Bwlch Nant yr Arian
Red kites are fed here every afternoon and dozens circle over the lake while you watch from the terrace, with forest trails climbing the hillside behind.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 50
- Ascent
- 180 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Waymarked trails leave the visitor centre and loop round the lake and up through the forest to viewpoints. The shortest is a lakeside circuit; the longer ones climb steadily.
Worth knowing
- Feeding is at two in the afternoon in winter and three in summer. Arrive early for a good spot.
- The lake circuit is short and mostly level; the hill trails are a different proposition.
- Shared with mountain bikers on some tracks.
What you’ll see
Red kites in numbers, the lake, conifer forest, and the Rheidol valley from the higher trails.
Background
Red kites were down to a handful of pairs in these valleys in the twentieth century. Every kite in Britain descends from that remnant population.