Georgian mansion built in 1777, once home to Irish forestry pioneer Samuel Hayes and later Charles Stewart Parnell, one of Ireland’s most prominent political figures. Today, you can wander its halls on a guided tour—polished floors, old books, stories of ambition and national pride. It’s a pause from the wild air outside.
And this summer, something... very blue has moved in. Smurfs Village Ireland—yes, really—is set up near the park’s entrance. Kids (mostly under 12) can roam giant mushrooms, hug costumed Smurfs, and play through interactive kindness zones with names like "Grow Station" and "Kindness Portal." Is it silly? Of course. But it's also adorable, and probably a solid hour of joy for families with young ones.
If you’re staying the night, The Bridge Tavern in nearby Wicklow is a relaxed, pint-in-hand kind of place with hearty food and beds upstairs. Chester Beatty Inn offers a cozy vibe a little closer to the town’s centre. Or if you’re splashing out, Druids Glen Resort has the spa, the golf, the polished luxury—it’s a nice contrast after a muddy walk through the trees.
Add a review