Hike Knocknarea

From the base of the trail, you'll hike up a low-grade, rocky farm road for about a half mile. The trail then transitions to a proper hiking trail, getting steeper as you head toward to the summit. 

When you reach the top you'll find yourself on a wide, open plateau, with a massive cairn in the middle. Informational signs along the trail and near the cairn indicate that the land was formerly home to prehistoric Irish clans, and the cairn is believed to be a passage tomb dating as far back as 3000 BC. 

For fuller views of the Sligo Bay and the Atlantic, carry on past the cairn for a few hundred yards to the edge of Knocknarea. The mountain overlooks the town of Strandhill, a surprising Irish surf town complete with a boardwalk and colorful sunsets. 

From the trailhead, the hike to the top of Knocknarea is a 1.3km (.8 mile) trail, with a 200m (560ft) elevation gain. Be sure to pack a raincoat as it's quite windy at the top, and the weather can change from sun to rain in just a few minutes. 

Access the trailhead from the Queen Maeve's Grave car park. You won't find any named roads nearby, so aim for the R292 from Sligo toward Strandhill and start looking for signs to Knocknarea Mountain.