Ireland's First National Park Offers Majestic Mountain Lakes, Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides, And Epic Castles

If you're looking to get the most out of a trip to the Emerald Isle, County Kerry is one of the best places to visit in Ireland. Not only is it home to the legendary Ring of Kerry, an iconic Irish road trip part of the unforgettable Wild Atlantic Way that you can do in a single day, but it's also where you'll find the oldest national park in the country. Killarney National Park was established in 1932 after the land was donated to the state, and then acknowledged as a part of the Kerry UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1982. The 26,000-acre lake-filled park is situated next to the namesake town of Killarney, which has its merits even though it gets a bad rap for being overcrowded by the millions of tourists passing through every year.

You can fly directly to Killarney National Park if you get a connecting flight from Dublin to Kerry Airport (KIR), which is only a 22-minute drive from the town of Killarney. In addition to exploring the historic landmarks of Killarney, from castles to stone circles, and traveling around the lakes by horse and buggy, the park has so much more to offer if you venture beyond the main tourist circle. Take to the trails and you can appreciate alpine lakes and sprawling views while keeping an eye out for the park's emblematic red deer. Here's how to make the most of your time in Ireland's first national park.

Even though Rick Steves described the town of Killarney as a "traffic jam of tour buses," and there is indeed a robust tourism industry that keeps the town busy, that doesn't mean there's nothing to see. You can try to avoid the worst of the crowds by visiting in the low season between November and February, but you might miss out on experiences (like horse-drawn carriage rides) that typically close for the winter. Instead, consider the shoulder season between April and May or September to October.

Historic landmarks you can visit near the town are the Muckross House and Gardens, a 19th-century mansion that is an impressive example of Victorian architecture. If you prefer something older, Ross Castle is a 15th-century fortress where you can learn about how defenders attempted to hold their ground during the invasion of Oliver Cromwell. The jaunting cars preserve one of the original ways early-20th-century visitors toured the park, via horse and buggy. These tours pass by the main sights, roll along lakeside paths, and trot through the Gap of Dunloe, a scenic mountain pass. You can also take a cruise on Lough Leane to visit the ruins of Innisfallen Island.

Killarney is where you'll find the tallest mountains in Ireland, the McGillycuddy Reeks, which measure up at 3,280 feet, but you don't have to be an accomplished expeditionist to enjoy a day out on the trails. For a quickish hike, go for the 1.7-mile climb to Torc Waterfall, which takes about an hour. With more time, you can take on the top-rated trail in the park, the 4.8-mile ascent from Owengarriff to Torc Mountain. If you prefer something more easygoing, there is also a well-marked 4-mile loop that goes around Ross Castle, favored by runners and families.

When I arrived in Killarney on a road trip of the southwestern coast, I had enormous luck with the mid-April weather — mostly sunny and a brisk but comfortable high of 55 degrees Fahrenheit — and grasped the opportunity to take on the more challenging trail to a place called Devil's Punch Bowl, one of the park's "upland lakes" (per National Parks). The 10-mile climb (and 2,800-foot ascent) was a glute-burner, but the sweeping views of the park's lake-filled landscape were well worth the next-day soreness.

No matter where you go hiking, keep an eye out for red deer, the park's indigenous species, which have been roaming the green hills of Killarney for thousands of years. You don't have to go too far into the wilderness to see the deer, which are often spotted within walking distance of town — it's just a matter of time and a little luck.