Coed y Brenin Forest Park

The Mountain Biker

While Coed y Brenin may be world-famous for its mountain bike trails, there is much more to it than that. Sure, the mountain biker is catered for with its EIGHT purpose-built trails covering a range of abilities, plus there is a bike shop, bike hire and a bike wash. There is also a mountain bike skills area.

Coed y Brenin was Britain’s first purpose-built mountain bike centre.

The Graded MTB Trails Are As Follows:

• GREEN – Yr Afon (10.8km) 1-3 hours
• BLUE – MinorTaur (8km) 0.5-1.5 hours
• RED – Cyflym Coch (11.2km) 1.5-3 hours
• RED – Temtiwr (8.7km) 0.5-1 hours
• RED – Dragon’s Back (31.1km) 3-5 hours
• BLACK – Tarw Du (20.2km) 1.5-3 hours
• BLACK – mbr (18.4km) 1.5-3 hours
• BLACK – Beast of Brenin (38.2km) 3 hours

Visit mbr.co.uk for more details.

The Runner, Walker, Orienteerer, Geocacher….

However, if you’re not planning on spending your day on two-wheels (and around half the visitors don’t) then there are dedicated waymarked walking and running trails which range from reasonably flat walks past waterfalls old disused goldmines, to hikes up wooded paths that culminate in stunning views over the forest and Snowdonia mountains beyond. There are also routes for orienteering and geocaching.

There is a shop for runners where you can hire shoes.

Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre was awarded the Gold Award by Visit Wales for attractions “which make an exceptional effort to create an enjoyable and memorable experience for their visitors”.

Children & Families

There are loads of activities for children too, with two playgrounds and a “free play” area where they can create dens and dam streams.

The Animal Puzzle Trail

This trail starts beside the children’s play area and was designed to introduce children to a forest environment. This trail is accessible to everyone of all abilities and is also pushchair friendly. This also has an accompanying MP3 audio guide which contains information about the local history and wildlife.

Visitor Centre and Café

The Visitor Centre and Café is open seven days a week. The Café has an indoor area as well as a balcony which offers panoramic views over the forest. The café serves hot and cold food, including the famous Coed y Brenin Venison Burger. It also offers a variety of coffees and other beverages, plus cakes and daily specials.

Events

There are various events throughout the year for bikers and runners. Check out their Facebook Page for details.