All walks › Bannau Brycheiniog: Black Mountain
Bannau Brycheiniog: Black MountainUsk Reservoir Circuit
Full circuit of a remote reservoir on a stone track, in forestry on the western edge of the park with almost nobody about.
- Distance
- 5.0 mi / 8 km
- Time
- 2 hr 40
- 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
The perimeter track runs right round the water. Clockwise puts the longer slopes downhill. Good surface throughout.
Worth knowing
- Walk it clockwise; the gradients work better that way.
- A Dark Sky Discovery Site and one of the best stargazing spots in the park.
- Ospreys pass through on migration and occasionally fish here.
What you’ll see
Open water and forestry, the dam, and the Black Mountain escarpment to the south.
Background
The reservoir was completed in 1955 to supply Swansea, flooding the upper Usk valley.