Llyn Crafnant
Photo via Wikimedia Commons — licence & author.
The prettiest valley lake in the Gwydir
This is a quick reference, not a full walked guide. The facts below — location, parking, grid reference and access — are maintained from our dataset, but we haven't published our own first-hand write-up of Llyn Crafnant yet. Know it well? Help us get it right.
A postcard lake at the head of a dead-end valley above Trefriw, ringed by crags and conifers — one of the calmest, prettiest corners of Snowdonia. There's rowing-boat hire and permitted paddling; check the current arrangements at the lakeside café, as permits can apply. The approach road is narrow, so take it gently. A serene half-day, easily paired with neighbouring Llyn Geirionydd.
Getting there
Llyn Crafnant is in Trefriw, Eryri (Snowdonia). It's roughly 10 min (2.4 miles) from Capel Curig , and within reach of Betws-y-Coed (12 min) and Bethesda (28 min).
The nearest parking: Forestry car park above the lake (£). Grid reference SH 761 597 — works on any OS map and doesn't need a phone signal.
Good to know
Check current paddle/fishing permit arrangements at the lakeside café; the valley road is narrow.
On the map
View Llyn Crafnant on OpenStreetMap ↗, or open it in the Explore Wales trip planner to add it to a day out with drive times and offline maps.
Staying over?
Capel Curig makes a relaxed base for exploring the area — worth staying over to catch an early start or a golden-hour finish.
Browse places to stay near Capel Curig ↗ opens Booking.com — needs signalNearby places
Make Llyn Crafnant part of a day out
Add it to a trip in the free Explore Wales planner — chained drive times, weather, campsite suggestions, and offline maps for when the signal drops.