Coed y Brenin

Coed y Brenin visitor centre is the gateway to Coed y Brenin Forest Park. This site was Britain's first purpose-built mountain biking centre and it is still one of the sport’s top destinations featuring world-class mountain bike trails, family walks, a café, cycle shop, all-ability play area and an easy access trail.

WALKING TRAILS
Three waymarked walking trails start from Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre car park. The Afon Eden Trail is an accessible trial which leads you through woodlands down to the Afon Eden. Cefndeuddwr Trail is an easy short trial which guides you gently up a hillside to the Cefndeuddwr viewpoint and picnic area. The Gain Waterfall Trail is a strenuous trail which climbs over the Cefndeuddwr ridge, before descending to the confluence of the Afon Gain and Afon Mawddach rivers with their twin waterfalls.

More walking trails start from our other car parks within Coed y Brenin Forest Park.

MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS
The Visitor Centre is the starting point for 8 mountain bike trails ranging from a relatively easy low level route of Yr Afon, through to a moderate route of MinorTaur with a choice of 4 loops ranging from 3 to 12 kilometres. You can then progress to the more difficult trails of Temtiwr (9km) and Cyflym Coch (12.6 km) and finally onto the severe MBR (17.7km), Tarw Du (20.1km) and the Beast (35km) trails.

Y Ffowndri is our skills area which is also present on site, with four zones of different abilities for you to test your own level and improve skills. It can also be used a zone to either warm up or wind down, before or after a ride on one of the trails.

All trails are waymarked and have information panels at the start of the trail. Please read this carefully before setting off.

RUNNING TRAILS
Five waymarked running trails leave from the visitor centre and go through some of the best scenery in Coed y Brenin Forest Park. The trails vary in length and have been designed for novice to more experienced runners. They include a mixture of singletrack, forest roads, rough unmade public rights of way and occasional sections of tarmac road.

Be prepared for roots, mud and rocks with steep ascents and descents.

GEOCACHING
Hunt for the geocaches hidden in the forest on one of the two geocaching trails from the visitor centre. Each geocache is a small container with an information sheet about the history of the location and a log book to record your visit. The geocache may also contain small items left by other visitors that you can swap for something you have brought with you.

The geocaching trails are designed for walkers and there is no access for vehicles or bikes to the geocache sites.

ORIENTEERING
The four permanent orienteering courses start and finish at the visitor centre. They were designed by the Mid-Wales Orienteers and are all graded to British Orienteering Federation standards.

CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES
Play areas are next to the visitors centre and are split into 3 areas suitable for different ages and abilities. Pick up an animal puzzle trail leaflet from the visitor centre and head for the Afon Eden walking trail. You can borrow a free discovery backpack from the visitor centre. Each backpack contains useful goodies like binoculars, a magnifying glass, a bug pot and nature identification cards along with a guide explaining how to use them.

CAFE & SHOP
The Cafe uses the best locally produced and healthy food with bread and cakes from local bakers or from the cafe's own kitchen. Meat is supplied using local suppliers and venison burgers come from within Coed y Brenin Forest itself.

There is a shop and visitor information point at the entrance to the visitor's centre.

OTHER VISITOR FACILITIES
There is a bike wash and showers (cash only) on site. Free WiFi in the visitor centre and cafe.

CONFERENCE FACILITIES
Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre's conference facilities are suitable for a variety of business meetings, events and activities.

BIKE SHOP
Beics Brenin bike shop is situated in the lower level of Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre.

Beics Brenin offers:
a wide range of bikes for hire to match the trails
a repair shop
sales of bikes, clothing and accessories
courses in mountain biking skills
a series of cycling events

Explore Coed y Brenin on a waymarked walking trail from one of our other car parks in the forest park:

Tyddyn Gwladys (a walking trail past two waterfalls)
Pont Cae’n y Coed (our longest waymarked walk in the forest park)
Ty'n y Groes (an accessible riverside trail and a walk up Penrhos mountain)
Glasdir (a trail through a ruined copper mine ruins with accessible section to a viewpoint over the ruins)
Forest Garden (a short walk in the forest garden with an accessible section to a viewpoint overlooking a waterfall)