Hilbre Island is a great location for intrepid walkers, with its magnificent array of rare and endangered wildlife. The island is one of the best road trips near Liverpool for nature lovers. It’s home to a colony of beautiful grey seals, with numbers at their highest in the summer months. Bird watchers should keep a special eye out for the many species of waders, while those less interested in twitching can still enjoy outstanding views from the River Dee estuary to the North Wales and Wirral coastlines.
Access to Hilbre Island is dependent on the tide and only possible on foot, so bring sensible walking shoes. Crossing from the mainland starts at Dee Lane, West Kirby, which is well serviced by both bus and train, with car parking available for drivers.
The Hilbre Islands truly are one of the most beautiful locations for walking in Wirral, or spotting rare and endangered wildlife. The islands are an archipelago, and classed as one of just 43 unbridged tidal islands in the UK that can be reached on foot from the mainland.
Indeed, walking to the now-uninhabited Hilbre Islands at low tide has been a popular leisure activity for decades. The passing of each season represents opportunities to see different flora and fauna on the islands.
Hilbre Islands are situated at the mouth of the Dee Estuary, which is one of the ten most important estuaries in Europe for overwintering wildfowl and waders. Hilbre Islands are also important as a stopping-off point for the twice-yearly migration of birds along the west coast of Britain. On the island is the Hilbre Island Bird Observatory.
The summer months also provide a perfect opportunity to see Grey Seals swimming just off-shore, bobbing their heads above the water and watching those on the island. They pay close attention, as once the public leaves as the tide comes in, the Seals come ashore.
If weather and tides allow, taking a walk out to Hilbre Island is an absolute must when you’re in Wirral, and an experience you will never forget.
Location: Wirral CH48 8BW, UK
