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Crawfordsburn Country Park

Bridge Road South, Helen's Bay, County Down, BT19 1JT

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Add Crawfordsburn Country Park to your Itinerary

Leafy pathway through the country park

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About

Head for one of Ulster’s most popular country parks to relish its 3.5km of lovely beaches and riverside rambles that form part of the North Down Coastal Path.  With two excellent beaches, spectacular scenery and views across Belfast Lough, tranquil walks through peaceful meadows and wooded glens and a stunning waterfall, Crawfordsburn Country Park provides a relaxing natural retreat.

This park is also home to a wide range of wildlife which include hedgehogs, rabbits, badgers, a large rookery and jays in the wooded glen, grey wagtails and dippers along the streams and seals, herons, shags, guillemots and, in winter, Brent geese can be seen when walking along the Park's coastal path. 

Grey Point Fort, an historic monument now in the care of the Department for...Read More

About

Head for one of Ulster’s most popular country parks to relish its 3.5km of lovely beaches and riverside rambles that form part of the North Down Coastal Path.  With two excellent beaches, spectacular scenery and views across Belfast Lough, tranquil walks through peaceful meadows and wooded glens and a stunning waterfall, Crawfordsburn Country Park provides a relaxing natural retreat.

This park is also home to a wide range of wildlife which include hedgehogs, rabbits, badgers, a large rookery and jays in the wooded glen, grey wagtails and dippers along the streams and seals, herons, shags, guillemots and, in winter, Brent geese can be seen when walking along the Park's coastal path. 

Grey Point Fort, an historic monument now in the care of the Department for Communities, was completed in 1907 to defend Belfast from sea-borne attack, the enormous guns can be seen from the coastal path which is located west of Helen's Bay beach.

Following the A2 from Belfast to Bangor, Crawfordsburn Country Park is signposted from the Junction at Ballyrobert.

Crawfordsburn Country Park Visitor Centre is accessible – for full details of their accessibility features, see Crawfordsburn Country Park Visitor Centre | AccessAble

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Book Tickets

Facilities

Catering

  • Picnic Area
  • Tea-room/Cafe onsite - The Woodland Cafe is open daily from 10:00am - 4:00pm

Establishment Features

  • Toilets - Toilets in both the Visitor Centre and in the park are open from 10:00am to 4:00pm each day

Event Facilities

  • Booking Required - For enquiries contact nieainfo@daera-ni.gov.uk Permission is required.

Parking & Transport

  • Car parking - Car Parking is
...Read More

Facilities

Catering

  • Picnic Area
  • Tea-room/Cafe onsite - The Woodland Cafe is open daily from 10:00am - 4:00pm

Establishment Features

  • Toilets - Toilets in both the Visitor Centre and in the park are open from 10:00am to 4:00pm each day

Event Facilities

  • Booking Required - For enquiries contact nieainfo@daera-ni.gov.uk Permission is required.

Parking & Transport

  • Car parking - Car Parking is available at the Main Car Park, exit road lay by, Fort Road Car Park, Grey Point Fort and Sea Park, Coastguard Avenue.
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Guide Prices

Ticket TypeTicket Tariff
TicketFree

Free

Map & Directions

Opening Times

* In light of the RED WEATHER WARNING issued by the Met Office for severe winds during Friday 24th January 2025, DAERA strongly advises members of the public not to visit the park until the weather warnings have ended. The site will be closed to vehicle access as far as possible during this time as will public facilities, including the visitor centre, café and toilets. We will endeavour to reinstate public access as soon as possible.

Park open all year round for pedestrian access.

The park will be closed from 1pm on Christmas Eve (café closes at midday) and all day on Christmas Day. The park will reopen with normal hours on Boxing Day, the café will reopen as normal on December 27th.


Vehicular Access / Opening Hours
(scroll down for parking information)

1 Nov - 28 Feb - 9:00am to 4:30pm

1 Mar - 30 Apr - 9:00am to 7:00pm

1 May - 30 Sep - 9:00am to 9:00pm

1 Oct - 31 Oct - 9:00am to 7:00pm

Please note that the site operates a one way traffic system and there is a height restriction on the exit road of 12 feet. Coaches are by prior appointment only.

What's Nearby

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Map & Directions

Road Directions

Directions from Town:The Park is located off the B20 at Helen’s Bay. It is sign posted from the A2, main Belfast / Bangor Road at Ballyrobert.

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