5 Best Places to Walk Your Dog In Athlone

Regular exercise is essential to help keep our dogs from gaining excessive weight, and to ensure their overall physical and mental health remains intact. Getting out and about helps keep the brain active, is a great stress reliever and boredom buster; both for dogs and humans!

Check out our blog post below on the best walking trails both you and your dog can avail of in Athlone.

1. Burgess Park Athlone

Burgess Park is a public park in Athlone. The park is located in the townland of Goldenisland, on the banks of the River Shannon, which forms the border with County Roscommon. This inspiring park includes trails, parkland and a playground on the River Shannon banks. It’s an ideal place for recreational activities and to bring your dog along for a relaxing Sunday afternoon walk.

2. Shannon Banks Nature Trail and Athlone Canal 

Starting in the shadow of Athlone Castle, this 5 kilometer loop walk guides you along the banks of the River Shannon and the Athlone Canal, bringing you down on a beautiful nature trail. Ideal for dog walkers, try and spot the flora and fauna, wildlife and fish that live within the hidden heartlands.

3. Mullaghmeen Forest

Enjoy switching off, reconnecting with nature, and exploring this enchanting forest. Head out on a sunny day on this 4.5-km loop trail near Finnea, County Westmeath. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 h 18 minutes to complete. This is a popular trail for hiking, running, and walking, but you can still enjoy some solitude in the sunshine during quieter times of day.  Dogs are welcome and may even be off-leash in some areas, making it ideal for canine lovers.

4. Portlick Millennium Forest Park

Portlick Forest Park can be found on the eastern shore of Lough Ree, roughly five kilometers north of Athlone. The trail is 5 km long and is the perfect place to bring your four legged friend for a walk.

Enjoy native trees and attractive and varied views of Lough Ree and an old ruin features near the south-west limit of the walking trail. The medieval tower house, Portlick Castle, is still occupied today and there are a number of other notable houses in the vicinity of the forest, including Whinning House, the ruins of which are within the forest site.

5. Royal Canal Walk, Ballymahon

The Royal Canal, which runs through Ballymahon, was originally built in 1790 for freight and passenger transportation from the River Liffey in Dublin to Co. Longford in the Midlands. The towpath in Ballymahon is a beautiful landscaped walk located 20km north of Athlone and 20km south of Longford, making it he ideal spot to walk your dog.

What is Operation TransPAWmation?

Petmania’s Operation TransPAWmation began in 2017 to highlight the rise in overweight dogs in Ireland. Since then we have extended the campaign to a whole-health campaign for dogs and cats, helping 1000’s of pet owners get to grips with their pet’s overall health and wellbeing.

Now in its 7th Year, Operation TransPAWmation is designed to help dog and cat owners identify and make small changes that can help improve their pet’s overall health and wellbeing.

For in-person support on your #PetmaniaOT journey, you can also drop into any one of our pet shops nationwide and speak with a member of our team.