Home » Routes » Europe » Wales » Snowdonia National Park » Low Level and Easier Walks in Snowdonia » Walk to Llyn Llywelyn from Rhyd Ddu

Walk to Llyn Llywelyn from Rhyd Ddu

By Dave Roberts   

on June 30, 2023    No ratings yet.

Walk to Llyn Llywelyn from Rhyd Ddu

Route Essentials

Route Summary

A reasonably easy family friendly walk from Rhyd Ddu to Llyn Llywelyn

See the end of the article for local information about parking, public transport facilities, pubs and cafes.

Distance

9.27 km

Ascent

156 m

Time

3 hours

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Start Location

Rhyd Ddu

Difficulty

Easy Moderate Walk, Trail or Fell Runs

Hazards

Route crosses the WHR a few times.

Navigation in the woodland can be tricky, ensure you have the skills to navigate your way back if needed!

Weather Forecast:

Met Office Snowdonia Mountain Weather

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?
Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need. 

Walk to Llyn Llywelyn from Rhyd Ddu Ordnance Survey Map and GPX File Download

View the full route map

Download file for GPS

Walk to Llyn Llywelyn from Rhyd Ddu

This is a short walk from Rhyd Ddu, visiting Beddgelert Forest and the scenic Llyn Llywelyn. Despite being a lower level route, there’s plenty of interest along the way from lakeside views, towering mountains, forests and even steam trains if you time it right.

This route is suitable as an easy family walk, trail run or easy mountain bike ride.

Walk to Llyn Llywelyn from Rhyd Ddu Full Route Description

1 The walk starts off on the Lon Gwyrfai from Rhyd Ddu. Keep an eye out for these waymarks along the initial section, and the return. Its easiest to start opposite the Wyddfa Rhyd Ddu Path car park as shown below. The path is well made and maintained, being easy underfoot and simple to follow. The path crosses a footbridge before veering left towards the lake and the causeway.

Alternatively, from the village or the Cwellyn Arms you can follow the minor road towards Penygroes and you can join the Lon Las Gwyrfai where the road turns sharply right at a layby. Take the path left with the steps and not the path right, and you’ll arrive at the causeway mentioned in the following steps.

2 Continue along this easy trail across the causeway alongside Llyn y Gader to arrive at some some quarry buildings at the far end. The path continues along the lightly wooded lakeside, with extensive views towards Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon ahead. Looking back, the narrow ridge of Crib Nantlle (Ridge) dominates the view. It may be early on the walk, but it can be quite tempting to stop to take in the view. Just remember you’ll be returning the same way so you’ll have another opportunity to stop here later.

3 After circling around the lakeside, the path soon enters the forest, and widens slightly into forestry tracks. Ignore a turning to the right and within a few minutes you’ll find another signpost for Beddgelert to the left.

4 This track descends for a couple of hundred meters before crossing the WHR and then surprisingly to the main road. Turn right here along the dirt track, and continue on the long straight stretch towards the Forest Car park (so watch out for cars on this section and keep following the signposts). Continue past the car park, with the road passing a cabin on the right, a house to the left. Just after the house, take the right at the junction.

5 The path soon crosses an old bridge – Pont Rhyd Ceffylau. Pont is welsh for bridge, and Rhyd Ceffylau is the Ford of the horses, which you can see on your left just prior to reaching the bridge. Continue along the track, which almost immediately crosses the WHR again. Directly ahead is a narrow track, and at this point we leave the Lon Las Gwyrfai, and there are no more waymarkers to follow. Alternatively, you can continue along the track for a few more minutes and instead take the first forestry track right. This is recommended if the weather has been particularly wet.

6 The path is wet in places, but continue uphill for around 300m where you join a forestry track (the alternative route mentioned above). Turn right and keep on this track uphill, ignoring cross roads, continuing uphill, and you’ll soon arrive at Llyn Llywelyn just past a second set of cross roads. At these you can either turn left and then cross the dam, or continue ahead. If you’re on a leisurely trip, this makes an ideal lunch stop. There are even picnic benches. If you’re on a run, it’s still worth stopping a few minutes here.

NOTE – as of July 2023 there are works ongoing here. The dam cannot be crossed and the picnic area is temporarily fenced off. Take care with the lorries that use the forestry roads as part of this work. The lake was also drained, so may not be as scenic while the dam is being rebuilt!

DSC_0551

7 Return to the crossroads in 6 (the nearest to the lake), where you need to turn left. You can follow this forestry track back to section 3 above,  by walking across the first cross roads, pass a junction to the left, take the left hand fork when the route splits and ignore a final junction to your left. You’ll hopefully arrive back at the signpost mentioned in 3 above, where you retrace your footsteps to the start. If you DO take one of the right hand turns by mistake, you should arrive back on the long track near the car park mentioned in Section 4 – where you can retrace your steps back to the start.

Local Information and Recommended Maps and Guidebooks

Route Summary:

A reasonably easy family friendly walk from Rhyd Ddu to Llyn Llywelyn

Route Start Location: Rhyd Ddu

Distance
Ascent
Time
9.27 km 156 m 3 hours

Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Activivity Type: Easy Moderate Walk, Trail or Fell Runs

Summits and Places on this Route

Facilities

VERY decent pub – Cwellyn Arms as well as a tearoom in the village, WC at car park.

Hazards

Route crosses the WHR a few times.

Navigation in the woodland can be tricky, ensure you have the skills to navigate your way back if needed!

Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Mountain Safety , Navigation and what equipment you’ll need.

Parking :

Park at the Wyddfa/Snowdon car park at Rhyd Ddu.

Public Transport:

Sherpa Buses and WHR to Rhyd Ddu.

Traveline for UK Public Transport

Weather Forecast:

Met Office Snowdonia Mountain Weather

Check out our Best Mountain Weather Forecast?

Recommended Maps

Guidebooks:

Please rate this

Dave Roberts

More Posts by Dave Roberts

Leave a Reply