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Mawddach Trail – Cregennan Lakes loop from Arthog

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Mawddach Trail – Cregennan Lakes loop from Arthog

Moderate

4.8

(17)

116

hikers

Mawddach Trail – Cregennan Lakes loop from Arthog

04:28

16.0km

290m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

Last updated: June 19, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri

Waypoints

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1.23 km

Mawddach Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Cycleway

Accessible trail for bikes, pushchairs and wheel chairs with amazing views of the estuary and Barmouth Bridge.

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5.72 km

The Afon Mawddach (English: River Mawddach) is a river in Gwynedd, Wales, which has its source in a wide area SH820300 north of Dduallt in Snowdonia. It is 28 miles (45 km) in length, and is much branched; many of the significant tributaries are of a similar size to the main river. The catchment area is bounded to the east by the Aran Fawddwy massif and to the west and north by the Harlech dome which forms a watershed just south of Llyn Trawsfynydd.

The Mawddach has been the site of significant industrialisation and land management. Gold mining and subsequently gold panning have had major impacts but forestry, the preparation of animal skins, the storage of old munitions and the use of hill-sides as artillery ranges have all added to the legacy of pollution. The river is also very flashy - prone to very rapid rise and fall in level depending on rainfall. Rainfall can also be very heavy and it falls on very base-poor soils leading to episodes of strongly depressed pH. Despite this, the river sustains an important salmon and trout fishery and the countryside through which it flows is some of the most spectacular and scenic in the UK.

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5.85 km

Abergwynant Woods

Highlight • Forest

Great views take lunch

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11.4 km

View of the Estuary Towards Barmouth

Highlight • Natural Monument

11.8 km

Cregennan Lakes

Highlight • Lake

These twin lakes are particularly beautiful and lie just north of Cadair Idris. Both are owned by the National Trust and are free to visit. With mountains rising around them and views down to Barmouth and its estuary, don't leave your camera at home, because this is a fantastically photogenic spot.

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13.1 km

View of Barmouth from Llys Bradwen

Highlight • Historical Site

Llys Bradwen is the remains of the ancestral hall of Bradwen, a legendary early medieval chieftain.

There are also great views from here as you climb up on the Cambrian Way long distance trail towards Cadair Idris. Make sure you turn around and look back at Barmouth.

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