Our response to the Coronavirus pandemic

Gwydir Forest Park - Sawbench, near Llanrwst

What's here

Mountain bike trail
Parking (free)
Walking trail

Coronavirus update

Our sites and most visitor facilities are open.

We have changed the normal route for some of our trails to help you maintain social distancing – please follow signs on site.

Welcome

Sawbench is the starting point for a short walking trail and two red graded mountain bike trails.

The walking trail takes in historical features and has views over the Conwy Valley and Llanrwst.

The mountain bike trails are the classic Gwydir Mawr and a shorter, bitesize option Gwydir Bach.

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.

Lady Mary’s Walk

Grade: Moderate
Distance: 1¼ miles/2.1 kilometres
Time: 1 hour
Trail information: The trail is on a mixture of wide forest roads and a path with an unmade uneven surface where you can expect some mud, rocks and tree roots. There is a chicane at the start of the trail, and at the top of the ﬁrst hill, with a gap of around 60 cm to walk through. You will pass through another chicane, following a rough unmade path to rejoin the forest road where you'll follow the route to the Tudor Bowling Green, with a picnic table and a bench with a ﬁnal vista down the Conwy valley en route to the car park.

This short historical walk has several viewpoints giving glimpses of the old market town of Llanrwst.

The walk is named after one of two Lady Marys from the Wynn family who bought the land and built up the historic Gwydir Estate.

The walk takes in two sculptures by local artists, one of which is a memorial to the old Llanrwst Town Hall.

Listen to the story of Llanrwst and the famous Wynns of Gwydir on our mp3 audio trail.

Mountain bike trails

All our mountain bike trails are waymarked from start to finish and have been graded for difficulty.

At the start of the trails there is an information panel – please read this before setting off.

Find out about mountain bike trail grades.

Read our introduction to mountain biking.

Gwydir Bach

Grade: Red
Distance: 9.1 kilometres
Total climb: 350 metres
Time: 45 minutes-1½ hours

Gwydir Bach is the little sister to its bigger brother, Gwydir Mawr.

Two big climbs earn you arguably the best descents of the whole trail, all wrapped up in one easy to digest, bitesize chunk.

Gwydir Mawr

Grade: Red
Distance: 24.8 kilometres
Total climb: 800 metres
Time: 2-4 hours

Gwydir Mawr is one of the original mountain bike trails and is a true classic.

Big climbs, big descents, brilliant singletrack and truly awesome scenery make this a trail to remember.

Now including a brand new two kilometre section with a mix of traditional hand dug trail and modern flow trail features.

You can also start Gwydir Mawr from Hafna car park.

Gwydir Forest Park

Sawbench is in Gwydir Forest Park.

Gwydir Forest Park lies in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park and encircles the village of Betws-y-coed.

Lead and zinc mining once dominated the area and the legacy of old engine-houses, waste tips and reservoirs are characteristic features of the forest landscape today.

Several of the most important mines have been partially restored and made safe for visitors.

Waymarked trails start from Betws-y-coed and several other Natural Resources Wales car parks in Gwydir Forest Park:

Betws-y-coed - peaceful forest walks away from the tourist bustle
Cae'n y Coed - easy-to-find picnic area and walk with panoramic mountain views
Cyffty Mine - short trail around abandoned lead mine
Dolwyddelan - views of Snowdonia’s peaks on walking trail along Roman road
Hafna - walking trail through lead mine ruins and red-graded mountain bike trail
Llyn Crafnant - walking trails around the lake and accessible riverside trail
Llyn Geirionydd - picnic site with walking trail around two beautiful lakes
Llyn Sarnau - picnic spot with a walk to two scenic lakes
Ty’n Llwyn – walking trail to the famous Swallow Falls waterfall

National Forest for Wales

Gwydir Forest Park forms part of the National Forest for Wales.

The National Forest will:

create areas of new woodland
enhance existing woodlands
restore Wales’ irreplaceable ancient woodlands.

In time it will form a connected ecological network running throughout Wales, bringing social, economic and environmental benefits.

For more information about the National Forest for Wales go to the Welsh Government website.

Closures and diversions

Sometimes we need to close or divert trails for your safety whilst we undertake maintenance work or other operations.
We may have to close a site in extreme weather, such as high winds or snow and ice, due to the risk of injury to visitors or staff.
Please always follow any instructions on site and any temporary diversion signs.