Part of a day excursion from Galway. Food service/cafe not open in January. No shopping, but town is close by. Nice walking trails with great photo opportunities. Some signage on trails. Yellow trail took about 30 minutes with incline.

Lots of free parking on site. Toilets available at the base of the mountain. Cafe and other facilities also available. 2.5 hours in total for us to go up and down with about 10 min spent on top. Steep and Windy in the second half but the footing is more stable than other mountains (Croagh Patrick). They operate a one way loop which was good although there is was a few people who didnt follow. Sticks/poles would be useful although we didn't have them so not needed. Hiking boots a must. Views from the top stunning, well worth the hike up.

Did a quick stop on our way through the valley. We did the yellow loop, about 1.5 miles, up to a point where you have great vistas over the surrounding countryside. Additional loops will take you further afield, even to the top of a distance peak, which, would be spectacular. Nice visitor center with attractive art and cafe. Free admission.

Great place to visit whilst in Galway. Diamond Hill climb takes around 2 hours which on a clear day gives great views of the surrounding area including Kylemore Abbey. At the bottom is a cafe that serves all home made cakes and food which is first class. 3 different walks depending on your stamina and fitness levels so all catered for.

One of the best national parks I have been to. It is free, very well maintained, clean of litter and the hikers here are very considerate group. There is a park guide at the entrance with a map to show you the hiking routes. Red for the toughest upper loop, blue (1 hour) for less steep climb but both will be rewarded with great views. The climb on the rocky surface at the last part of the red loop is the toughest. The surrounding landscape and view is amazing and boardwalk makes it easier. The view of the water and lakes from the top is spectacular. Carry a bottle of water, wear hiking shoes and don’t wear too thick clothes as it get very hot after climbing up. Bring a windbreaker as it could get windy. The walk is around 2-3 hours depending on how fit you are. There are clean washrooms, an indoor cafe and outdoor benches to sit (bring your own picnic) at the visitors centre at the entrance. The National park is definitely worth visiting but do go early before it gets too hot and crowded. The car park (free) gets filled up and there is additional parking on the side of the road. I enjoyed my visit here. It is 10 min drive from Kylemore Abbey.

We visited the park with extended family that included a two year old. The biggest thing is to be prepared with the members of your party. We chose to hike the upper loop (red trail), we found the trail system very well marked. The area and views were absolutely beautiful! We ended at the Hungry hitchhiker for soup and sandwiches, the fools was all made by scratch and delicious. There’s a play area and picnic tables for families to relax. Everyone was very friendly and helpful! This is a must see in Connemara.

At the site there is a visitors centre - explaining the creation of bogs - It also shows all the marble from the region for the geologists. There are 4 walks to choose from we did the longer one- it was well worth the time. There are some steep sections but very doable in the correct shoes. Paths are generally damp as in a boggy area. There are descriptive signs along the route . Best of all it is free. The flora and fauna are amazing. The tea garden at the entrance has a lovely array of treats.

The staff at the visitor centre are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. We attended a very interesting talk on standing stones given as part of series of short talks on the area's archeology by a passionate speaker who's enthusiasm for the topic was infectious. The attendee at the main desk gave us helpful information on the surrounding area as well as walks within the park. Thanks to them both we had a wonderful and memorable day in Connemara despite poor weather. The walks are well paved and sign posted with great views. There's a cafe which had some great cakes.

National Park is next to Letterfracl, about 15 km drive from Clifden. From the Visitors Center, which it is well worth spending time in as it explains the natural history of Connemara and the history of human settlements in the region, you can take three hikes, each in the form of a loop: one is 30 minutes, one a little over an hour, the last and most difficult one up and around the steep hill about 3 hours. The last one is not recommended on rainy and very windy days (of which there are a lot). the one hour loop is very pleasant with splendid views of the ocean from many vantage points.... entrance to the national park is free.

We had a lovely welcome to the centre and we were invited to go to the monastic site first and on our return we saw the film on the history of the place and also the exhibition. All staff were very welcoming and full of information. It is well worth a trip.