Bonaveen Cycling Trail – Portumna Forest Park

This trail is the longest loop in the park covering the western side of the Park, including the wonderful Bonaveen Point section by the lake. This loop brings the visitor into a multitude of diversity including mature Scots Pine forest and open lakeshore environments. It ventures into areas of the park previously unexplored by visitors. The trail starts northwards from the car-park on singletrack (narrow and twisty in places) and heads into large stands of Scots Pine. It then winds through mature Beech forest and younger mixed broadleaves bringing you around the top of Portumna Golf Club. You will pass through deer gates in high fences, designed to keep the deer from entering the golf course. When you reach the golf club's car-park, cross directly over while watching for traffic entering and leaving the car park. The next section brings you above a large turlough on the western end of the park. This is a feature typical of low-lying limestone areas where the water table fluctuates throughout the year. In the Winter this is a haven for waterfowl such as duck, waterhen, and cranes. It leads onto a forest road to the south of the golf club and brings you near the disused Bonaveen harbour and onto the long section around the lakeshore. This is some of the most attractive landscape in the forest park with great views out over the expanse of Lough Derg; a very busy area for pleasure craft in summer. This trail is open to bad weather at times and can be quite exposed so be prepared with suitable clothing and footwear. On the return leg from the lake, you can link into the green waymarked loop of the Rinmaher trail to give a 4-hour walk or 2-hour cycle of the full trails in the park.