Coillte allows Permissive Access on foot to its estate of over 1,000,000 acres. Small areas may be restricted from time to time for Health and Safety and other operational issues or for biodiversity and nature conservation. We ask all visitors to heed all warning signs or employee directions, they are there to protect you and our forests.

Coillte has adopted the Leave No Trace message as the environmental code for users of our forests. This is the national message and replaces the old country code. We ask all recreation users to follow the Leave No Trace approach and thereby ensure the protection of our forests and natural environment and the better enjoyment for other users. Leave No Trace expects YOU to take personal responsibility for your actions.

Coillte is committed to sustainable forest management and maintaining a sustainable yield of timber. After a clear fell Coillte establishment team (they plant new forests) will quickly assess the site for replanting and generally within a year the brash (residue) will be cleared from the site and cultivation complete for replanting. It generally takes two to three years for the forest to "green up" and the rotation (forest cycle) to begin again. The opening up of new areas through clear felling and subsequent replanting adds to the biodiversity of the forest, creating new habitats for mammals and birds. Young vigorous forests are also excellent carbon sinks soaking up carbon dioxide - a greenhouse gas.

Yes. Forests are a great place to walk your dog. However remember that other visitors use the forest and they may not be as fond of YOUR dog as you are and dogs can also cause disturbance to wildlife and livestock on adjoining farmland. Therefore YOU must be aware of what your dog is doing in the forest and be sure that they are under effective control. Effective control means that your dog will come at your command, if not your dog must to be kept on a lead.

All dogs should be kept on leads in our forest parks

Yes. In specific designated areas Coillte allows people to light barbeques, however we would ask that in dry periods you avoid lighting barbeques as these can be a source of forest fires which can cause considerable damage to forest and wildlife.  Please remember to make sure that all the ash is disposed of properly and that the ash is out before depositing in any bins.  Please use the barbeque sites correctly and avoid burning picnic tables by not placing instant barbeques directly on the table.

We have graded all our trails multi access, easy, moderate and strenuous and rated all the trails across the country. We also give the length, expected time, Expected climb and whether linear or loop.

Yes.  You can cycle in special designated areas or where you see the cyclists welcome sign - check the website for details of mountain bike trails.

All our trails will be graded and this grading system is explained on our web site. Trails are designed to give cyclists varying levels of challenge from Family Cycling to Difficult.

In general Coillte expects all visitors to bring their rubbish home,  we apply the Leave No Trace message, "pack it in, pack it out".  If you can bring it with you, you can bring it home with you.  So please keep our forests clean and take your rubbish home.

Yes. However you may need a permit and you should contact the local forester to obtain such a permit.

Please click on this link for information on permits:

http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/index.php?id=148

Permits are required for the activities listed in the dropdown box on the link below

http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/index.php?id=148

You can only ride your horse in the forest if you have a permit to do so. Otherwise horse riding is prohibited.

Yes. We allow fishing at lakes and rivers in the forests, however you will need to have a licence if so required by the Fisheries Authority. You should check with the local Fisheries Board if a licence is required.

Camping is allowed in the forest for a number of type of camping activities.
We have two caravan and camping parks which you can locate on our website.   For camping with scouts, guides or youth groups you should contact the local forester for a permit.

Some forests areas near large centres of population may have a specific closing time, this will be posted on the site. After dark forests near large centres are not recommended as places that people should be in for a variety of reasons. We would ask all visitors to respect the signs and adhere to the closing times and vacate the forest prior to those times for their own safety.

Yes, there are pay barrier at our Forest Parks, all parking charges go towards the maintenance of our forest recreation infrastructure and represent only a very small portion of the full cost of this provision. The  pay station accepts 50 cent, €1, €2 coins only. Annual Access Cards valid for all Coillte Forest Parks are available on this website @ €40.00  - The Access Card can also be used at Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trails 

Please click on this link for full details http://websales.coillteoutdoors.ie/

No, we provide access free of charge at in excess of 150 recreation sites nationwide

Some of our forests parks and properties have designated swimming areas, however swimming in fresh water can sometimes be dangerous. You should check locally as to whether there are hazards and follow the instructions of any signs that may be posted to warn of hazards before entering the water.

Off road vehicles are not allowed to be used in the forest and are currently banned under Coillte's bylaws. Failure to comply with this can result in the seizure of the vehicle and a hefty fine.

In the event of an emergency you should contact the following numbers:

If an accident happens in a remote area we would such suggest you contact the local Gardaí on 999 or 112 who will contact the Mountain Rescue or similar emergency services.

 

In the event of coming across a fire in the forest please ring the local Gardaí who will contact the forester and the fire services. Again you can also ring them directly on 999 or 112 

Yes but you will require a hunting permit. Coillte offers these permits through a tender system which is advertised on our Websites. Hunting is totally prohibited without a permit.