Cave Hill Country Park

One of the best places I visited while in Ireland. It was was raining and the wind was blowing very hard. The ground was muddy and it was a bit chilly. Definitely worth visiting still. Make sure you have a good pair of boots.

Great place to walk the dog with different paths of varying difficulty. Had been raining for a few weeks so the ground was soaking and very slippery so bring wellies just in case, but overall a pleasant walk with great views over belfast lough and surrounding areas.

This is the best walk in Belfast, in my humble opinion. The parking is convenient, if a little small, but the walk is easy or challenging depending on your mood, there is the most beautiful view of the city from a Norman Fort from the 10th century. And there is a farm settlement from the 4th century. And a small waterfall. And if you can find them, there are some amazing caves.

It was pretty much fun climbing up the hill, stressful but it was an exercise to stretch the body and the legs. It was an adventure I will love doing again, the view up the cliff was amazing and everyone was helpful to each other if you lost the way climbing up or climbing down the hill.

The very best place to visit in Belfast and a MUST for any visitor. So interesting and the museum design both inside and out was very clever. Highly recommend

One of the most memorable first time hiking experiences i’ve had in my life, try to take picnic food , drinks and camp uptop. Top 3 experiences i’ve had in my life!! Make sure you go with the right friends too for the best experience.

Really nice walk with an abundance of mushrooms in autumn. And great views as you climb. Multiple trails for different abilities. Not very accessible for those who use mobility aids though. Lots of dogs off lead which worries me a little.

Fantastic hike up to the top of “the nose” to enjoy some of the best panoramic views of Belfast on a clear day. Hike itself was fairly easy along a maintained path and we saw a few runners and bikers out enjoying themselves as well.

From downtown Belfast you can't really tell what awaits you. The mountain is bigger than you might think from a distance. There's at least one cave on the northern route that you can scramble up to (need to be comfortable with exposure and basic climbing). Great views of the city and surrounding countryside, even Scotland if it's not raining. There are also lots of (steep) mountain biking trails.

If you are coming from Belfast city centre, you can take most pink metro buses for Antrim Road. (1d, 1e, 1c etc) and get off at Strathmore. There is a huge brown sign for Belfast Castle . Take Innisfayle Park and you cant miss the CaveHill park gates. I think there are three trails. Castle (1.3km), Estate (3.9km), CaveHill (4.5km). I have been around the different trails many times. From sunny strolls with a picnic on the Estate route to running the Cavehill trail in the lashing rain, its a park that offers much to its visitors. Cavehill trail starts at Castle with a gentle hill and dips into a forest lined with flora pathways and wooded areas covered with bluebells, streams and wildlife. You can stay on main trail or wander around to explore the many trees and vegetation. Just be on the look out for mountain bikers as they take many winding, smaller routes and appear out of nowhere. The trail had a few look out points with resting stones. McArt's Fort and Napoleons nose are some of the more well known features. There are a few ways to get to top. If you dont fancy the longer track to right after cave you can go left and run up either two small paths. Much harder on the quads but quicker and a lot more rewarding. Once at the top there are wonderful panoramic views over Belfast & beyond. Some additional points: Free parking and free access to trails O2 network has coverage at top (for selfie glory) Watch out at wooden steps as many visitors have worn down the ground revealing metal stakes that were put in to secure the land. When you are on a quick sprint down its easy to catch your toe and fall (as my friend did) Bring water! Family friendly but expect to carry smaller kids on steeper parts.

I love a walk up Cavehill, it's a lovely walk and it's also good exercise. The views are just amazing, every time I go up I'm just like wow! It takes about an hour and a half to go right up, round and back down again although the is a shorter route so don't panic!

I know I already rated Cave Hill Five Stars but I feel I need to update my review slightly - recently we discovered the Country Trail on Cave Hill. If you park at the floodlit car park near Belfast Castle and then start the trail but bare left you'll come to the 'country trail'. This trail sweeps up the hill and back up round on top of the famous Cave. You'll pass McArt's Fort and you'll be treated to spectacular views over the North of the City! I can't recommend this enough - if you're an amateur photographer, dog walker or just appreciate nature mark this on your to do list!!

If you want to see Belfast in all its glory, a trek up Cavehill is the ticket! A short walk (not too strenuous but does stretch the legs!) and magnificent views await. There are many places to stop along the way if you cannot walk up too far. With a name like Cavehill you expect a few caves...and there are! (although it's hard enough to climb in and out so I didn't get a chance to go in one!) An interesting fact about Cavehill is that it is thought to be the inspiration behind the book 'Gulliver's Travels', with Cavehill acting as the sleeping giant safeguarding the city! Pack a flask and a maybe a picnic and enjoy the Country Park!

We stayed nearby and decided to visit Belfast castle... which was essentially closed that day due to weddings. So we decided to take an unplanned hike! Definitely wear appropriate shoes if you're planning ahead, by which I mean hiking boots. There were some parts, especially coming down, where we were essentially sliding on dusty pebbles. Also, bring a jacket -- it gets really windy up there! The landscape is unparalleled. The trails could be better signposted. Frequently we got to a fork and didn't know which one would keep us on the trail we wanted. But all's well that ends well. It's definitely one of my more memorable experiences the Belfast trip, and not just because of the sore leg muscles that lasted longer than I like to admit!

Try climbing into the large cave its fun. There is another cave above this one but I heard it is dangerous to get to. There is great views from the top and a nice walk if you want to venture across to black mountain. #CaveBant

A few years back the girls in work and I signed up to climb Slieve Donard to raise money for the Northern Ireland Children's Cancer Fund. In order to help ourselves prepare for the climb, we decided to do a bit of practice on Cave Hill. Not long after, my other half and I decided to climb Ben Nevis, and again, Cave Hill was our go to place to get the fitness levels built up! The historic name for Cave Hill was Ben Madigan, which is still in use today as a name of one of the residential streets in the area, and is the name of the local Prep school for BRA. The Country Park is easily accessed just off the Antrim Road, and is clearly signposted. There is lots of available parking. There is a visitor centre, cafe and bathroom facilities located within Belfast Castle, and a children's adventure playground on site. The ascent to the top is a slightly challenging but rewarding walk which is well signposted. There are beautiful views over Belfast and beyond to be seen on your ascent - on a good day, you can even see as far as Scotland! There are 5 caves in the hill. I have only ever seen two of them. The first one is easy enough to climb inside. At the very top of the hill is McArts fort, also known as Napoleon's Nose, again, stunning views can be had from here and it's lovely to sit for a while before you begin your ascent. This in itself is a great point about Cave Hill. Many times when hiking, I have had to double back and go the way I came to get back down again. This isn't the case with Cave Hill, it's a circular route, so you come down a different way, but still get back to the car park. The ascent is easy, and you can go as quickly as you like!

This park is a recent discovery for myself. Its great way to get a great view of Belfast and get some exercise. I wouldn't say that the walk is extremely demanding but you can break sweat and wonder when it will end. When you get to the main look out point (The Fort) it is all worth it. Caution is the operative word when at the fort because there are no railings and there are steep if not vertical cliffs nearby. Perfect picnic spots abound and there are definite feelings of accomplishment upon your decent. Perfect for a day out.

Follow the country trail up the steep hill and you will get to the top of Nelson's nose or Mcart's fort from where you will have the best view all over Belfast. From Belfast lough on the left to the Mourne mountains on the right. It can get pretty windy and cold on top so wear a warm coat and good strong trainers or hiking boots. It takes roughly 45 mins each way and you can follow a path from the top of the Cavehill road or from the car park at Belfast Castle

I grew up in the shadow of Cavehiill, so it will always be a place I've got alot of affection for. It's beauty is absolutely unsurpassed; I only have one, fairly significant, issue with it. My friend lives near the back entrance to the park so we decided to go for a run up there one night. After around 10 minutes, we were followed by a teenager carrying bottles of alcohol who decided to throw stones and had to make a quick exit for our own personal safety. Belfast City Council need to get night time wardens up here or cops on patrol because this beautiful nature spot is turning into a playground for local goods.

I'm a North-side girl, so the Cavehill is such a familiar sight to me (I can see it from my bedroom). The mountain is one of Northern Ireland's most famous and enduring landmarks and the Country Park built around it is loved and well-used by the residents of Belfast. You can go right up to the top - Napoleon's nose - or you can stop just below it and still get magnificent views across the lough. It's not the easiest of walks though, so make sure you wear the right shoes! In some places, it's fairly civilised, but most of the path to the top is just trails that have been carved out over the years. You can also enter the park from the Upper Hightown Road and trek the whole way down to the Antrim Road entrances (quite a distance!) The area does tend to attract kids at night, but I think it should really go without saying that you don't go walking in the woods after dark anyway! It's a real beauty spot, a great place for an exhausting walk, and if it all gets too much, you can always call into the tea rooms at the Castle for a sit down and a cuppa!

Growing up at the foot of the Cavehill makes it by far my favourite place in Belfast. The. Views from the bottom almost seem prehistoric and when your at the top WOW! It's a place to go at anytime of year... From perfect summer nights to sledging in the winter and if your up for a challenge try and enter the second cave....a must see!!

The Cavehill was a 20 minute walk from my house, so whenever we were younger, it was always the place to go on a sunny day. It's a country park based around a hill, which is named after the two caves close to it's summit (which are quite difficult to get into when your as clumsy as I am!). There are a number of trail, which vary in length, but all lead to the top. There are a number of little points of interest on the way up, all of which appear to be named after the devil such as the devils armchair (a big rock) and the devils slide (a slippery part of the mountain). I'm not sure what the connection is but hey! The view from the top is spectacular, with views of the harbour and the rest of the city, it's always worth the trek!

I live very close to Cave Hill and count myself fortunate to have such a spectacular part of Belfast on my doorstep. Years ago, before I discovered the delights of red wine and blue cheese (and before I knackered my knees playing squash), I used to run to the fort at the top for enjoyment. Nowadays, a leisurely dander followed by a packed lunch whilst sitting looking down at my home town is about all I can muster. But my love for Cave Hill remains as true. Take a day off sometime soon before the weather gets really minging, and trek the hill. I find the walk from the zoo side to be more picturesque than from the Upper Hightown Road angle, but I promise you you'll never feel more serene (or glad that you've gone out of your way to make the effort) when you're sitting on a rock at McArts Fort, looking down at the city and listening to the buzz of the traffic.

This massive park that is basically a small mountain called 'Cavehill', (named so because of the natural caves at its summit), is very popular with locals, and you will always find groups of teenagers and children playing on the grass, families hiking up to the top to get the stunning panoramic views of Belfast and North Down, and couples walking thier dogs in the sunshine (and in the rain!). It's got some lovely walking routes, which feel very natural and not contrived, you imagine you are walking in the footsteps of many who have gone before, that the natural beauty of the park hasn't changed in a long time. There is historical interest as well as botanical, apparently the United Irishmen plotted a rebellion here in 1798, and others may be interested in the Belfast Castle, built here by the Earl of Donegal. All in all, its a place of real beauty, something that Belfast can be proud of.