Parking
Start near Bangor at grid reference SH592726. There is no single trailhead car park for the full route. Plan local access, overnight stops and transport from Prestatyn, using designated car parks along the corridor for day sections.
Overview
About North Wales Path
A linear, point-to-point long-distance walk from Bangor in Gwynedd east to Prestatyn in Denbighshire, 60 miles / 96 km one way. Most walkers take 25 to 30 walking hours spread over 4 to 6 days, with cumulative ascent in the region of 2,384 m. Treat that climb figure as a planning scale rather than a precise number. Only part of the corridor sits inside the park boundary, so the character shifts as you go.
Why go
- Connects coast, uplands and historic towns
- Links to Offa's Dyke Path at Prestatyn
Heads up
- Linear logistics require careful transport planning
- Variable footing and strenuous upland days
Map & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Eryri Tour Guide
Your drive to North Wales Path, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Eryri National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
More stories near here in the app
- The Quarry Doctor Who Won the Cup
- The Cards in Bethesda's Windows
- The Lily on the Cliffs
- 298 audio storiesacross Eryri’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grey Heron, Tawny Owl, Common Raven, and 9 more
- Works offlinemaps, 120 trails, 82 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking North Wales Path
The walk, west to eastFrom the start at Bangor (grid reference SH592726) the path climbs onto the lower mountain…
From the start at Bangor (grid reference SH592726) the path climbs onto the lower mountain slopes behind the coast, passing near Aber Falls and over the higher ground of Garreg Fawr and Moelfre. It crosses Conwy Mountain with the estuary spread out below, drops into Conwy with its castle and walls, then works round Llandudno and the Great Orme before easing into the seaside stretch through Colwyn Bay, Abergele and Rhyl. The payoff at Prestatyn is a clean junction with Offa's Dyke Path, so this can be the first half of a much longer journey.
Difficulty, footing and exposureThe complete route rates 7/10. Individual days range from easy to strenuous.
The complete route rates 7/10. Individual days range from easy to strenuous. Surfaces vary a lot: quiet lanes and short road sections, flat surfaced promenades, rural field paths, and narrow, uneven upland tracks through heather and grass. High points sit only around 300 to 340 m, but the western uplands are open and unsheltered, and wind or low cloud makes navigation harder there. Do not expect a uniform, easy or fully accessible surface for the whole distance, though several coastal sections on their own are gentle and level.
Access and logisticsBecause the route is linear, plan the return before you set out and book accommodation along…
Because the route is linear, plan the return before you set out and book accommodation along the way. There is no single official trailhead car park; instead, car parks are dotted along the corridor, which makes it easy to break the walk into day sections and shuttle between them. Towns and villages en route have shops and pubs for refreshments. If you walk on a road, keep to the right in single file.
Dogs and preparationDogs are welcome but must be kept on a lead.
- Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a lead.
- Carry the relevant OS maps: Explorer OL17 covers the western half, Explorer 264 the east.
- Wear supportive footwear with grip and bring proper waterproof and windproof layers.
- Check the forecast before each upland day and carry water and food for the exposed stretches.
How it comparesThe Wales Coast Path shares this corridor in many places.
The Wales Coast Path shares this corridor in many places. If you want a consistently shoreline itinerary with easier walking, take that instead. This route deliberately leaves the coast to climb inland above Llanddulas and onto the uplands around Conwy and Llanfairfechan toward Bangor, trading some easy miles for height, quiet and a much wider view.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Eryri
77 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
17 sightingsTawny OwlMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
32 sightingsCommon RavenMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
21 sightingsGreat Spotted WoodpeckerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
18 sightingsEuropean RabbitMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
161 sightingsViviparous LizardMost seen around 10 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Eryri. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
