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Cave Hill Country Park

View larger map Address: Cave Hill, Antrim Road/Innisfayle Park junction, BT15 5GR

You can enter the park via Antrim Road (Bellevue), Ballysillan Road (Carr's Glen), Innisfayle Park (Belfast Castle), Upper Cavehill Road or Upper Hightown Road.

Take Metro no.1 A-H (Monday to Saturday) or no.1 C-E or H (Sundays).

Cave Hill Country Park includes Belfast Castle Estate, Carr's Glen Linear Park, Hazelwood and land on the summit of Cave Hill.

You can find out more about Cave Hill Country Park from the Belfast Castle website.

You can find out more about the park by viewing the video clip on this page. You need to have Adobe Flash Player 10 installed on your computer to use this feature. Press the 'play' button to begin watching.

In 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 the park was awarded the Green Flag Award, which recognises the best open spaces in the UK. It is one of ten of our parks, cemeteries and open spaces to receive this award.

Opening hours

All our parks open at 7.30am daily. Closing times vary according to the time of year - check full opening hours for parks

Contact details

For information about the park, call 028 9031 9629 or 07860 461955 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm only) or email largeym@belfastcity.gov.uk

Facilities

Park features include Cave Hill Adventurous Playground, archaeological sites, Cave Hill Visitor Centre, an ecotrail, gardens, orienteering routes, refreshments (in Belfast Castle), scenic views and waymarked walking trails.

The park's natural attractions include heath and moorland on top of the hill itself, the meadows and Milewater Stream in Carr's Glen Linear Park, the woodlands of Hazelwood and the beautiful surroundings of Belfast Castle Estate.

The area is rich in birds and wild plants and land at Ballyhagan and Hazelwood is designated as a local nature reserve.

Walking routes

Visitors to Cave Hill Country Park can enjoy panoramic views across Belfast from vantage points on the hillside. There are also waymarked trails which are suitable for casual walkers or serious ramblers.

• Download walking route for Cave Hill Country Park (PDF - 202KB)

Virtual tour

A panoramic tour of Cave Hill Country Park is available from the Virtual Visit website. You will need to have Javascript enabled to view the tour.

• View virtual tour of Cave Hill Country Park

History

Cave Hill Country Park gets its name from five caves, which could be early iron mines, located on the side of the main Belfast cliffs.

The park itself contains a wealth of natural and historical features. These include Cave Hill, one of the most visible landmarks in Belfast, and Belfast Castle.

There are several archaeological sites in Cave Hill Country Park, including the remains of a stone cairn, cashel and crannog. The most spectacular is McArts Fort, an ancient ráth or fort which stands almost 368 metres (about 1,200 feet) above sea level.