Wicklow Military Road
Built to crush rebels. Still looks like it.
The Military Road — the R115 and its continuations — was hacked through the Wicklow Mountains between 1800 and 1809 specifically to deny refuge to Irish rebels in the glens below. Today it runs roughly 35 miles south from the Dublin suburbs at Rathfarnham, crossing the Sally Gap at 1,631 feet before descending past Glenmacnass Waterfall and continuing over Glenmalure to Aghavannagh. The Sally Gap junction is the pivot point — an exposed, peat-black crossroads where the wind cuts sideways regardless of the season and the views over Kippure and the Blessington reservoirs are genuinely brutal in the best sense. The surrounding blanket bog and forest tracks off the main road are the real draw for 4×4 drivers.
The tarmac road is drivable in most vehicles, but the off-piste forest service tracks around Glendalough and into the Wicklow uplands are soft, boggy, and will swallow a 2WD without ceremony — high clearance and low-range are the sensible baseline. Summer weekends attract hikers and cyclists; midweek and shoulder season you’ll often have the high bog to yourself. No permits required but Coillte forestry tracks may need advance check. Fuel in Laragh or Roundwood. Limited cell service on the high plateau. The Wicklow uplands are never technically extreme, but the weather can manufacture difficulty faster than any rock garden.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | High Clearance, Overland Route, Scenic Drive |
| Surface | Dirt, Gravel, Mixed |
| Features | Camping, Historic, Remote, Scenic |
| Length (miles) | 35 mi / 56.3 km |
| Duration | Full day |
| Max elevation (ft) | 1631 ft |
| Best season | April-October |
| Minimum vehicle | High-clearance 4WD for off-piste tracks |
| Nearest town | Laragh, County Wicklow |
| Land manager | Wicklow Mountains National Park / Coillte |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | Spotty |
| Water crossings | Yes |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Official sources | wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
| Copy both for Google Maps directionsClick to copy the directions URL · or open it directly in a new tab | |
| Find on Google | Search on Google → |
Location
Trail Conditions
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lifted rig or will a stock high-clearance 4WD handle it?
The main Military Road tarmac and gravel sections are manageable in a stock high-clearance 4WD. If you're pushing into the off-piste bog tracks branching off the route, mud and soft ground get serious fast — locking diffs and recovery gear matter out there.
Is the Military Road accessible year-round?
The core route stays open year-round, but November through March brings heavy rain, low cloud, and bog conditions that can swallow a vehicle on side tracks. April to October is the window when you're not fighting the worst of the Irish upland weather.
Are there permits or fees required to drive or camp here?
No permit is needed to drive the Military Road itself. Camping in Wicklow Mountains National Park requires using designated sites or following Leave No Trace practice for dispersed camping — fires are prohibited on national park land, so keep that in mind.
What's the hardest section and what should I actually expect?
The bog tracks east and west of the main spine near Lugnaquilla approaches are where things get genuinely difficult — soft peat, no defined line, and no one coming to help you quickly. The main road itself is moderate graded gravel and tarmac with nothing technically savage, but the isolation is real.
How far is it to the nearest fuel from the trail, and what's cell service like out there?
Fuel up in Laragh or Blessington before you head out — there's nothing on the mountain. Cell service is genuinely patchy across the high bog sections, so download offline maps and don't count on a signal when you need it most.
Trail track
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