Parking
Start and finish at Dolmelynllyn car park in Ganllwyd, Gwynedd, LL40 2TF. The designated car park has toilets; the route crosses the road at the start and returns along the main road.
Overview
About Rhaeadr Ddu and Coed Ganllwyd Walk
A circular walk from Dolmelynllyn car park in Ganllwyd, following the River Gamlan up to the Rhaeadr Ddu falls and returning through open oak woodland. The full loop is 2 miles / 3.2 km total, allow about 1 hour 30 minutes, graded Moderate. The short access road at the start is repeated at the finish to close the loop.
Why go
- Rhaeadr Ddu waterfalls and turbulent river
- Compact loop combining water, woodland and history
Heads up
- Slippery rocks beside the waterfalls
- Mud, uneven ground and road walking
Rhaeadr Ddu drops in two cascades falling about 60 feet / 18 metres. The River Gamlan is turbulent here, and the falls take on a different character with rainfall, weather and light, so repeat visits rarely look the same.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe payoffMap & 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 Rhaeadr Ddu and Coed Ganllwyd Walk, 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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Rhaeadr Ddu at Ganllwyd0:00 / 0:27
“You're approaching Ganllwyd, the start of the walk to Rhaeadr Ddu's twin waterfalls. The two-mile loop takes about ninety minutes through ancient oak woods, with muddy paths and slippery rock near the falls.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Eryri Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The King's Guards at Pont Ty'n-y-groes
- The Tails in the Fir Cones
- Glasdir Copper Trail
- The Oil Trick at Glasdir
- 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 Rhaeadr Ddu and Coed Ganllwyd Walk
How the walk unfoldsCross from the car park toward the restored corrugated-iron village hall, then follow the…
Cross from the car park toward the restored corrugated-iron village hall, then follow the tarmac road beside the river. Waymarked paths lead over a stone bridge and on to a wooden bridge. Before you cross, look for the lichen-covered rock carrying a Latin inscription. Cross the wooden bridge and veer toward the falls.
From the falls, keep following the waymarks, pass through a kissing gate, then take the left path down through open oak woodland. At a crossroads go straight through a wooden gate, then through two more gates to reach the main road, where you turn left for the car park.
Footing and difficultyThe going is a mixture of tarmac, grassy paths that may be muddy, and rocky slopes, with gentle…
The going is a mixture of tarmac, grassy paths that may be muddy, and rocky slopes, with gentle rolling ups and downs through the woodland rather than any sustained climb.
- Rocks beside the waterfalls can be slippery, so take care when moving close to the water.
- There is a road crossing at the start and a roadside stretch on the return, so keep children and dogs close.
Access, parking and dogsStart and finish at Dolmelynllyn car park, Ganllwyd, Gwynedd, LL40 2TF, grid reference SH727243.
Start and finish at Dolmelynllyn car park, Ganllwyd, Gwynedd, LL40 2TF, grid reference SH727243. The car park has toilets.
- Dogs are welcome under close control in woodland and on short leads on farmland.
- Please clean up after your dog.
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.
