Ess-Na-Larach Waterfall in May 2014

I’m about to head to England and Wales, and figured I would post about a waterfall in another part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland. I visited Ireland and Northern Ireland in 2014, and had an absolutely wonderful time. The scenery is stunning, and it’s no wonder why so many people visit the island.

One of the best places to to see waterfalls in Northern Ireland is at Glenariff Forest Park. When I arrived at the park, it was a kind of cloudy and humid, and yet it seemed to fit the mood of the island. Not many people were visiting the park on this day. I first stopped into the visitor’s center and paid the entrance fee. Then it was off to the falls. Ess-Na-Larach is one of the two named waterfalls in the park, with other smaller waterfalls along the way. Ess-Na-Crub is the other named falls. (There are also some very tall, ephemeral waterfalls not terribly far away that you can view from the parking area.) Of the two named waterfalls, this one is probably the more scenic one as the two drops carve their way through the rock.

Directions:

Glenariff Forest Park is very easy to find, as it is just off A43 and is very clearly signed along the road.  The decision to make is whether you approach from the north or south.

• If you’ll be heading north toward the park, A43 starts in Ballymena. (If you’re coming from A26, A26 turns briefly into M2, which you can exit at exit 11 and take a few roads to connect into A43.)
• If you’ll be heading south toward the park, A43 starts in Waterfoot off of A2. It’s pretty clearly signed.

After you turn onto the road entering into the park, you’ll drive along a one-way road for a portion, which leads directly into the parking area.  Then you follow the signs to the trail head.

Accessibility: 6/10 (moderate, the trail is consistently downhill)
Height: 35′
Length of Hike: 0.7 miles round-trip

Where in the World is Ess-Na-Larach Waterfall?