Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland
Visited July 22, 2022
Visitor Center: 44 Causeway Rd, Bushmills BT57 8SU, United Kingdom I arrived via a day tour bus from Dublin.
60s degrees Fahrenheit, cloudy but then the sun came out fully and temps rose10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Restroom facilities are available near the visitor center
Dogs should be leashed and their people should pick up after them. As of 2020, they are allowed in the visitor center, as well.
I walked 3.1 miles total for the clockwise loop down to the rocks and back to the visitor center. I explored a bit of the green trail toward toward the overlook before heading down the blue trail. The blue trail took me down to the rocks with a few stairs and a fairly gradual paved walkway. There were vehicles passing on the paved road to the side of the walk way. The path was wide enough to easily pass people going in the opposite direction. The red trail was single file and had a steep stairway of about 100 steps. It was fairly level after ascending the steps and then a slight decline back to the visitor center on a trail that was more than 2 people wide. There were many people at this National Trust site but everyone was friendly and it is a large enough space that it is possible to have a small bit of it to oneself. This is a gorgeous place with a mythology of how it was formed. When down at the bottom of the "bowl", the looming cliffs and expanse of ocean puts one's own significance into perspective. Focusing on every footstep out on the uneven rock surface was a meditation of its own. I could have happily spent hours here exploring the little plants and creatures living in the harsh environment but I had to get back to my bus. As it was, I only had about nine minutes to spare, just enough time to visit the public toilets and hop on the bus.
The blue trail had a paved surface. The trail surface of the red trail is natural. There was no mud; Ireland has had a dry spell during the past weeks.
Parking: I arrived via tour bus but there is paved parking available.
I did not see any trash on these trails.
I was not bothered by mosquitos until I reached the upper levels of the red trail on my return.
I saw a variety of wildflowers and had a fleeting glimpse of large birds at the tops of the cliffs. One of the plants I recognized was a shrub that will have yellow flowers earlier in the season, gorse.
For more information: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway
I posted a few short video clips on TikTok. I have not learned how to link the videos to this page yet.
The visitor center as viewed from where my bus dropped off.
The lawn that led up to the trails following along the wall of the visitor center.
To the right and below the the grass was a parking area.
I turned around for another view.
The stairs that lead to the blue trail.
View from the green trail
Returning to the top of the stairs to the blue trail from the green trail, saw this robot lawn mower toiling away. When I returned from my walk, it was tucked into its charging station.
I did not see any of these tiny creatures. I did see some larger ones that you will see below.
Blackberry blossoms were everywhere on my visit to Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
On the left, you see the paved walkway. In the center, you see the single-lane road.
A small path led to the left but I did not have time to explore it.
These rescue stations were near water throughout my trip to Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.
These rocks were polished by the many visitors walking on them. I am glad it was not raining on the day of my visit.
The Red Trail that I took back up from the rocks.
Red Trail
Looking down on the first section of the Red Trail as I approached the stairs.
Approximately 100 of these steps.
Pretty sure this was gorse. It must be gorgeous in the spring.
Benches where I turned to return to the visitor center.
This sign is posted by the visitor center but I did not see it until my return.