Djouce Walk – Djouce Deerpark Walk (Red Loop)

This walk trough the Djouce Deerpark is a 9 km moderate trail that will take about 3 hours to complete.

This trail he Djouce woods  is the Red Loop and is approximately twice as long as the Djouce Woods Blue Loop.So if you have a bit more time , this would be the ideal Sunday afternoon family walk.

Deerpark woods were once part of the Powerscourt Estate whose owner commissioned the construction of numerous roads and drives in the area in the 1830s.

You come across some amazing  open views on Djouce, Maulin, the great Sugar Loaf but also  the Powerscourt valley and of course the Powerscourt waterfall.

Explore the full Djouce Deerpark Red loop hike  profile below for trail map, driving directions, and more tips and details to help you enjoy this adventure near the Djouce mountain and Powerscourt waterfall.

Djouce Walk – Djouce Deerpark Walk Snapshot

Parking and Djouce Deerpark Red loop hike information

Djouce woods is located just 45 mn drive from Dublin city center. You can park your car in either of the two car parks located on the Old Longhill Road, between Enniskerry and Roundwood. I usually park in the first car park on the right after Enniskerry.

From Dublin take the M50 southbound then the M11 towacrd Wexford. You will merge to the N11. Just after the Kilmacanoge petrol station, take the N11/R755 exit toward Dublin/Roundwood/Glendalough .

Stay on the R755 for approximately 2.5 km then take a  turn right when you see the sign for Powerscourt waterfall (brown sign). Drive 200 m and take  a sharp left (signs for Roundwood/Glendalough).

Drive another 300 m and you will see the car Park on your right. Note the fantastic view of the Sugarloaf on your left.

Djouce DeerPark Hike: The Red Loop

Starting at the car Park, you walk down the hill following the trail.  Carry on walking and you will soon reach  a trail going left  into the forest. At the start the red & blue loop follow the same trail. Stay on the main trail and carry on straight downwards towards the floor of the valley for another 600 m. Observe the fantastic view of the valley. At the next crossing, take the trail going slightly up on the left (straight is a dead end). You will see a post for the blue loop, that’s ok. Check out the beautiful view on  the Powerscourt Waterfall.

Powerscourt Waterfall is Ireland’s highest  waterfall. The water cascade down 121m (398ft) from the peatlands above down over the granite cliff  into the river Dargle. Absolutely breathtaking.

You are now going through a  pleasant gradual uphill climb, with gorse flowers either side of the trail. You can hear and see the river Dargle flowing down the valley on your right.

After 1.5 km, you reach the the now dry Paddock Ponds. They were the water source for the Powerscourt fountains until the damn was damaged by hurricane Charley in 1986. It used to be a very popular sites where picnics were organized for Powerscourts guests.

Djouce Deerpark Paddock Ponds

Once you reach the end of the Paddock Ponds, you turn right and follow the trail to cross the little stream of water. Immediately after you cross that stream, watch out for the red loop post in the forest trail going up on your left.

You need to follow the trail surrounded by heather that goes up along a nice rocky wall  for about 1km until you reach a farmer’s gate. In the summer, those heather bloom and give a beautiful purple colour to the hills.

Go past that gate and carry on walking for a little while.You have now reach a plateau. Very soon you pass by a stile for the Wicklow Way going on the left towards Djouce (south West). Keep going straight and start to go down again for 200 m  until you reach another stile beside a gate on the right. Go across this stile.

Follow this forestry trail for 2.5 km and admire the view  of the great SugarLoaf as you go down back towards the Paddock Ponds.

Djouce Deerpark hike: going up the trail

Carry on Walking to the farmer’s gate

Pass by the stile going to Djouce

Djouce Deerpark hike: The way down towards the stile

Djouce Deerpark Hike: Mountain view

Take the right over the stile when going down the hill

SugarLoaf afar

Once you are down to the Paddock Ponds again, take the left towards where you started the hike and take the trail going up in the forest on the right.

Take the trail that goes up into the forest on the right.

Now you walk up into the forest for a short while. The terrain soon level up and after a bit more than 1 km, you will briefly go out of the forest and the view will open on the Powerscourts Waterfall, Djouce and Maulin. You soon walk back into the forest and at the next crossing, take the left and follow the wooden pole with a red loop marker This section of the walk is the same for the red and the blue loop.If you take the trails that goes uphill, you will end up at the second car Park on the Long Hill Road.

Following this trail going on the left, you will soon join up with the starting trail and walk back to the car Park where you started this Deerpark Hike.

Route map for Djouce Walk – Djouce Deerpark Walk by romuald kieffer on plotaroute.com