Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksClwydian Range and Vale of Clwyd

Clwydian Range and Vale of Clwyd

Clocaenog Forest and Bod Petryal

Waymarked trails round a small lake in one of the largest forests in Wales, and one of the last strongholds of the red squirrel in the country.

Distance
3.1 mi / 5 km
Time
1 hr 45
Ascent
150 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

Trails circle the lake and climb into the forest from the car park. Easy going on forest tracks.

Worth knowing

  • Clocaenog is a red squirrel stronghold and there are feeders near the car park.
  • Black grouse lek on the forest edges in early spring; NRW runs guided viewing.
  • The forest is worked commercially and routes occasionally close for felling.

What you’ll see

The lake, conifer forest, red squirrels, and crossbill and siskin in the trees.

Background

Clocaenog was planted from the 1930s over former sheepwalk and is now managed partly for red squirrel and black grouse conservation.