Geopark Trails

Try one of our Self-Guided Geological trails to better understand the rocks beneath your feet. These illustrated documents explain some of our most interesting sites so that you can impress your family and friends with some geological knowledge. Millennia of weathering and erosion, along with glacial activity sculpted the distinctive rounded peaks of the Mourne Mountains and u-shaped valleys, giving us the dramatic profile we see today.

For more in-depth information check out our Publications & Educational Resources page.

Gullion Geological Trail

Slieve Gullion mountain is encircled by the Slieve Gullion Ring Dyke, a 60 million year old structure with a diameter of 11km. You will see the ring dyke clearly if you climb to the summit or by driving around the mountain drive. Geologically Slieve Gullion and the encircling ‘ring dyke’ hills are considered to be the best example of a volcanic ring dyke system in the UK or Ireland. The complex attracts international research interest and has made contributions of world significance to scientific understanding of volcanicity.

Download a copy of The Gullion Geological Trail here.

Mournes Geological Trail at Bloody Bridge

The valley at Bloody Bridge is too large to have been made by the present day river. As with most of the Mournes it was ice that excavated this valley, silt stone is well exposed in the river bed at the Bloody Bridge and as blocks on the path. The rounded hills in the distance are formed of granite. Granite is a hard igneous rock, and erodes more slowly than silt stone. This the reason we have the beautiful Mourne Mountains.

Download a copy of The Bloody Bridge Geological Trail here.

Strangford Geological Trail

The area known as Strangford and Lecale once lay deep in the southern hemisphere, drowned beneath the wide and deep Iapetus Ocean. On the ocean floor sands and muds accumulated and eventually, under their own weight, were compressed into the sandstones and mudstones that we see today. Remains of the sea creatures became buried too, trapped as fossils.

Download a copy of The Strangford Lough Lecale Way here.