Afan Forest Park – Visitor Centre, near Port Talbot
Main starting point for mountain bike and walking...
Cwm Rhaeadr Forest, near Llandovery
What's here
Welcome
Cwm Rhaeadr Forest is in the peaceful Tywi valley.
Cwm Rhaeadr means “valley of the waterfall” in Welsh and you can enjoy views of the highest waterfall in Carmarthenshire on the Waterfall Walk.
There is also a short accessible woodland trail and a mountain bike trail for experienced riders.
The woodland has a variety of trees from huge conifers to native broadleaved trees and there are carpets of bluebells in spring.
The picnic area is set amongst tall conifer trees next to the car park and there are great views from the picnic tables.
Walking trails
The walking trails are waymarked from start to finish.
Look out for the information panel at the start of the trail.
Find out about walking trail grades.
Woodland Walk
- Grade: Accessible
- Distance: 1 mile/1.5 kilometres
- Time: 30 minutes
- Trail information: This trail starts from the upper car park and is suitable for off-road mobility scooters. The path is even with a compacted stone surface. The steepest gradient is 1 in 20. There are several benches along the route.
This woodland trail goes past a variety of different trees including huge Douglas firs planted in the 1940s.
It passes by a small pond with a short boardwalk over the water - look out for dragonflies here in summer.
Waterfall Trail
- Grade: Strenuous
- Distance: 2½ miles/4.2 kilometres
- Time: 2½ hours
- Trail information: There is a steep climb from the car park at the start of this trail. The trail surface is uneven in places with roots and stones underfoot. Some sections are muddy especially after wet weather.
This trail sets off through the woodland and soon goes alongside the river.
About halfway round there are views towards the waterfall pouring down the mountain.
There are also views of the valley and the surrounding hills from the trail.
Mountain bike trail
All our mountain bike trails are waymarked from start to finish and have been graded for difficulty.
At the start of the trail there is an information panel – please read this before setting off.
- Find out about mountain bike trail grades.
- For a list of our mountain bike trails and information to plan your ride, go to mountain biking.
- For more information about mountain biking in Wales, go to the Mountain Bike Wales website.
Cwm Rhaeadr Trail
- Grade: Red (difficult)
- Distance: 6.7 kilometres
The Cwm Rhaeadr mountain bike trail is waymarked and starts from the car park.
This trail may be short but it offers singletrack riding, a descent over a rocky ridge and stunning views over the valley and waterfall.
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.
How to get here
Location
Cwm Rhaeadr Forest is 6 miles north of Llandovery.
It is in the county of Carmarthenshire.
Ordnance Survey map
Cwm Rhaeadr Forest is on Ordnance Survey (OS) Explorer map 187.
The OS grid reference for the car park is SN 765 422.
Directions
From Llandovery follow signs to Cilycwm.
Then follow the sign towards Llyn Brianne Reservoir for 2 miles and the car park is on the left.
Public transport
The nearest mainline railway station is in Cynghordy.
For details of public transport visit the Traveline Cymru website.
Parking
Car 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.
Related document downloads
Cwm Rhaeadr walking information
PDF [1.3 MB]
Cwm Rhaeadr mountain biking information
PDF [475.5 KB]
Other places in South West Wales
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