Waterfalls and Goldmines Trail

There are two benches and a picnic table along the way, so it is easy to break the walk up.

• Head north on the forest road along the River Mawddach, through a steep-sided valley of big trees.
• Pass the remains of a gunpowder factory, then old gold-mining works and the Gwynfynydd mine.
• Reach Pistyll Gain and Rhaeadr Mawddach, the two waterfalls that are the main payoff.
• Pick up the waymarkers on the east side, cross the timber Aerial Bridge, and return to the car park.

The Gwynfynydd gold mine closed in 1999, and the gunpowder works and mining remains sit right beside the route. Treat all of it as context to look at, not to explore. Old workings and ruined structures are not safe to enter.

Nearly all of the loop is forest road. Two things break that up: a very rough private-track section before the waterfalls, and a short steep climb after them, up to 20% (1 in 5).

Official guidance lists the route as suitable for pushchairs and mobility scooters, and that holds with caveats worth knowing before you set off:

• surfaces are mixed, and the rough section is genuinely rough
• the short 20% climb needs power or an extra pair of hands
• there are two gates with 80 cm passing places, which matters for wider mobility equipment

The river runs through a steep-sided, wooded gorge, and there are unprotected drops near the water and the falls. Keep children and dogs close at viewpoints, stay on the waymarked line, and keep out of old mine workings and ruins. This is a low forest walk rather than a mountain route, but wet rock and slick timber underfoot deserve respect.

Dogs are welcome. Park guidance for the wider area asks for close control on public rights of way, a short lead near livestock or wildlife, and a lead no longer than 2 m on open-access land between 1 March and 31 July. Given the drops beside the river, a lead is the sensible default throughout.

Tyddyn Gwladys Car Park sits about 7 miles north of Dolgellau. From the A470 towards Porthmadog, turn right just before leaving Ganllwyd, cross the stone bridge and follow the signs for 1.25 miles; the car park is on the right. Grid reference SH 734 263. Parking is free, overnight parking is not permitted, and there are no staff on site.

Picnic tables sit beside the Mawddach at the car park itself, which makes a decent short stop with river frontage if you would rather skip the loop or are waiting on someone walking it.