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All walks › Eryri: Cadair Idris and the Mawddach

Eryri: Cadair Idris and the Mawddach

Mawddach Trail

Nine miles of old railway along the southern shore of the Mawddach estuary, flat and traffic-free the whole way, with Cadair Idris above and the tide going in and out beside you.

Distance
9.3 mi / 15 km
Time
3 hr 30
Ascent
30 m
Difficulty
Moderate
Shape
There and back

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

The trail runs from Dolgellau to Morfa Mawddach on the formation of the old Ruabon to Barmouth line. Walk any part of it and turn round, or use the train at the western end to make it linear.

Worth knowing

  • Genuinely wheelchair and pushchair usable throughout, which is rare for a route of this length.
  • The wooden Barmouth Bridge at the far end carries a walkway across the estuary and is worth the extra mile.
  • Best two hours either side of high tide, when the estuary is full rather than mudflats.

What you’ll see

The estuary, wading birds in numbers, the RSPB hide at Penmaenpool, and Cadair Idris the whole way.

Background

The line closed in 1965. Barmouth Bridge, opened in 1867, is the longest timber viaduct still in regular use in Britain.