Gortnamoyagh Forest

About

Travel 3 miles west of Garvagh town and you will begin to enter Gortnamoyagh Forest, which straddles the North Sperrins ridge. Covering 930 hectares of mainly upland, coniferous forest, the elevation ranges from 190m – 250m above sea level. Gortnamoyagh Forest provides a rewarding experience for anyone looking to enjoy unspoilt and often remote areas of forest. The forest is open every day from 8.00 am until sunset for pedestrian access only.

Walking through areas of Gortnamoyagh Forest provides the opportunity to see many types of wildlife including; buzzards, kestrels, ravens and jays.

Gortnamoyagh Forest is split into 3 distinct blocks, all of which are readily accessible from the main Garvagh – Dungiven B64 road. The forest is predominately Sitka spruce, with other conifer species such as Japanese larch, Scots pine and Norway spruce.

‘The Rock’ is an interesting feature halfway to the main block and left at Beer’s Bridge, where it is said that St. John who actually lived in this area, flew from the rock to officiate mass in nearby Churchtown and left the impression of the track of his sole on the rock.

Walking through areas of Gortnamoyagh Forest can provide you the opportunity to see buzzards, kestrels, ravens, jays and foxes, to name but a few.

There are no facilities for recreational activities provided. The public are welcome to visit on foot.
There may be restrictions on access to parts of the forest from time to time due to forest operations so pay attention to safety signage.