Description
Gwydir Forest Mountain Bike Trails
Gwydir Mawr, formerly known as the Marin Trail, and its smaller sibling Gwydir Bach (incorporated within it) make up the two red-graded mountain bike trails in Gwydir Forest, in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, North Wales. Mawr is Welsh for big or large, Bach means small, and Gwydir is the name of the forest. Managed by Natural Resources Wales, the trails sit just outside the town of Betws-y-Coed and suit intermediate riders looking for a proper day out.
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The Trails
Gwydir Forest sits just down the road from its sister trail at Penmachno, another red-graded trail well worth combining with a visit here. A recent trail addition links the final singletrack sections back towards the car park, and with a road running alongside much of the route it's easy to session individual parts rather than riding the whole loop every time.
- Gwydir Mawr (Red, 24.8km, 800m climb, 2-4 hours) - one of the original Welsh MTB trails and still a classic. Fire road climbs give way to singletrack descents that swing from tight, technical and rocky to open and flowing, with big views over the valley throughout.
- Gwydir Bach (Red, 9.1km, 350m climb, 45 minutes to 1.5 hours) - incorporated within Gwydir Mawr, this shorter loop is ideal for a quicker session on the same mix of forest road and technical singletrack.
Trails at Gwydir Forest are subject to periodic closures and diversions due to forestry operations. Always check the Natural Resources Wales Gwydir Hafna page for current alerts before travelling.
Getting Here
The main trailhead car park is Hafna, off the B5106 about 1.5 miles southwest of Llanrwst, Conwy LL27 0JB. This postcode covers a wide area, so follow the Forestry signs for the last stretch. Coming from the north or northeast, take the B5106 past Gwydyr Castle towards Trefriw and Llanrwst, then follow signs for Hafna. Coming from the Midlands or the south, head for Betws-y-Coed on the A5, then pick up the B5106 towards Llanrwst.
Gwydir Mawr can also be started from Sawbench car park, Conwy LL26 0PN, on the other side of the forest, if Hafna is full or you fancy a different approach onto the trail.
Parking is free at both car parks but overnight parking is not permitted, and there are no toilets or other facilities on site.
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- If you have ridden the Gwydir Mawr or Gwydir Bach mountain bike trails, please share your reviews, photos, and videos to this listing.