An Exhilarating Adventure at Beyond the Trees, Avondale Forest Park
Just last year, Beyond the Trees Avondale opened up for the public to enjoy. This is a Treetop Walk and Viewing Tower that is 38 metres above the forest floor and allows for a 360° panoramic view of Wicklow.
The Avondale estate has a long history that dates as far back as the eighteenth century. The estate has served as a private home that has been passed down through numerous generations and a number of different families, a forestry training school that opened in 1904, the location of The Great Tree Experiment (1905-1915) where the goal was to establish which trees were best suited to Irish forestry, and the location for guided tours.
Keep reading to see what’s in store at Avondale Forest Park.
Avondale House
The Avondale House was the first part of this large estate opened to visitors for guided tours. With this tour, guests can step back in time and visit the home of the Parnell family, and get a taste of life on the estate.
The tour takes you through the six large rooms that the family frequented when they lived there. As you explore each room, a tour guide will talk about the eleven Parnell children that lived within the walls of the impressive house, and you will meet Samuel Hayes, the champion of trees, while you learn about how Avondale became a pioneering forestry school.
Tickets for the Avondale House guided tour can be purchased online or at the Visitor Centre on the day. There is a maximum of twelve places in each guided tour, which assures that the tour will be intimate, and you will have the opportunity to ask your tour guide many questions.
Treetop Walk
The treetop walk is a truly immersive experience for anyone who is willing to brave it. To begin, follow the 1.4km walkway that will gradually start rising, bringing you higher and higher into the trees. This walkway increases at a gradient of six degrees which makes it fully wheelchair and pram accessible. There is also a resting point at each level to take a break from the walking and to admire the beautiful scenery around you.
As you continue to walk, you will be surrounded by a large variety of trees such as Yew, Larch, Fir, Oak, Spruce, and the Giant Redwood trees, to name a few.
There are a number of children’s play areas at different points along the way as you continue walking the walkway. Here, children can learn about the trees, plants, birds, and animals that surround them.
After completing ten gentle circuits, visitors will reach the Viewing Tower and will be welcomed with a spectacular view and experience.
Viewing Tower
The Viewing Tower, the first of its kind, was opened to the public in 2022 and consists of a timber structure engineered to equal the structural strength of steel. The wood used to construct this huge structure is all Irish wood and many of it came from the trees in Avondale Forest Park.
To reach the Viewing Tower you first have to do the treetop walk. Once you reach the top of this walk, you will be greeted with a 360° panoramic view of Wicklow. You will be able to look down on some of Ireland’s tallest and mightiest trees. Make sure to take some pictures of the amazing view of the Avondale Forest Park and the Wicklow Mountains that can be seen in the distance.
There are two ways to return back to the forest floor from the Viewing Tower. The first is to come back down the way you went up, by simply following the ramped boardwalk until you reach the forest floor again. The second, and arguably more fun option, is to get down using the giant, 90m spiral slide inside the tower.
This slide costs €2 per person (a cost that is not included in the original ticket price), and can be paid for at the slide. Visitors should also take into account that during peak times, the wait for the slide can take up to two hours, and that in wet or humid conditions the slide will be closed for health and safety reasons.
Tickets and Membership Plans
Ticket prices for the Treetop Walk and Viewing Tower are as follows:
- Child (0-3 years): €0.00
- Child (4-17 years): €12.00
- Concession (senior 65+ or Student with ID): €13.00
- Adult: €15.00
- Family (1 adult and up to 3 kids): €25.00
- Family (2 adults and up to 3 kids): €40.00
Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. The slide to return down is optional, and is an extra €2 per person payable at the slide. Any carers go free, and this ticket is available at the reception upon arrival.
Tickets for the Avondale House Guided Tour are as follows:
- Child (0-3 years): €0.00
- Child (4-17 years): €12.00
- Concession (senior 65+ or Student with ID): €13.00
- Adult: €15.00
- Family (1 adult and up to 3 kids): €25.00
- Family (2 adults and up to 3 kids): €40.00
With this tour, visitors can step back in time and see the house the way it would have been when the Parnell family were living there in the 19th-century. On this tour, you will hear stories about the people who lived here as you move from room to room.
The guided tour lasts between forty-five minutes and an hour, and you should make sure to meet your tour guide at the visitor centre five minutes before the tour is set to begin.
It is recommended to families that children should be eight years and older to take this tour.
There are a number of different annual memberships available to choose from. Below are those options.
- Treetop Walk (Family 2 adults and 3 kids): €105.00
- for families of two adults and up to three kids,
- valid for 365 days,
- an unlimited access to the Treetop Walk,
- parking not included
- Treetop Walk (Family 1 adult and 3 kids): €75.00
- for families of one adult and up to three kids,
- valid for 365 days,
- an unlimited access to the Treetop Walk,
- parking not included
- Treetop Walk Adult: €55.00
- Valid 365 days,
- an unlimited access to the Treetop Walk,
- parking not included
- Treetop Walk Concession: €45.00
- For students, seniors and disabled people,
- valid for 365 days,
- an unlimited access to the Treetop Walk,
- parking not included
- Treetop Walk Child: €35.00
- For children aged 4 to 17
- valid for 365 days,
- an unlimited access to the Treetop Walk,
- parking not included
- Must be accompanied by an adult
Car park prices are €5 per car.
So, if you’re looking for a fun day out in nature, and the chance to get stunning panoramic views of Wicklow, head on over to Beyond the Trees Avondale and prepare for an amazing day.
