Parkanaur Forest Park

Full Description

Parkanaur is a proper forest park rather than a playground with trees, and it's all the better for it. Nearly 200 hectares of mixed woodland, three short waymarked walks from the main car park, a Victorian garden and — the thing children ask about — an enclosed herd of white fallow deer.

What You'll Find

Three waymarked walks start and finish at the main car park: the River Walk and the Waterfall Walk at about 0.8 miles each, and the Deer Park Walk at about 0.7 miles. There's also an eco trail and an orienteering course.

The nature trails pass through oak and beech, past a Victorian garden, a wishing well and an old archway. A wildlife pond sits in the grounds, and the woodland is full of daffodils and rhododendrons in spring.

The white fallow deer are an enclosed herd within the park.

Wee Ones Will Love...

• ✓Spotting the white fallow deer
• ✓The waterfall on the river walk
• ✓Making a wish at the wishing well
• ✓The old stone archway and the big trees

Before You Visit

The park is four miles west of Dungannon, signposted from the A4 Dungannon to Ballygawley Road at Quinn's Corner; the address is 57 Parkanaur Road, Castlecaulfield (BT70 3AA).

Admission and parking are both free, with a large car park.

It's open daily during daylight hours rather than to a fixed clock, so check the Forest Service page before a late visit.

There are toilets with disabled access and picnic tables, but no café and no play park, so bring what you need.

These are working forest walks and can be diverted or closed from time to time.

Top Tips

• ⭐Do the Deer Park Walk first if you have little ones — it's the shortest and the deer are the draw
• ⭐Bring a picnic; the tables make it an easy half-day
• ⭐Binoculars for the wildlife pond, which is good for birds
• ⭐Check the Forest Service page before travelling, as trails can close for forestry work