Ganllwyd is a small village north of Dolgellau. It is home to the Dolmelynllyn Estate, which is managed by the National Trust and offers no fewer than four trails that will take you to the stunning Black Falls, through the Ganllwyd woodland, past the remains of a gold mine, and around the estate.
The village lies within Eryri National Park and is a place I often pass while driving north towards Betws-y-Coed and Llandudno. I have always wanted to stop properly and explore. There is a handy, free car park from which the walks begin.
Video
Check out my vlog about walking in Ganllwyd.
Things to See and Do in Ganllwyd
The Dolmelynllyn Estate includes four walking trails, colour-coded blue, red, green and black. These routes, often combined, take you to different areas of interest around the village and the estate.
From the car park, the first trail to follow is the blue one, which runs alongside the River Gamlan, where you can admire a number of cascades. Afon Gamlan is a tributary of the Afon Mawddach; they meet at Ganllwyd, near the car park.
After crossing a wooden bridge, you enter Coed Ganllwyd (coed meaning ‘woodland’ in Welsh). A short walk uphill reveals the dramatic Rhaeadr Ddu (Black Falls). The name originates from the dark stone over which the waterfall plunges. There are various viewpoints, including a bench, but do take care, as some sections are narrow and slippery.
After admiring the falls, continue to follow the blue path (the whole area is very well signposted, courtesy of the National Trust, so it is virtually impossible to get lost) through the beautiful woodland, where large rocks and fallen trunks are covered in vibrant green moss, giving the place an enchanted feel.
did you know?
- Coed Ganllwyd is the richest site for mosses and liverworts in north-west Europe, thanks to the wet climate that feeds the falls and provides ideal moist conditions in the gorge and woodland.
Soon, you reach a wall where the blue trail turns left and leads back to the car park. Instead, you can turn right and begin the green trail, which takes you to the remains of the Cefn Coch gold mine. You’ll walk along a tarmac country road for a short while before turning left and following a stream for a few minutes. A stile and a bridge on the left then lead to an open area where the ruins of the mine lie. It is a very peaceful and quiet spot, providing a striking contrast to the earlier, more dramatic and noisier waterfall.
Cefn Coch
- Cefn Coch was the fourth-richest gold mine in the Dolgellau gold belt.
- It was often worked jointly with the nearby Berthlwyd Mine (also known as the New California Mine).
- The site was active from 1862 until the early 20th century, finally closing in 1914.
- Its most successful year was 1894, when 360 tons of ore produced 180 ounces of gold.
Shorter winter days meant I didn’t have time to check the other two trails (red and black), as the light was already fading — which is a good excuse to come back.
If you were to walk all four trails, it would take just under four hours, I believe. My walk, which included the blue and green routes, was just over two hours (plus stopping every two seconds to take a photo or record a short video!). This offers a lot of flexibility, whether you just want a quick walk to see the falls while travelling, or you are staying in the area and want to explore more of what the estate has to offer.
Not far from Ganllwyd, driving north, is Coed y Brenin, known as one of Britain’s first purpose-built mountain biking centres, and still a very popular site today. There are plenty of trails for all levels, as well as many paths designed for walkers. You can read more about it on Natural Resources Wales.
Note that there isn’t much in the way of refreshments in Ganllwyd, with just one pub located just outside the village — Tyn-y-Groes — which is open seasonally. The good news is that you’re only a 10-minute drive from Dolgellau, where you’ll find more cafés and restaurants. It is a very pretty town, with the highest concentration of protected buildings of any town in Wales. It is also known for its music scene in the warmer months, particularly Sesiwn Fawr, a lively bilingual music festival that attracts some of the biggest names in the Welsh music scene and thousands of visitors every year.
The whole area around Dolgellau is full of popular hiking spots such as the Cregennan Lakes and Cadair Idris, as well as the Mawddach Trail, the Precipice Walk and the New Precipice Walk — all of which are well worth exploring.
Useful Information When Visiting Ganllwyd
Public transport: There are no trains in the area, but the T2 bus (Bangor–Aberystwyth) stops by the car park and the start of the walk.
Parking: There is a small car park in the village, easy to spot as it is just beside the main A470 road.
EV charging points: The closest charging point is in Dolgellau, in the Marian Mawr car park, which includes a 50 kW charger.
Toilets: Available at the car park in Ganllwyd.
Accessibility: The trails are rocky and steep in some sections.
