Pen y Bryn Trail

A waymarked anticlockwise circular walk from Foel Friog car park in Dyfi Forest, near Aberllefenni and Corris. The complete loop is 2.1 miles / 3.4 km and takes about 1.5 hours. It is waymarked from start to finish, and it returns you to the car park rather than doubling back on itself.

• Cross Afon Dulas near the picnic site at the start.
• Climb steeply through oak woodland to the Pen y Bryn derelict farmstead.
• Continue along the hilltop to a viewpoint bench, the natural place to stop.
• Descend steeply back down to the car park.

This is graded strenuous, with 719 ft / 219 m of climb packed into a short distance. Paths are often under 50 cm wide on unmade, uneven ground with mud, rocks and tree roots, and some sections are particularly slippery after rain or when covered with fallen leaves. Wear boots with good grip and expect to slow down on both the climb and the descent.

The walk mixes ancient oak woodland rich in mosses, ferns and lichens with conifer forest, passing derelict farmsteads among the trees and quarry remains. From the higher ground there are views of Foel Crochan and Godre Fynydd. In spring and summer you may hear or see woodland and conifer birds such as tits, warblers, nuthatches, pied flycatchers, wrens, goldcrests, siskins, crossbills and buzzards, though nothing is guaranteed on any single visit.

• Foel Friog car park, immediately before the Aberllefenni village sign, after turning toward Aberllefenni from the A487 in Corris.
• Grid reference SH 769 093. The postcode SY20 9RR covers a broad area and will not take you straight to the entrance, so navigate by the grid reference or the road directions.
• Parking is free, but a barrier means vehicles over 2.1 m cannot enter, and overnight parking is not permitted.
• The available access guidance identifies no permit requirement for this walk.

Dogs should be kept under effective control and with you on paths and access land. If the steep climb and rough footing sound like too much, the short animal discovery trail at Tan y Coed in Coed y Brenin is a much easier, more family-oriented option.