Snowdon routes from the campsite

Printable document: Walks up Snowdon. There are many scenic walks from the campsite, and here is a link to a Goboony blog on five  beautiful local walks, which they recommend to their campervan customers. We are also near these main routes up Snowdon shown left:

1. PyG Track: 6km, vertical gain 760m, 2½ hours up, start altitude 360m: Shortest route starts at Pen-y-Pass gaining height earlier than the Miner’s Track, so a steadier climb.

2. Miners Track: 6.5km, vertical gain 760m, 2¼ hours up, start altitude 360m
A popular route from Pen-y-Pass, starts very easy on side paths and ends with a steep climb up rocky zig-zags. Great views and excellent picnic spots by Llyn Llydaw and Llyn Glaslyn.

3. Watkin Path: 6.5km, vertical gain 1020m, 3 hours up, start altitude 65m
Starts at the lowest starting point, at Nant Gwynant, very scenic with woodlands, waterfalls and mining ruins. Finishes with a treacherous loose scree slope that can be dangerous in wet and windy conditions.

4. Crib goch: 5km, vertical gain 760m, 3 hours + up, start altitude 360m
Not a route for the faint hearted and should be avoided in strong winds and rain or snow. It is technically a grade I scramble and has exposure to some steep drops and cliffs. Starts at Pen-y-Pass.

The map data is © OpenStreetMap contributors and does not use Ordnance Survey data, is a guide only and not to be relied upon for navigation. OS maps can be purchased from our campsite shop.

Access from the campsite

From the campsite:

  • Driving to the start of the nearest routes is faster than walking, however the carparks are expensive and must now be pre-booked, for full details – https://www.snowdonia.gov.wales/visiting/plan,-discover,-protect/parking-for-yr-wyddfa-snowdon-and-more.
  • To walk to Pen y Pass the start of Miners, PYG and Crib goch routes you can avoid the main road. The walk takes around 1¼ hours. Either turn left at the cattle grid at the campsite entrance and walk via the old road up to the tracks to the car park, or else cross the bridge in Bridge field, turn right up the valley and head up the tracks.
  • The Sherpa S4 bus may no longer stop at the campsite entrance. We have been advised they are often full by the time they pass our campsite entrance and so can no longer be relied on to stop when waved down.
  • To Nantgwynant for the Watkin path is 2 miles by road, or a 50 minute scenic walk on the other side of the lake, turn left at the bridge in Bridge field.
  • A round trip via Watkin Path, back via PYG or Miners track, can include breakfast at Caffi Gwynant and a stop at the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel for a pint afterwards. You should allow 8 to 9 hours walking for this round trip.

The other Snowdon routes

5. South Ridge 6.5km, vertical gain 870m, 3 hours up, start altitude 190m
The least used route, spectacular views and quiet. Starts with the Rhyd Ddu path then ascends through old quarries. You can divert to Yr Aran on the way up and rejoin the path for the final South Ridge.

6. Rhyd Ddu Path: 6km, vertical gain 900m, 2 ½ hours up, start altitude 190m
Another less popular route, somewhat uninteresting. One exposed section at Bwlch Main that is best avoided in strong winds and mist. The South Ridge is better in bad weather if starting from Rhyd Ddu.

7. Snowdon Ranger: 6.5km, vertical gain 900m, 2 ¾ hours up, start altitude 145m
Starts at the Youth Hostel with a couple of steep zig-zag sections near the start and the end, but quite straightfoward. Probably the next easiest route after the Llanberis Path.

8. Llanberis Path: 7km, vertical gain 950m, 3 hours up, start altitude 115m
Probably the easiest route because it generally follows close to the moderate gradient of the railway line. Also the most popular and perhaps the least interesting.

A good website for information on many other walks in Snowdonia/Eryri is Mud and Routes