A simply navigated, yet strenuous in parts hike!!The Silvermine Mountains in Co Tipperary give you some of the best views on a hike around. This route gives you a lovely walk along the spine of the mountain with a few short peaks along the way that are perfect for little breaks.
This is a 10km out and back trail that starts at a small car park just south of the town of Silvermines. Head south out of the town and follow the L2116 up a steel road, past the viewing point carpark and the Knockanroe carpark is on your right.
The trail starts here and will be a logging road for the first kilometre or so before narrowing into the walking trail.
You'll see the steepest part of the hike next with a sharp downhill and return up the mountain in front of you. Even my dog slowed down for this bit!
At the bottom of the hill the trail splits, left for the loop back to the car park, but for us, onward up the hill!
Gaiters are a must here on most days. The boggy terrain will have you soaked in no time even on relatively dry days. For a while people were using a dry path on the left of the hill, but this is private property and is now blocked. So watch your ankles here.
Once at the top of this hill you're in for a treat, the views of the Shannon, Slieve Felim, Lough Derg and more, including the now disused silver mine await.
The mountain rolls ahead and the path varies from rock to bog, but is very visible the whole way.
Most people stop at the rock pile at about the 4km mark and head back, but I would recommend continuing to the end of the trail at 5km for the stunning all round views of the Shannon, Limerick and Clare. But this point is my favourite, you can get some nice shelter from the wind with the rocks at your back, my favourite part of hiking, lunch!
The mountain is dog friendly, but leads and manners are essential. The trail is not often busy, so my dogs love it being able to bound through the heather when it's quiet.