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Ireland is home to some of the best wild camping spots in Europe. But before you pack your camping things and head out to adventure, you should know the rules surrounding wild camping in Ireland. We’ve also compiled a list of the 9 best spots for wild camping in Ireland and some top tips and mistakes to avoid.
To be clear, wild camping is not legal in Ireland, but in 2025 it’s certainly tolerated as long as a number of guidelines and broadly accepted rules are followed. The majority of Ireland’s landscape is privately owned so you will need permission from the landowner if you want to camp on their land.
Some places in Ireland have some widely-known guidelines that allow visitors to camp in the wild, as long as some precautions are taken to respect the land. In this case, wild camping is legal as long as:
Theoretically, you can camp anywhere in Ireland, but it might not be entirely legal. If you have permission then you certainly can camp anywhere on their land. If you decide to camp anywhere in Ireland regardless of permission, you should keep a low profile by:
When you go wild camping in Ireland, you need to make sure you have all the right gear with you, especially as you never know what scenarios you might come across.
Here are the bare essentials you will need to pack when camping in the wilderness:
The Ireland wilderness camping community is tight-knit and the best wild camping spots are closely guarded secrets to avoid them becoming too popular.
At Ireland Wide, we don’t agree with this approach – the land should be enjoyed and respected by everyone. Here is our list of the 9 best wild camping spots and what makes them so special:
Established in 1991, the Wicklow Mountains National Park is only a 52km drive South of Dublin for any urban adventurers who might want a break from the city. It has over 23,000 hectares of land to explore with beautiful trails along ridges and between valleys.
While there is no official campsite, apart from Glendalough, camping if fully permitted throughout the National Park, so you won’t need to worry about breaking any rules. However, campfires are strictly forbidden and, as always, there is a list of rules that campers must follow to keep themselves safe and respect the land.
For our next best spot for wild camping in Ireland, we’re heading South. Knockmealdown Mountains is a gorgeous mountain range that borders the counties Tipperary and Waterford. This makes it a popular destination for hikers and wild campers.
At 792m, Knockmeadown Mountain is the highest point in Waterford County. For this reason, you should bring a good pair of hiking boots and you will need warm clothes if you’re going during the winter months. Either way, it’ll be worth it for the panoramic view of Blackwater Valley and surrounding farmland.
Connemara National Park is another location where the public has permission to camp, as long as they follow best practices and respect the land. This area was once part of the Kylemore Abbey estate so it has been well kept over the years.
This National Park embraces 3,000 hectares, leaving you with lots of landscape to discover, from bogs and grasslands to woodlands and hills. There are even a 19th-century graveyard and a 4,000-year-old court tomb!
Something to bear in mind if you’re planning on visiting with your campervan is that Connemara National Park doesn’t allow overnight stays in the car park.
Minard Castle is far off to the southwest of the country, and it is this unique setting that makes it such a breathtaking for wild camping in Ireland. Close to Dingle is a small beach with stone and sand which is overlooked by the remains of Minard Castle.
Few places offer a better wake-up setting, and there is a local car park which makes setting up much easier for anyone who would rather not hike to get to a good wild camping spot. However, keep the tides in mind if you plan on wild camping close to the shore!
The Peara Peninsula is a 30-mile-long stretch of land across Southwest Ireland that connects the borders of Kerry and Cork, making it an excellent spot for wild camping.
You could take a 10-minute ferry trip to Bere Island, explore Castletownbere, or go to Derreen Gardens by Lauragh. Another great location to visit is Ardgroom Ogham Stone with the tallest Ogham (ancient script) in Europe.
The next place on our list of the best wild camping spots in Ireland is none other than Ben Crom Reservoir. This stone wall spans 22 miles and it is 700 ft long at the top, holding back the Ben Crom, a body of water with a capacity of 1.7 million litres.
Close by are the Mourne Mountains which reach an elevation of 850 metres. Given the importance of the structure and the potential risks associated with wild camping here, we recommend that this spot be left for the more experienced wild campers.
For those of you who might want a more eerie setting when wild camping in Ireland, there is an abandoned cottage in Black Valley which would be perfect. It’s called ‘Molly’s Castle’ and it is nestled deep within the Valley which is a breathtaking location during any season.
Also being in the South-West of Ireland, this location is 74.8km from Minard Castle from earlier in the list, making it a good second location if you are looking to do a wild camping trip in Ireland.
Just be careful as Black Valley is a very remote location so you will need to be careful if you are camping alone. It might be a good location for summer camping rather than during the winter. You should also note that parts of Black Valley are privately owned so you should get permission before pitching up your tent.
Glenbarrow is a short walk from Slieve Blooms Way and is more rugged and remote than other wild camping spots in the area. It serves as the source for the River Barrow which is the second-longest river in Ireland.
It is home to an 8.3km loop in County Laois which could be hiked before you pitch your tent in the late afternoon. There are no camping facilities and campfires are forbidden but the solitude and secluded nature of this area make it a popular spot for explorers who want to go wild camping.
This is the only sand beach in the list, and its place is well and truly earned. This cove is flanked on both sides by coastal hills in a horseshoe shape with incredible walks. This makes the beach more sheltered than most which is ideal if you want to camp on Dunree Beach on the Inishowen Peninsula of Donegal.
Some have reported sightings of Harbour Porpoises and bottle-nosed dolphins swimming through the bay and you can visit Fort Dunree which looms over the beach on the hill to the south.
However, wild camping on a beach brings a whole new range of challenges and risks so we strongly urge you to avoid camping alone and to save this spot for further down the line once you’re more experienced and confident in the process.
In our opinion, the best wild favourite camping spot in Ireland is Connemara National Park. When you choose to camp here, you get the safety and security of being in a national park, which is a safer location than most.
You also get a well-maintained landscape with diverse wildlife, breathtaking views, proper parking, established trails to hike, and plenty of resources to ensure you have a great time.
If you want to go wild camping in Connemara, you should follow their guidelines:
Becasue they don’t require any booking slots or campsite costs, all of these spots are ideal for free camping in Ireland. Our advice is to stick to Natioanl parks. Not only are they well maintained and easy to navigate with plenty of helpful resources, but they are also home to some of the best views and most interesting wildlife in the country.
We would especialy recommend Connemara National Park and the Wicklock Mountains National Park from the list above.
The Emerald Isle is home to some of the most underrated wild camping locations across Europe. Whetehr you choose to wild camp in one of Ireland’s National Parks, by a beach, or in the wilderness, you should always seek permission, ensure you’ve packed all the essentials, and follow the basic rules outlined above.
Most of all, make sure you have fun and soak up the beautiful surroundings!
