Blanket bog
Among Europe's largest.
Veenpluis — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gordon Hatton — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mariusz Z — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Colin Park — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Colin Park — CC BY-SA 2.0
Wild Nephin National Park lies in north-west County Mayo, and its visitor centre at Ballycroy is about 32 km in a straight line north-west of Westport. It takes in most of the Nephin Beg Mountains and one of the largest expanses of peatland in Europe: 150 square kilometres of Atlantic blanket bog. The park was set up in 1998 as Ballycroy National Park and was expanded and renamed in 2018, with plans to rewild the land added at Nephin Forest. It includes the most remote point on the Irish mainland and is protected within the European Natura 2000 network. Brown and green plains of peat and grass stretch to the Nephin Beg range, lakes such as Lough Feeagh shine between the hills, and rocky streams cross the moor under small wooden footbridges. The old Bangor Trail crosses the park, and from the visitor centre a short trail looks out over the bog, the mountains and the coast. Entry is free. The longer trails are remote with no services and the ground is wet most days, so wear waterproof boots and bring rain gear.
Among Europe's largest.
On the horizon.
Across the park.
Ballycroy, County Mayo, Ireland
Yes.
Waterproof boots and rain gear.