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Muckross Road, Dromhale, Killarney, Co. Kerry, V93 FP40ModerateCascade · Killarney
Cromaglan
Cascade.
A point-to-point walk through the woods below Cromaglan Mountain, past the cascade and the old tower in Tower Wood.
Also known as Tower Wood waterfall.
DISTANCE
10.00km
ASCENT
367m
HIGH POINT
258m
My time 3 hr 52 · woodland and rough trail GRADE GUIDE ↗
Reading the map…
INTERACTIVE TERRAIN · ACTUAL GPX TRACKACTUAL GPX TRACK
A recorded time is not a planning estimate. Build your own from pace, ascent, ground, weather and daylight.
01 · DECIDE
Is this your day?
ELEVATION PROFILE
25 m to 258 m.
Every height on this profile was measured on the walk, not estimated between the ends.
Reading the forecast
367 m ascent · 354 m descent
THE LINE
Water through the woods.
Cromaglan’s water runs down through Tower Wood, past a ruined tower among the trees. Killarney Guide describes the building as a lookout used to watch for poachers on the estate. Its account gives the waterfall both names: Tower Wood Waterfall and Cromaglan Cascade.
The mountain behind the cascade is recorded as Cromaglan Mountain in An Gort Rua, Gortroe, in the parish of Killarney.
- 01Woodland openingThe walk begins at the lay-by by the old tower, at about 25 m, and follows the river up into the woods.
- 02Cromaglan waterStreams and wet ground lead towards the route’s main cascade.
- 03Highest groundThe recorded track reaches approximately 258 m.
- 04Forest finishThe route continues through woodland to a separate endpoint at approximately 39 m.
The tower’s reported use and the waterfall names follow Killarney Guide’s Tower Wood account ↗. The mountain, townland and parish follow the Placenames Database. Route data note: my recording started about 700 metres into the walk, so the stretch from the lay-by is a line I drew afterwards; the map shows the recording in orange and this added stretch in dashed yellow.
Forecast for around 250 m
Reading the forecast…
NOW
WIND
TODAY’S PEAK RAIN CHANCE
Reading the forecast…
–cloud
–humidity
–km/h peak gust
Strongest wind today–
Peak gust–
RECENT RAINFALL · LIKELY GROUND
NEXT SIX HOURS · swipe
Reading the forecast
Forecast. This is a modelled estimate for this route’s high ground; conditions can differ sharply across the mountain. Derived from Open-Meteo forecast data ↗.
HAZARDS & OPTIONSKnow the commitment.
Wet rock beside the cascade can be extremely slippery.
Fast or swollen water may make nearby ground more hazardous after rain.
Woodland paths can become muddy, obscured or blocked after poor weather.
Do not approach the cascade edge or attempt a water crossing when levels are high. If conditions deteriorate, return along the known route before committing to the point-to-point finish.
FROM THE MOUNTAIN
My photographs.
03 · GO
Getting there.
Start well.
STARTLay-by by the old tower
Select coordinates to copy
This walk starts from a small lay-by beside the old tower, on the left of the N71, less than a mile past the low bridge at the Eagle’s Nest, about 8 km south of Killarney. It’s easy to miss in summer when the trees are in leaf. The walk finishes at the upper Torc car park, so sort out parking and a lift before you set out, and check local access on the day.
ROUTE FILE
Take the route with you.
My GPX, with a drawn section at the start, from the lay-by to where my recording began. The map shows it in yellow.
Download completed GPXcromaglan-cascade.gpx · as recorded
Confirm the download when your browser asks, then open the file from your browser’s downloads and your mapping app will offer to take it. HiiKER and Garmin Explore both do; the route loads on HiiKER’s free tier, though its EastWest mapping of the Irish uplands is a paid layer. Onto a watch: import the GPX into Garmin Connect, Komoot or Strava and send it to the device from there.
Read the ground. Keep your margin.
Conditions can change the seriousness of any route.
Before you leave
- Check the forecast and warnings
- Plan your daylight
- Save the GPX or an offline map
- Pack footwear and layers
- Share your route and return time
Leave a plan.
Tell someone your route and return time. For emergencies in Ireland call 112 or 999 and ask for Mountain Rescue.
More in Killarney
All 33 routes →AFTER THE WALK
Post-hike picks.
A small, personal shortlist around Cromaglan and Killarney.