If youโre ever in Wales, you need to visit Beddgelert. Itโs such a quant little village with so much to offer. But weโre here to talk about making your way through itโs forest. So letโs take a look at the best Beddgelert Forest walks.
Where Is Beddgelert?
Beddgelert is a village that sits inside of Snowdonia National Park in North Wales.
Itโs not very big, but you can easily spend a day here. Make sure you see check out Gelertโs grave whilst your here.
But thatโs for another post. Youโre here because you want to walk in Beddgelert Forest. Soโฆ
Where Is Beddgelert Forest?
Beddgelert Forest is situated deep within Snowdonia National park between the towns of Porthmadog and Caernarfon.
Itโs packed with walks (yes, weโll get to them in a second!) and cycle routes as well as wildlife and photographic opportunities.
Youโll be able to take in the stunning views of Walesโ tallest mountain โ Snowdon.
Why not bask in its glory with a picnic whilst listening out for the clatter of the Old Welsh Highland railway trains? They happen to run right the way through the forest, from Caernarfon to Porthmadog.
OK, OK. Hereโs what youโve been waiting for.
Llyn Llywelyn Walk In Beddgelert Forest
This is the main walk within the forest. Itโs waymarked from start to finish so donโt worry about getting lost.
This walk is graded as moderate. But what does this mean exactly?
Moderate Grade Walk
The Llyn Llywelyn Walk has a grade score of moderate.
If you have reasonably good levels of fitness, this walk is recommended for you.
You can possibly expect to encounter some steep and unsurfaced paths and open country.
Its recommended that you wear stout footwear (walking boots if you have them) as well as warm, water-proof clothing. You can still get caught out by rain in the middle of summer โ it is Wales after all!
Distance & Time
At around 2.75 miles (approx. 4.4 kilometres), you can expect the walk to take you around 2 and a half hours.
If youโre planning on taking a picnic, round it up to about 3 hours. After all, you donโt want to be rushing when you have such beautiful scenery all around you.
What To Expect
Youโll start the walk from the car park. Youโll then be taken through the stunning woodland which leads to the secluded and beautiful lake of Llyn Llywelyn.
Itโs a circular route (meaning you end up back at where you started as long as you donโt stray from the trail) that will provide you with views across the entire Beddgelert Forest all the way to Mount Snowdon.
The vast majority of this walk is made up of forest road.
This only changes to a track 3 times for a very short distance. They are approximately 1.5 metres wide.
One section of track that takes a gradual climb up to the lake can become muddy if the weather hasnโt been to great.
One other (the descent that takes you back to the car park) has a 40 metre long section of uneven and rough cobbles.
Where this walk crosses the railway, there are manual gates that you will need to open (and close behind you).
Got that picnic with you? Youโll come across two picnic tables on this walk where you can stop for that well deserved break.
The Multi User Trail (Lรดn Gwyrfai)
This walk is meant to be used by walkers, horse riders and cyclists!
This trail actually starts in Beddgelert and finishes in Rhyd Ddu but it passes right the way through Beddgelert Forest.
ย So feel free to make use of the part thatโs in the forest whilst your here, but for the best experience youโll want to walk the whole trail.
Leisurely Walk (Easy Grade)
With this grade, you can expect a good surface upon which to walk and very little effort will be required during most of the walk.
Distance & Time (Full Walk)
At around 4.5 miles (approx. 7 kilometres), you can expect the walk to take you around 3 hours.
What To Expect
This walk starts in a Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) Car Park. You can choose whether you start in Beddgelert or Rhyd Ddu. Both of these car parks are โPay and Displayโ.
Itโs not a circular route, so you will head back the way you came when you reach the opposite end.
However, make use of public transport if you wish to make it a circular route or even the Welsh Highland Railway. These can both bring you back to where you started.
You can expect mostly wide and even pathways with a few steep sections. The path surface does vary from gravel and crushed slate to tarmac.
Youโll pass through a variety of landscapes as you make your way along this route. Check out the amazing views over the Gwyrfai Valley and the surrounding area.
Because it passes through the forest, you wonโt miss those awesome views of Snowdon either.
Go And Tackle Beddgelert Forest Walks
There you have it, a day of adventure is ready to be had!
We hope you enjoyed this article but I really hope you feel that you can now go and experience these Beddgelert Forest walks yourself.
Be sure to leave a comment below once youโve been, we love hearing your experiences!
