Coed y Brenin Forest Park - Glasdir, near Dolgellau

Welcome

Glasdir is in Coed y Brenin Forest Park.

The car park is the starting point for a walk through an old copper mine. 

There is a picnic site with barbecue by the side of the river.

There is a shorter accessible walking trail to a viewpoint over the mine from the Pont Llam yr Ewig car park.

Walking trail

The walking trail is waymarked from start to finish.

Look out for the information panel at the start of the trail.

Find out about walking trail grades.

Glasdir Copper Trail

• Grade: Moderate
• Distance: 1.3 miles/2 kilometres
• Climb: 262 feet/80 metres
• Time: 45 minutes
• Trail information: The trail is often less than 1m wide in places, on an unmade, uneven surface, where you can expect mud, rocks and tree roots. There are several flights of steps on the steep ascents and descents through the old workings. Please stay on the waymarked trail as the old mine workings and buildings may be unsafe and there are unprotected drops into the river gorges.

Follow the red waymarkers from the Glasdir car park through the picnic site down to the river Babi.

The trail takes in a circuit of the old copper mine set into the hillside in a series of high stone terraces.

You can download an audio trail and listen to the history of the Glasdir copper mine.

Audio trail

Learn about the history of the Glasdir copper mine on our audio trail.

The audio trail has been designed to be used along the Glasdir Copper Trail, a waymarked walking route from Glasdir car park.

We recommend that you download the audio trail to your smartphone before your visit as mobile network coverage can be limited in rural areas.

How to use the audio trail

• Download the audio trail mp3 file from the downloads section at the bottom of this page (please note that the file will start to play when you click on the link and you will then need to click the three dots to download it to your device).
• Follow the waymarkers for the Glasdir Copper Trail from Glasdir car park.
• Look out for the numbered posts along the route which indicate which audio track to play next.

You can also download a PDF file of the audio trail’s script from the downloads section at the bottom of this page.

Coed y Brenin Forest Park

The main car parks with facilities for visitors within Coed y Brenin Forest Park are:

• Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre - famous mountain biking centre with walking and running trails
• Forest Garden – accessible trail through trees from all over the world
• Glasdir - walking trail through an old copper mine
• Pandy - forest garden with trees from all over the world
• Pont Cae’n-y-coed - challenging walk to highest point of the forest park
• Pont Llam yr Ewig - accessible trail to viewpoint over old copper mine
• Pont Ty'n-y-groes - riverside picnic area with walking trails and gravel bike trail
• Tyddyn Gwladys – riverside picnic site and gateway to the Waterfalls and Goldmines Trail

Eryri National Park

Coed y Brenin Forest Park is set in Eryri National Park.

Eryri is the largest National Park in Wales and is home to picturesque towns and villages and the highest mountain in Wales.

It is looked after by the Eryri National Park Authority.

For more information about visiting Eryri go to the Eryri National Park Authority website.

Visiting safely

We want you to return home safely after your visit here.

You are responsible for your own safety as well as the safety of any children and animals with you during your visit.

Please note:

• Keep to the trail as mine workings are dangerous places with sheer drops.

For advice and tips to help you plan your visit here go to Visiting our places safely.

Accessibility information

There is a shorter accessible walking trail to a viewpoint over the mine from the car park for disabled visitors at Pont Llam yr Ewig.

Changes to visitor facilities

See the top of this webpage for details of any planned closures or other changes to visitor facilities here.

For your safety, always follow instructions from staff and signs including those for trail diversions or closures.

We may divert or close trails whilst we undertake maintenance work or other operations and we may need to close other visitor facilities temporarily.

In extreme weather, we may close facilities at short notice due to the risk of injury to visitors and staff.

Organising an event on our land

You may need permission from us to organise an event or to carry out some activities on our land.

Check if you are allowed to use our land.

How to get here

We recommend you follow these directions or use the Google map below which has a pin on this place’s location.

Glasdir is 6 miles north of Dolgellau.

Take the A470 north from Dolgellau towards Porthmadog.

About 200 metres after passing the Tyn y Groes Hotel, turn right following the brown tourist signs to Ty'n y Groes.

Follow the tarmac road past the Ty’n y Groes picnic site for just over one kilometre.

The Glasdir car park is on the right with a picnic site a short walk away across the road.

The Ordnance Survey (OS) grid reference for the car park is SH 737 226 (Explorer Map OL 18).

The postcode is LL40 2NW. Please note that this postcode covers a wide area and will not take you directly to the entrance.

View this place on the What3Words website.

Public transport

The nearest mainline railway stations are in Barmouth (Cambrian Coast line) and Blaenau Ffestiniog (Blaenau Ffestiniog-Llandudno line).

For details of public transport go to the Traveline Cymru website.

Parking

Parking is free of charge.

Overnight parking is not permitted.

Contact details

There are no staff at this location.

Contact our customer team for general enquiries during office hours, Monday to Friday.

Downloads