Visiting Eryri (Snowdonia) with your dog

Family on a walk with their dog at High Peak Estate, Derbyshire — Enjoy a walk with your dog in Eryri (Snowdonia) | © National Trust Images/Trevor Ray Hart

Follow in the footsteps of legends around Eryri (Snowdonia). Whether you want a gentle stroll or a mountainous walk, below is a selection of destinations to tire out all four legs (and yours). Almost all these locations have livestock grazing so please keep your dog on a lead. Help us keep the footpaths safe and special for all to enjoy by cleaning up after your dog and getting rid of the mess responsibly.

Our pawprint rating system

We’ve been working on making it easier for you to find out how dog-friendly your visit will be before you and your four-legged-friend arrive. To help with this, we've created a new pawprint rating system and given all the places in our care a rating. You can find this information in the National Trust members’ handbook.

Eryri (Snowdonia) is a one pawprint rated place.

Dogs are welcome here, but facilities are limited. They’ll be able to stretch their legs in the car park and walk in the nearby open spaces, depending on the season. There are many places to visit in Eryri (Snowdonia), read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

What do I need to be aware of in Eryri?

We maintain a huge network of over 100km of footpaths across Eryri, which you can enjoy with your dog. These areas are often wild with limited facilities for dogs. Almost all these locations have livestock grazing and are home to some fragile plants and ground nesting birds, so please keep your dog under close control, bring a lead and clear up dog mess responsibly.

Be prepared to navigate stiles, as it’s not always possible to install dog-friendly gates. The rocky and rugged landscape can be hard going for delicate paws. It’s also worth checking your dog for ticks after your visit.

Where can my dog go in Eryri?

Ysbyty Ifan: We maintain 39 miles of footpaths for you to explore in this quiet corner of Eryri. Start off at the village of Ysbyty Ifan and follow the Old Drovers road – once used to walk livestock to markets in England from as far away as the Llŷn peninsula. The estate consists of 51 farms so please bring a lead as you’re almost certain to come across livestock. You may also encounter some stiles (especially over stone walls) where it is not possible for us to include a dog-friendly gate.Visit Ysbyty Ifan
Dinas Oleu: Take your dog on a historic tour and discover where the roots of the Trust took hold, by exploring the steep hillside of Dinas Oleu at Barmouth. For a woodland walk follow the trail from Ganllwyd to Rheadr Ddu and around the Dolmelynllyn estate. You’re sure to get wet and muddy here. There are also a few highland cattle grazing in the woods and a chance of sheep up on the ffridd, so please remember to bring a lead. You may also encounter some stiles (especially over stone walls) where it is not possible for us to include a dog-friendly gate.Visit Dinas Oleu
Cwm Wybrnant: Take a walk around the valley of Cwm Wybrnant stopping off at Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant, the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan, who was responsible for the translation of the Welsh Bible. Dogs on a lead are welcome within the grounds. There are no bins onsite, so please come prepared to take your dog waste home with you.Visit Cwm Wybrnant

Two people and a dog walking along a rocky ledge through a gorge with fast moving river to the right — Visitors walking along the Glaslyn River, Snowdonia | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

Beddgelert: Bring your dog to Beddgelert home of the faithful hound, Gelert. Follow in his footsteps as you venture around the village or head a little further down the stunning Aberglaslyn pass. There are usually sheep in some of the fields along this route, so please keep your dog on a lead. There are also public bins in the village available for dog waste.Visit Beddgelert
Cwm Idwal: Wales’s oldest National Nature Reserve, Cwm Idwal, has spectacular mountain scenery, special wildlife, and famous geology. Please be aware that this route passes through areas favourable to ground-nesting birds and farmland grazed by cattle and sheep. You may also encounter feral goats. It’s a very popular destination so to help everyone feel safe and to minimise the risk to wildlife and livestock, please keep your dog on a lead. There are bins that can be used for dog waste near the visitor centre.Visit Cwm Idwal

The Canine Code

We’ve worked with our partner Forthglade to come up with this Canine Code, which helps to make sure everyone can enjoy their day:

Keep them close: using a short lead helps to keep your dog from disturbing ground-nesting birds and farm animals. It's essential to use a short lead around sheep. But if cattle approach you, it's best to let your dog off the lead, and call them back when it's safe to do so.
Pick up the poo: please always clear up after your dog. If you can't find a bin nearby, take the poo bags home with you.
Watch the signs: keep an eye on local signs and notices wherever you're walking. They'll tell you if a beach has a dog ban, for instance, or if a path has been diverted, or if you're in an area where dogs can run off-lead.
Stay on the ball: remember that not everyone loves dogs, and some people fear them. So make sure your dog doesn't run up to other people, especially children.

Keeping control of your dog

Our definition of close or effective control is:

Being able to recall your dogs in any situation at the first call
Being able to clearly see your dog at all times (not just knowing they have gone into the undergrowth or over the crest of the hill). In practice, this means keeping them on a footpath if the surrounding vegetation is too dense for your dog to be visible
Not allowing them to approach other visitors without their consent
Having a lead with you to use if you encounter livestock or wildlife, or if you are asked to use one