If you’re from the Belfast, Bangor, Hollywood, Dundonald area, you may well have visited Cairn Wood at some point in your life. If you haven’t been in years you’ll find that it has changed considerably in the last 12 months with extensive work on the car park and 4 new trails after a £1 million investment.
As well as fantastic new trails, the Woods also have a new car park and toilet block.
We’ve been to the trails quite a few times this summer, for trail running, hill sprints and some shade from the sometimes hot sun, and we can definitely recommend the revamped experience. It’s perfect for walkers, runners, strolls, dog walks and to reconnect with our beautiful local countryside.
The new trails include two lower section trails completed in 2021 and finally two complimentary upper section trails were completed earlier this year. They offer ample opportunity to mix and match your trail experience with longer routes and adding on shorter sections depending on how much energy you have.
Just get out, enjoy the countryside, be present and most of all enjoy!
Top tip: We prefer to turn right as we enter the gate and enjoy a steady incline through a cleared forest area which takes us higher into the old forest and past the quarry.
The four new trails are suited to a range of abilities. They include:
- Ballysallagh Trail (1.7km/1.1 miles): An easy grade, multi-use walking and family cycle trail.
- Woodland Trail (3km/1.9 miles): A moderate grade multi-use walking and family cycling trail.
- Quarry Trail (4km/2.5 miles): A moderate grade walking trail.
- Boundary Trail (4.5km/2.8 miles): A moderate grade walking trail.