Torc Mountain

About Torc Mountain

Rising sharply above its famous waterfall, this peak offers one of the most accessible ascents in Kerry. A well-maintained timber sleeper path winds through woodland and open moorland to a summit that feels far higher than its 534 metres, providing a clear, uninterrupted view over the Lakes of Killarney.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Irish word 'torc', meaning boar. According to local folklore, a man was cursed to transform into a wild boar every night; when his secret was discovered, he burst into flames and plunged down the mountainside, carving the channel for the nearby Torc Waterfall.
• •The ascent is famous for its extensive use of timber railway sleepers. This boardwalk was installed to protect the fragile blanket bog from erosion, allowing walkers to reach the summit without the deep, arduous bog-hopping usually associated with the Shehy Mountains.
• •From the summit, you gain an exceptional perspective of the three Lakes of Killarney—Lough Leane, Muckross Lake, and the Upper Lake—perfectly framed by the jagged peaks of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks to the west and Purple Mountain to the north.
• •While it is classified as a Marilyn due to its relative prominence, it sits in the shadow of the much larger Mangerton Mountain. However, Torc is often preferred by walkers for its more central position, offering a superior 'aerial' view of Muckross House and its formal gardens.
• •The sleeper path provides such reliable footing that it is perhaps the only mountain in the region where you might regularly be overtaken by local fell runners completing the ascent in little more than twenty minutes.