The Rough Guide to IrelandRough Guides
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The Rough Guide to Ireland
Rough Guides · 2025
Current Rough Guide with Wicklow and Kerry chapters for Powerscourt and Torc.
Ireland · British Isles
Glenmacnass Waterfall
Glenmacnass Waterfall is an 80-metre high waterfall situated at the head of the Glenmacnass Valley in the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. The Glenmacnass Waterfall is a popular tourist destination and scenic viewpoint area in the Wicklow Mountains.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Glenmacnass Waterfall drops 80 metres (262 ft). It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is The Municipal District of Wicklow, Ireland. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Glenmacnass Waterfall is the third-tallest of the 5 we cover in Ireland. As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Glenmacnass Waterfall itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from The Municipal District of Wicklow are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Spring snowmelt and rain make April to June the fullest months; October adds colour, and a hard winter can freeze the face.
Getting there
- Base town The Municipal District of Wicklow, Ireland
- Country Ireland
- Region British Isles, Europe
- Access Easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint
How it compares
This waterfall
Glenmacnass Waterfall
Ireland
Height80 mWidth—
Most similar
Cascata dos Anjos
Portugal
Height90 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall, of similar height and in Portugal
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
Most similar
Cascata dos Anjos
Portugal
Height90 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall, of similar height and in Portugal
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
80 m
90 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Glenmacnass WaterfallCascata dos AnjosVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 12× taller than Glenmacnass Waterfall. Victoria Falls is 1.4× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for Glenmacnass Waterfall yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Ireland
Lonely Planet · 2024
Current Lonely Planet covering Wicklow and Killarney National Park, home of Powerscourt and Torc waterfalls.
On the map
53.06422, -6.33688
Quick answers
Where is Glenmacnass Waterfall?
Glenmacnass Waterfall is in Ireland (British Isles). The nearest base is The Municipal District of Wicklow, Ireland. Its coordinates are 53.0642, -6.3369.
How tall is Glenmacnass Waterfall?
Glenmacnass Waterfall drops 80 metres (262 feet). It is a cascade-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Glenmacnass Waterfall?
Peak flow is April to June and October. Spring snowmelt and rain make April to June the fullest months; October adds colour, and a hard winter can freeze the face.
What can you do at Glenmacnass Waterfall?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint.
How do you get to Glenmacnass Waterfall?
The usual base is The Municipal District of Wicklow, Ireland. A short walk or roadside viewpoint from there.
Nearby
Closest to Glenmacnass Waterfall
Powerscourt Waterfall
Ireland · 121 m · 12 km away
Ireland's tallest waterfall
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Aber Falls
United Kingdom · 37 m · 160 km away
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