Snowdonia guide for visitors

Named after Snowdon, its highest mountain, and covering an area of 840 sq m (2147 sq km), Snowdonia in Wales is the second largest National Park in the U.K. It lies on the remote Northern coast, amidst breathtaking mountains, glacial valleys and ancient forests.

The jagged peaks of Snowdonia are among the most ancient rocks on earth. The local culture is also rather ancient, with music and poetry dating back to the Bronze Age. About 65% of the local population speak Welsh, one of the oldest spoken languages in Europe, as their mother tongue. Snowdonia also has:

* The highest peak in England and Wales
* Swallow Falls, the highest continuous waterfall in Wales

Snowdonia Statistics
Snowdonia National Park covers 840 sq.miles of northwest Wales, 570 sq.miles protected for conservation or special scientific interest. 20% is legally protected because of its wildlife.
The park also has:

* 90 summits above 2,000 ft. and 15 over 3,000 ft.
* 9 mountain ranges covering 52% of the land
* 1,700 miles of public footpaths, bridlepaths and rights of way
* 75% of its area in private ownership with the rest owned by the Crown, National Trust, MOD, Forestry Commission, other public bodies.
* The highest peaks are Snowdon (3,560 ft.) in the north and Cader Idris (2,929 ft.) in the South.

Towns and Villages in Snowdonia:
Most of Snowdonia's population - about 26,000 - is concentrated along the coast, between Barmouth and Harlech. The rest live in a scattering of small market towns:

* Aberdyfi
* Bala One of the park's larger towns
* Beddgelert Burial place of the legendary Gelert, the faithful hound of Medieval Welsh Prince Llewelyn the Great
* Betws-y-Coed Gateway to Swallow Falls and the Fairy Glen, and one of the prettiest towns of North Wales
* Dolgellau Another of the regions larger towns
* Harlech Site of an impressive castle.

Snowdonia Accommodation:
Looking for the right Snowdonia Hotel to meet your needs can be a tricky game with such a great variety to choose from. All tastes and needs are catered for in Snowdonia from backpackers to luxury romantic hotels. A good start to finding a place to stay is searching on the Internet on sites such as Trip Advisor where you can read unbiased reviews from actual people who have stayed there.

Castles:
Snowdonia is dotted with castles, some only ruins, some magnificent and at least one converted to a B&B!

* Harlech
* Conwy Just outside the park but worth a visit
* Dolwyddelan Castle
* Castell y Bere
* Dolbadarn Castle
* Gwydir Castle A privately owned, fortified Tudor House, the paneled dining room was recently returned from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's a B&B and open, in season, for day visits as well.
* Penrhyn Castle This National Trust property is a 19th century fantasy worth visiting for the contents, grounds and views

Walking in Snowdonia - Mountain Paths:
There are nine mapped trails up Snowdon and Cader Idris all graded moderate in difficulty. They include:

* Llanberis PathThe most popular tourist path up Snowdon
* Snowdon Ranger Path One of the easiest on Snowdon
* PYG Track Rugged, challenging walk on Snowdon, suggested for experienced, equipped walkers in winter.
* Miners Track A safe mountain walk on Snowden for the less experienced
* Rhyd Ddu Path Easier and less used Snowdon trail
* Watkin Path Victorian path up Snowdon
* Tŷ Nant Path Pony Trail up Cader Idris
* Minffordd PathShort and steep on Cader Idris
* Llanfihangel y Pennant PathEasy but longer on Cader Idris

Walking in Snowdonia - Things You’ll Need:

* Waterproofs
* Comfortable clothes
* Sturdy footwear
* Warm jacket
* Maps
* Compass, if you plan on hiking
* Accommodation reservation
* Credit card
* Phone

Step 1:
Get maps of Wales, Ordnance Survey maps of Snowdonia National Park and guidebooks on Snowdonia National Park. You can get these from any U.K. or Wales tourist outlet or from any Snowdonia National Park information center. Contact by phone or post. Acquaint yourself with the towns and villages in the National Park. It is important to gain an idea of local area and conditions.

Step 2:
Find out how to get to Snowdonia National Park. Public transport buses run regular services from all over U.K. If you’re coming from abroad, the nearest International Airport is Manchester. Or you can arrive in London and make travel arrangements from there.

Step 3:
Choose from the wide variety of accommodations available in Snowdonia National Park. You can stay in hotels, bed and breakfast places, family-run lodges, self-catering cottages, log cabins, farm houses, sea-front apartments, chalets, caravans, camping sites and even castles. Campers can obtain a list of licensed camping sites from the National Park Authority. Wherever you decide to stay, call to make reservations.

Step 4:
Take the famous rack and pinion Snowdon Mountain Railway from Llanberis Station to the top of Mount Snowdon. It’s very popular, so make your reservations a day in advance. Also check out the steam-powered Ffestiniog Railway that goes from Portmadog to Blaenau Ffestinogg and the Welsh Highland Railway from Caernarfon to Rhyd Ddu. You can take another great train ride on the Talyllyn Railway, starting at Tywyn and heading for Abergynolwyn and Nant Gwernol.

Step 5:
Plan a visit to the historical Welsh castles: Caernarfon Castle, Harlech Castle and Conwy Castle. King Edward I built all three in the thirteenth century to subdue the Welsh. Conwy town, incidentally, is surrounded by town walls with 22 guard towers.

Step 6:
Visit the many museums in Snowdonia National Park: Regimental Museum of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, Segontium Roman Museum and Welsh Slate Museum. Go to Electric Mountain and visit the nearby Dinorwig Power Station to see how hydroelectricity works. Visit the Trefiw Woollen Mill to see the Weaving Center.

Step 7:
Go bird-watching in the Aber Valley, Porthmadog, the Migneint moorland, Aberdysynni and Ynys-hir. Try the Hiking Trails along Y Garn, Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd, Moelwyn Mawr, Pen Llithrig y Wrach, Y Llethr and Cader Idris. There are also many excellent cycling trails.

Step 8:
To get around in Wales, you can rent a car or use the extensive local transportation system. Check Traveline for schedules of intercity buses and trains, station names, and walking maps. Get information about railways from National Rail.

Step 9:
Try some sports activities: surfing, horse riding, golfing, white water rafting and fishing. Make a list of all the equipment you will need for the activities you have planned. Inquire if you can hire it at your destinations or you may need to purchase it before you leave.

Tips & Warnings for your Snowdonia stay

* You can book accommodation online from Visit Wales website.
* To explore Wales off the beaten path, you can hitch rides on the Post Bus for a small fee. There are 15 bus routes serving some lovely, remote areas.
* Keep in mind that you cannot camp anywhere else in the National Park without prior permission of the landlord or farmer.The National Park Authority cannot give you this permission or give contact details for the landowners.

Walking in Snowdonia other Paths:

One of the best aspects of Snowdonia for walking enthusiasts is that there are paths and trails at all levels for all abilities. The Mawddach Trail, considered to be one of the best trails for cyclists as well as walkers in Britain, is among several Leisurely walks suitable for people with limited mobility. Adventurous Trails are somewhat more challenging but can be tackled by confident walkers with mobility problems and some wheelchair users.

Lastly, Leisure Walks include at least a dozen easier walks for fit and active walkers. Some call for more stamina than others. The walks range from one to about two hours.
Getting Around Snowdonia by Car: Except for a stretch of the M4 in South Wales, Wales is motorway free. There are, nevertheless, good quality "A" roads that zig zag through the park. The A470 runs north-south through Snowdonia, intersected by the A5 (Betws-y-Coed-Bangor), the A494 (Dolgellau-Bala)and the A487 (toward Porthmadog and Caernarvon). Use the A493 and A496 for the beaches.

Driving is easy, and roads are usually quiet but they are not fast and you may be sharing them with cyclists, pedestrians and, occasionally, sheep. During the summer, on bank holidays and weekends, roads around Betwys-y-Coed can be busy.
Getting Around Snowdonia By Train: Check National Rail Enquiries for routes and schedules to these main rail stations within the National Park:

* Barmouth
* Porthmadog
* Betws-y-Coed

and at the Snowdonia gateway towns of:

* Bangor
* Conwy

Three scenic railway services operate within the park:

* The Rheilffordd Ffestiniog Railway between Porthmadog harbor and the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog - the world's oldest operational passenger railway.
* The Welsh Highland Railway joins Caernarvon to Rhyd Ddu, a village on the slopes of Snowdon.
* Conwy Valley Railway links the north coast to the heart of the park.