Wednesday and Thursday, 15-October-2025 and 16-October-2025

I do believe this is my first backpacking trip in Ireland!

I’d hiked up to Crotty’s lake a while back, and had taken the chance to meet (and chat with) the owner of the mountain. We’d had a good rapport, and so I’d asked him if it’d be okay for me to camp out at the lake for a quick escape from the city.

…

Yeah. Private ownership of everything. Crotty’s lake, the mountain it’s on, the trails… all privately held.

But you know what? In a place where I haven’t found anywhere that allows backpacking? Well. I’ll absolutely take it, and I’ll enjoy every minute of the outdoors that I can.

**Updated info: Crotty’s Lake is currently closed for improvements, so be aware. Hiking is permitted, but any overnight camping is not**

And enjoy it I absolutely did – Parking was easy, and the walk up to the campsite was beautifully simple and quick. Short and easy, and a nice stretch to the legs before I started the adventure of hunting for a good spot to set up camp.

Took a bit longer than I’d expect, truth be told, but I finally settled in for a spot right by the lake – One of the dangers of Ireland is the sheer amount of sheep, and so the real challenge I ran into was not running into said sheep… or, more accurately, setting up camp on their, ahh, “leavings”. But thankfully the spot I found was beautifully pristine, and camp went up quickly.

Night fell, I snacked on my dinner, and I enjoyed the quiet.

The next day dawned, and I was awoken by a couple walking around nearby. They were a bit astounded that someone had set up camp, but they headed onward pretty quickly after I assured them that the owner had given permission.

Breakfast, a quiet morning, and a bit of wandering around the lake kept me warm and stretched out.

Then a drive home, a stop for a snack, and a glorious collection of notes awaiting me back home!