Exploring the Ox Mountains – Walks, Lakes & Wild Sligo Landscapes

Tucked away in the northwest of Ireland, the Ox Mountains are one of Sligo’s most peaceful escapes. Remote, rugged and wonderfully quiet, they’re the kind of place where you can walk for hours with only the wind and the wide views for company. If you’re looking to get away from it all, this is where you’ll find that sense of stillness.

Heather and ferns blanket the hillsides in soft colour, giving the landscape a wild, untamed beauty. Dotted with beautiful rivers and lakes, it’s the ideal destination for a refreshing hike.

One of the best hikes in the Ox Mountains is the gentle loop around Lough Talt, a peaceful trail where the water mirrors the hills and the only sounds are wind and birdsong. Another favourite is the walk around Lough Easkey, a quiet, open landscape that feels wonderfully remote.
Out here, your only company is the many sheep that freely roam the mountains — a reminder that this is true, untouched countryside where nature sets the pace.

The Ox Mountains may look quiet and timeless today, but their story stretches back hundreds of millions of years. Once towering peaks formed during ancient geological upheavals, they’ve been slowly worn down by wind, rain and ice into the gentle, heather‑covered ridge that rolls across west Sligo. 

Walking here, it’s easy to feel how remote this place once was. Scattered across the hillsides are historical traces — forgotten cairns, ringforts and mysterious stone circles left behind by Neolithic and Bronze Age communities. They sit quietly in the heather, untouched and half‑hidden, adding a sense of ancient mystery to every step you take​

A place we love is the Ladies Brae picnic area at the Owenboy River, a peaceful little clearing where the water slips quietly past and the mountains rise gently around you. It’s one of those simple, perfect stops — a table, a river, fresh air, and the feeling that you’ve found a corner of Sligo all to yourself. 


If you really want to go rugged, climbing the peaks of the Ox Mountains might be just for you — the kind of adventure that rewards you with wide, sweeping views rather than steep, punishing climbs. As you rise along the heather‑covered slopes, the landscape slowly opens up, revealing quiet valleys, winding rivers and the long, rolling ridge that defines this ancient mountain range.
From the higher points, the views stretch all the way across the Atlantic, and on a clear day you can even spot Croagh Patrick standing proud in neighbouring Mayo.​