Snowdonia National Park Mountain Bike Trails

Snowdonia, now officially Eryri National Park, is a trail-packed mountain bike region covering 823 square miles of North Wales, home to Wales's highest peak, Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), as well as several of the country's best-known trail centres and bike parks. Expect classic natural descents off the mountain itself, waymarked graded riding at Coed y Brenin, Gwydir Forest, Antur Stiniog, Penmachno, and Machynlleth and Dyfi, plus miles of gravel-friendly forest road and bridleway linking it all together, catering for everyone from complete beginners to experienced enduro and downhill riders.

Mount Snowdon

• Worth a focus of its own are the natural mountain bike descents on Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) itself. At 1,085 metres (3,559 feet), it is the highest peak in England and Wales, so there is a lot of descending to be had.
• The two classic routes are the Llanberis Path and the Snowdon Ranger Path, both graded Black. The Rhyd Ddu Path is the most technical of the three, an exposed, boulder-strewn ridge line for experienced mountain riders.
• All three are natural mountain bridleways shared with walkers, and subject to the Snowdon Voluntary Cycling Agreement: riders are asked not to cycle the Llanberis Path, or the Snowdon Ranger Path above Bwlch Maesgwm, between 10am and 5pm from 1 May to 30 September, to keep the paths clear for walkers during the busiest hours. Outside those hours, and from October to April, riding is unrestricted. Check the Eryri National Park Authority's mountain biking page for the current agreement before you ride.

Gravel Riding

• The wider park has plenty for a gravel or adventure bike too. Sarn Helen, the old Roman road that runs the length of Wales, crosses Snowdonia on its way south past Ffestiniog and Trawsfynydd towards Dolgellau and Machynlleth, much of it rideable byway and forest track.
• The waymarked Trawsfynydd Lake Cycle Route circles Llyn Trawsfynydd on a mix of forest road and lakeside track, with a shorter family-friendly option from Gellilydan to the visitor centre and cafe on the lakeshore.
• Snowdonia also forms part of Traws Eryri, Wales's long-distance bikepacking route running the length of the country, so it's popular with riders passing through on a multi-day trip as well as those out for the day.
• As with the mountain paths, coverage isn't waymarked to MTB standard everywhere, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off.

Trail Centres and Bike Parks

• You are spoilt for choice for trail centres and bike parks across the park, with green, blue, red and black graded trails to suit every level: Coed y Brenin, Gwydir Forest Mountain Bike Trails, Antur Stiniog MTB Trail Centre, Penmachno Mountain Bike Trails, and further south on the park's edge, Machynlleth and Dyfi Mountain Bike Base, home of the natural, waymarked Cli-MachX red trail.
• Beyond the trail centres there is plenty of moderate, natural riding worth seeking out too: the singletrack around Moel Siabod and Llyn Cowlyd near Betws y Coed, the Rhydcriw Round near Dolgellau, and the coastal link between Barmouth and Pont Scethin. Further south, Cadair Idris and the Mawddach Estuary both offer classic Snowdonia scenery on two wheels, and the Conwy stretch of the North Wales Path makes for a good day out nearer the coast.
• Each of these areas has its own character and level of waymarking, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off.

Getting Here

• Snowdonia covers a large area with no single trailhead. Betws-y-Coed, home to the Eryri National Park Information Centre, makes a good central base for orientation, with routes fanning out to trail centres and natural riding across the park.
• For Mount Snowdon specifically, the Snowdon Mountain Railway car park on Victoria Terrace in Llanberis (LL55 4TT) is the main start point.
• For the trail centres and bike parks, follow the Getting Here directions on each venue's own listing, linked above.
• The Snowdon Sherpa bus network links Llanberis, Pen y Pass, Rhyd Ddu and other trailheads around the mountain, useful if you don't want to double back to your car.
• Roads through the park can be slow and narrow in peak season, so allow extra time to reach trailheads on summer weekends.

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• If you have ridden the mountain bike trails in Snowdonia National Park, please share your reviews, photos, and videos to this listing.