Parking
Start at Canolfan Tryweryn, the National White Water Centre, Frongoch, LL23 7NU, about four miles north of Bala on the A4212. Several on-site car parks are a short walk from the centre, with accessible spaces beside the building.
Overview
About Tryweryn Trail
Why go
- Riverside woodland with bridges, picnic spots and information boards
- Whitewater action provides a lively payoff for a short walk
Heads up
- Fast-flowing water stays close to the route
- Mixed surfaces include rough tracks and former railway bed
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 Tryweryn Trail, 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
Canolfan Tryweryn and the Riverside Trail0:00 / 0:28
“You're approaching Canolfan Tryweryn, the National White Water Centre, where rafters and kayakers tackle the rapids.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Eryri Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Before the White Water Centre
- The Harp Above the Drowned Town
- Why the Tryweryn Runs on Dry Days
- Remember Tryweryn
- 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 Tryweryn Trail
The short versionA circular loop of 2.5 km (1.
A circular loop of 2.5 km (1.5 miles) starting and finishing at Canolfan Tryweryn, the National White Water Centre at Frongoch. Most people take 1 to 1.5 hours, so call it about an hour and a quarter if you want a number. It is an easy family and scenic walk rather than a hill day, with barely 25 metres between the lowest and highest points on the route.
How the route unfoldsLeave the centre and follow the Afon Tryweryn downstream to the NRA bridge.
Leave the centre and follow the Afon Tryweryn downstream to the NRA bridge. Cross there, then work back upstream along the riverbank to the Fedw'r Gog bridge, cross again, and carry on upstream through a car park and a tunnel under the old railway line onto the island. The far point is the Chipper and the fish trap at the foot of the Llyn Celyn dam, which sits off to your right. The return leg is different ground: road and access road, then the former Bala to Ffestiniog railway line back to the centre.
Footing and difficultySurfaces are mixed and that is the main thing to plan for.
Surfaces are mixed and that is the main thing to plan for. You get riverbank path, rough tracks and the old railway corridor, so wear proper shoes rather than trainers after wet spells. Gradients are gentle throughout and the loop is short enough for young legs.
River exposure and safetyThe path stays close to fast-flowing water for much of the way, and river levels here can…
The path stays close to fast-flowing water for much of the way, and river levels here can change quickly. Keep children close on the riverbank sections. The centre lends buoyancy aids for children on a returnable deposit, which is worth picking up at reception if you have small ones with you.
Scenery and activityThe walk runs through mossy deciduous woodland with willow and polypody ferns, past information…
The walk runs through mossy deciduous woodland with willow and polypody ferns, past information boards, picnic sites and a handful of bridges that give you the best views up and down the water. The other draw is human: rafters and canoeists working the rapids known as the Graveyard and the Ski Jump, which turns a short riverside stroll into decent spectator sport. Quiet stretches on the riverbank may give you a heron, a dipper or a wagtail, and there is a chance of kingfishers if you are patient and lucky.
Dogs, parking and facilitiesWell-behaved dogs are welcome; keep them on a lead through signposted farmland sections.
- Well-behaved dogs are welcome; keep them on a lead through signposted farmland sections.
- Several on-site car parks at the centre, including accessible parking beside the building.
- Toilets and a cafe on site, and a free trail map at reception.
Getting thereCanolfan Tryweryn, LL23 7NU, roughly four miles north of Bala on the A4212.
Canolfan Tryweryn, LL23 7NU, roughly four miles north of Bala on the A4212. Easy to combine with a stop in Bala if you want more of a day out of it.
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.
