Riverside Park

The riverside here runs thick and peaty, winding through woodland that feels properly wild for somewhere so close to Ballymoney. Riverside Park is the sort of nature reserve that rewards a slow walk rather than a quick visit - bring wellies, because the ground squelches even when it hasn't rained recently.

You'll find yourself on trails that loop through mature trees, past water that reflects the sky on good days and disappears into mist on others. The reserve handles the Causeway Coast terrain well, neither too manicured nor so unkempt you lose the path. Bird watchers get genuinely decent sightings here - kingfishers if you're lucky, herons doing their patient hunting thing along the banks. It's the kind of place where kids can actually burn energy without feeling like they're being marched around a tourist trap.

Allow a couple of hours if you're doing the longer circuit, less if you just want to stretch your legs for forty minutes. There's enough going on - the water, the trees, occasional wildlife - that the time passes quickly. Worth timing it for late afternoon when the light gets golden through the canopy.

Stays at Thornfield Farm Luxury Glamping Pods near the Dark Hedges work well as a base. It's only a short drive away, so you can combine this gentler walk with other Causeway Coast activities without overcomplicating your itinerary. Admission appears free, though facilities information isn't always easy to pin down from here.