Redburn Country Park

The walk through Redburn Country Park takes you along proper woodland trails that feel surprisingly remote for somewhere this close to Belfast. You're threading between mature trees, crossing footbridges over the Redburn River, spotting the occasional heron if you time it right. It's the sort of place where you actually notice the seasons - in spring the bluebells are daft, in autumn the canopy turns gold and the paths get slippery enough to warrant good boots.

This is walker territory, no question about it. Families with children will get a solid hour or two out of it before the novelty wears thin, though teenagers who aren't glued to their phones might appreciate the river spotting and general wildness of the space. History types will find remnants of the old mills that once worked this river, though signage could be better. In winter it can feel a bit bleak and muddy, so May through September is when you'll actually enjoy being here rather than just trudging through it.

Free to access, and that's the best kind of discovery when you're based at either Dundonald Touring Caravan Park or The Pods at Streamvale just down the road. You could easily combine it with a morning at one of the nearby parks, grab lunch in Lisburn town centre, and be back at your caravan by early evening. It won't dominate your itinerary, but it's genuinely worth the short drive from Belfast for a proper leg-stretch.