Tardree Forest Car Park

You pull into Tardree Forest Car Park and immediately understand why people make the journey out here from Antrim. It's the starting point for proper woodland walking - nothing fancy, just dense forest, well-maintained tracks, and the sort of quiet you don't get near towns.

The car park itself is straightforward: tarmac, a handful of spaces, and that's it. What matters is what's beyond the barrier. There are several walking routes through the forest, ranging from gentle loops to hillier circuits. Most people do a solid hour or two here, taking in the mixed woodland and the occasional clearing with views back towards the town. It's not dramatic scenery - no dramatic viewpoints or dramatic summits - but it's the kind of place that feels proper restorative if you've had a week indoors.

Families with younger children will manage the easier tracks fine, though buggies are a non-starter once you're in. Older kids and serious walkers get more mileage from the longer routes. Go on a weekday morning if you can - weekends pull a decent crowd, and the narrow tracks get a bit congested.

If you're based at Blair's Castlewood or Six Mile Water Caravan Park nearby, this is a solid half-day option. It complements a park holiday well - active enough to justify the petrol, close enough not to eat your whole day, and genuinely useful if you've got restless teenagers who need a proper walk without a three-hour drive.