The best running trails around Silverwood

The paths are wide and perfect for families, as there are no cars to disturb you. As you glide along the car-free cycling and hiking trails, you can enjoy the view of the water - especially when the sky is cloudy, the lake has a very special atmosphere, almost mystical. The route is mostly asphalt, but there are also some gravel sections that provide some variety. These single-track paths add a certain challenge to the route without being really demanding. Ideal if you prefer to take it easy, but still don't want to just walk on smooth asphalt. If you want to take a break, the lake offers many corners to catch your breath and have a picnic. There is enough space on the banks to rest a bit and enjoy the surroundings to the fullest.

The beautiful Oxford Island National Nature Reserve is located on the southern shore of Lough Neagh. The reserve hosts a number of wonderful gravel and woodland trails as well as bird watching hides, a discovery centre, marina, and a bushcraft centre. The reserve is also home to a fantastic array of wildlife such as wild rabbits, badgers, otters, buzzards, and herons, so keep your eyes peeled as you jog along.

If you wish to take the detour, a short causeway will lead you to The Starting Battery, used by the Lough Neagh Sailing Club as the starting mark for their boat races.

The waterwheel at Craigavon Lakes is a historical landmark. It was purchased by the council in the 70s from the south of the Province and refurbished to provide energy to the local people. The wheel never got into full swing because of the lack of waterflow, however, in recent years the wheel has been seen turning for the first time!

Craigavon Balancing Lakes, referred locally as 'The Lakes' are a set of man-made lakes built in the 1970s to control flooding. The route around the lakes is entirely flat and follows a mixture of paved and gravel paths close to the shoreline, which creates some wonderful water views as you jog along.

Similarly to a reservoir, these balancing lakes function as a water store. However, instead of storing the water for the purposes of consumption it is utilised to temporarily store flood waters. As the surrounding areas become more built up with hard surfaces, less rain excess water is stored by soil resulting in it routing quicker into the rivers. These balancing lakes help by reducing the volume of rain water reaching the rivers, which prevents flooding. And more importantly for cyclists it has the great byproduct of providing a pretty feature for MTB trails to be built around!

Craigavon Lakes with family friendly, traffic free, cycle and walking paths and even some single-track gravel paths.

Test your pumping, cornering and jumping skills on this short little pump track