Torc Waterfall

The Owengarriff River drops about twenty metres through a wooded gorge on the flank of Torc Mountain, and a short path of two hundred metres from the car park brings you to the base - which is why this is the most visited waterfall in Ireland and why the viewing area is crowded through the middle of any summer day. The woodland around it is the interesting part for anyone willing to walk further: this is old sessile oak forest, part of the largest remaining tract in the country, with a floor of moss, filmy ferns and liverworts that survive in the constant damp. A stone stairway of around a hundred steps climbs beside the fall to a viewpoint over Lough Leane, and the Old Kenmare Road and the Torc Mountain path continue from there. The fall depends entirely on rainfall and is much reduced in a dry summer.

What you actually see

• The cascade - about twenty metres through a wooded gorge.
• The oak woodland - old sessile oak with a mossy, fern-covered floor.
• The stairway - roughly a hundred steps to a view over Lough Leane.
• The onward paths - the Old Kenmare Road and Torc Mountain routes.

When to go

October to April for the strongest flow. Early morning or evening avoids the coach traffic. Summer dry spells reduce the fall substantially.

Honest expectations

Very busy in season - the short walk from the car park means it is on every tour itinerary. Rocks and steps are slippery in the constant spray. In dry weather the flow disappoints.

Nearby

Muckross House and the Killarney lakes are north; Ladies View is south on the N71.