Upper reservoir
Look for the overflow works and the channel alongside the water.
nature · Dublin
Glenasmole (Bohernabreena) Reservoir Walk
A walk through Glenasmole’s working water-supply landscape, following the reservoirs and the Dodder valley.
Source-based editorial assessment · out of 10
How does this stop fit your trip?
Experience
8.0 / 10Reservoir shores and the wooded Dodder valley reveal Dublin’s water-supply landscape in a rewarding walking setting, with interest beyond a generic forest stroll.
Visitor friendliness
6.5 / 10The permitted walking route gives the visit structure, but reaching Glenasmole and choosing an appropriate distance need planning. This working reservoir is not a swimming destination.
Best for: Reservoir and valley walks
Planning blend: 7.0 / 10 · Sustainability: unrated
Why these scores? Method, dates & sources
Experience considers the reward and depth of this particular stop. Visitor friendliness considers practical ease: arrival, booking, physical demands, cost and flexibility. These are editorial judgements based on linked information, not visitor averages or a claim of a personal visit.
Assessed . Supporting guide source-check date: 15 October 2026. The assessment date does not mean every linked source was newly checked.
The blend uses (40 × Experience + 55 × Visitor friendliness) ÷ 95, rounded to the nearest half point. Missing sustainability does not affect it. A missing current visit score is not zero and has no blend.
A high score is not a safety clearance or a guarantee of step-free access. Food-stop scores concern the planned visit, not an untested meal. Read the scale and scope · Suggest a correction.
From research
Is this worth your time?
Choose it for waterworks history and an outdoor walk rather than a bathing or watersports outing. Decide how much of the mapped reservoir route fits your group.
Before you go: This is operational water infrastructure. Stay on permitted routes and do not treat the reservoir as a recreational swimming lake.
Place highlights
What you will actually see
Wooded shores
Tree cover and water create a quieter counterpoint to the exposed Dublin hill walks.
The story behind the visit
Two reservoirs with different jobs
Bohernabreena’s lakes are designed infrastructure within the Glenasmole valley. Dublin Mountains Partnership explains that construction began in the 1880s with drinking-water supply, flood control and the needs of downstream mills in view. The two reservoirs handled water from different parts of the catchment. That practical history gives the channels and overflow structures a purpose beyond their appearance: this landscape was shaped to manage a river as well as to store water. Source ↗
The surrounding trees change how that engineering is experienced today. A walk can move between stretches of woodland, open water and visible masonry, allowing the built and natural parts to be read together. Slow down at the structures rather than making the reservoir circuit only a distance target. The site remains a waterworks, so its value as a walking place does not create permission for other activities. Use the official route, leave machinery and barriers alone, and plan your own return before access or daylight becomes a concern. Source ↗
Dated visitor information
Planning your visit
- Route choice
- DMP publishes an Upper Reservoir Loop map. Use it to choose your walk; do not rely on an unverified completion time.Source checked · Recheck by . Confirm with the operator ↗Dated source information; confirm before travel.
- Facilities
- DMP lists no toilets at this site.Source checked · Recheck by . Confirm with the operator ↗Dated source information; confirm before travel.
- Fishing
- Fishing requires a permit through the relevant local angling club; ordinary walking access is not fishing permission.Source checked · Recheck by . Confirm with the operator ↗Dated source information; confirm before travel.
Getting to the entrance
The entrance is at Bohernabreena Waterworks off the R114, south-west of Tallaght. Follow the official approach rather than a pin across the water. Official visitor information ↗
Your questions, answered
Source information checked 15 October 2026; confirm current access and visitor arrangements with the operator.
Are these natural lakes?
No. They are reservoirs developed as part of Dublin’s waterworks. Source ↗
Are toilets confirmed?
DMP’s visitor information says there are none on site. Source ↗
Can I fish with ordinary visitor access?
No. The site guidance says fishing is by permit only. Source ↗
Nearby options
Nearby places to explore
Distances are straight-line estimates between catalogue pins, within 30 km. Roads, entrances and walking routes may be much longer. Known closed places are excluded; inclusion does not confirm opening today.
nature · 2.1 km
Hellfire Club (Montpelier Hill) & Massy's Wood
Experience 8.0/10Visitor friendliness 5.5/10
A ruined hunting lodge above Dublin, paired with the contrasting woodland of Massy’s Estate.
Open place page →
nature · 6.1 km
Marlay Park & Craft Courtyard
Experience 7.5/10Visitor friendliness 8.0/10
Woodland, lawns, a walled garden and a craft courtyard at the foot of the Dublin Mountains.
Open place page →
nature · 6.7 km
Ticknock & Fairy Castle Loop
Experience 8.0/10Visitor friendliness 6.0/10
Forest trails, granite outcrops and an upland cairn above Dublin, reached from Ticknock.
Open place page →
heritage · 8.3 km
Rathfarnham Castle
Experience 7.5/10Visitor friendliness 7.0/10
An Elizabethan fortified house with later decorative interiors in Rathfarnham.
Open place page →
heritage · 12.0 km
Powerscourt House & Gardens
Experience 9.0/10Visitor friendliness 7.5/10
Italian terraces, a Japanese garden and wooded corners make Powerscourt a garden visit with a mountain backdrop.
Open place page →
heritage · 12.2 km
Kilmainham Gaol Museum
Experience 9.0/10Visitor friendliness 6.0/10
A guided visit to a former prison that connects ordinary imprisonment with pivotal episodes of Irish political history.
Open place page →What visitors notice
A first-hand family outing describes a morning walk with children and dogs around the reservoirs, while calling attention to the limited parking described at the time. It supports planning arrival before choosing the walk. The 2025 account cannot establish current spaces, charges, gate hours or reservoir rules.
Visitor sources and scope
- Public visitor account ↗ · checked 2026-10-19. One dated 2025 first-hand family walk account
Original paraphrases of public visitor accounts. These are limited perspectives, not a representative survey or a claim of our own visit. Use current operator information for access and opening.
Part of a bigger journey
Location & access
Getting your bearings
This is operational water infrastructure. Stay on permitted routes and do not treat the reservoir as a recreational swimming lake.
53.23400, -6.34500 · Reference point; confirm the correct entrance and access. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Sources & place context
Source-based place brief. A catalogue reference is not a live availability check or a report of a personal visit.
Visitor details checked 15 October 2026. Page content updated 2026-10-15.