Coed y Brenin Forest Park - Forest Garden, near Dolgellau

What's here

Welcome

The forest garden is within Coed y Brenin Forest Park.

It is home to trees from all over the world. There are fascinating facts about some of these trees on special signs in the garden. 

There is an additional small car park for the use of disabled visitors only with access to the accessible trail.

Walking trails

The easy walking trail is waymarked from the main car park.

The accessible trail is waymarked from the car park for disabled visitors.

Forest Garden Discovery Trail

  • Highlights: Experience trees from all over the world and discover fascinating facts about them.
  • Distance: ½ mile, 0.6 kilometres
  • Grade: easy
  • Trail description: From the main car park follow the green waymarkers down to the bridge over the Afon Babi.

Visit the viewpoint and then meander along the series of informal paths looking out for the tree-fact posts and folklore audio stores.

The garden is criss-crossed with a series of 1m wide formal and informal paths, some steep and uneven.

There are no steps or stiles.

More information: walk card, tree-fact posts and wind-up audio stories

Forest Garden Accessible Trail

  • Highlights: Experience trees from all over the world and discover fascinating facts about them.
  • Distance: ¼ mile, 300m
  • Grade: accessible
  • Trail description: follow the blue waymarkers from the accessible car park over the bridge and through the lower part of the forest garden.

At the viewpoint, overlooking the waterfall, listen to the story of Pont Llam yr Ewig (Bridge of the Stag’s leap).

The accessible trail is a flat well-surfaced 2m wide path suitable for wheelchairs with resting places at least every 100m. 

There are no steps or stiles.

More information: walk card, tree-fact posts and wind-up audio stories

Accessibility information

The accessible Forest Garden trail starts from the small car park for use by disabled visitors only.

Exploring Coed y Brenin Forest Park

Coed y Brenin Forest Park offers visitors the total woodland experience within Snowdonia National Park.

There are a range of waymarked trails to cater for all tastes and fitness levels in the forest park. These include world-class mountain bike trails, family walks, running trails, geocaching and orienteering routes.

As well as the trails that start here at Forest Garden, the main car parks with facilities for visitors within Coed y Brenin forest park are:

  • Coed y Brenin Forest Park Visitor Centre - the gateway to the forest park and the starting point for a range of walking, running and mountain biking trails. There is also a café and bike shop
  • Pont Cae’n y Coed – start of the rugged Volcano Trail 
  • Tyddyn Gwladys – a picnic site by the rolling Mawddach river and gateway to the Waterfalls and Goldmines walk
  • Glasdir – a picnic site with walk through an old copper mine and an accessible trail to a viewpoint above the mine workings
  • Ty'n y Groes – riverside picnic area and gateway to an all-ability riverside walk and a rugged mountain trail with great views over Snowdonia

National Forest for Wales

Coed y Brenin Forest Park forms part of the National Forest for Wales.

The National Forest will:

  • create areas of new woodland
  • enhance existing woodlands
  • restore Wales’ irreplaceable ancient woodlands.

In time it will form a connected ecological network running throughout Wales, bringing social, economic and environmental benefits.

For more information about the National Forest for Wales go to the Welsh Government website.

Closures and diversions

Please note:

  • Sometimes we need to close or divert trails for your safety whilst we undertake maintenance work or forest operations
  • Occasionally we may have to close a site in extreme weather, such as high winds or snow and ice due to the risk of injury to visitors or staff
  • Please always follow any instructions onsite and make sure you follow any temporary diversion signs in place

How to get here

Location

The Forest Garden car parks are off the A470, near the village of Ganllwyd. 

It is in the county of Gwynedd.

The OS grid reference for the car parks is SH 744 225.

Directions to Forest Garden car park

From the south: Take the A470 north from Dolgellau. About 200 metres after passing the Tyn y Groes Hotel, turn right following the brown tourist signs to Ty'n y Groes. Follow the tarmac road past the Ty’n y Groes picnic site for just over one kilometre. At a crossroads just after the Glasdir car park turn left uphill. Turn right at the next cross roads and cross a small bridge (Pont Llam yr Ewig). The car park for disabled visitors is on the left and the main car park is another 150 metres up the hill on the left.

From the north: Take the A470 south towards Dolgellau.  After passing through Ganllwyd village, turn left following the brown tourist signs to Ty'n y Groes. Follow the tarmac road past the Ty’n y Groes picnic site for just over one kilometre. At a crossroads just after the Glasdir car park turn left uphill. Turn right at the next cross roads and cross a small bridge (Pont Llam yr Ewig).The car park for disabled visitors is on the left and the main car park is another 150 metres up the hill on the left.

Public transport

The nearest train stations are in Barmouth (Cambrian Coast line) and Blaenau Ffestiniog (Blaenau Ffestiniog-Llandudno line).

For details of public transport visit Traveline Cymru's website.

Parking

Car parking is free of charge.

Overnight parking is not permitted.

Contact details

Coed y Brenin Forest Park Visitor Centre

01341 440747

coedybrenin@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

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