Llyn Geirionydd
Photo via Wikimedia Commons — licence & author.
Forest lake that allows everything
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 Geirionydd yet. Know it well? Help us get it right.
A forest-rimmed lake in the Gwydir hills above Betws-y-Coed, and one of the few lakes in Eryri where powered craft are allowed — which makes it a relaxed, unfussy spot for paddleboarding and swimming. Launch easily from the car park at the north end. For a two-lake day, walk over the low hill to the quieter, prettier Llyn Crafnant next door. Parking is paid; paddling is free.
Getting there
Llyn Geirionydd is in Gwydir Forest, Eryri (Snowdonia). It's roughly 11 min (2.7 miles) from Betws-y-Coed , and within reach of Capel Curig (13 min) and Bethesda (29 min).
The nearest parking: Forestry car park at the north end. Grid reference SH 768 603 — works on any OS map and doesn't need a phone signal.
Good to know
North-end car park launch is easy; walk over the hill to Llyn Crafnant for a two-lake day.
On the map
View Llyn Geirionydd 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?
Betws-y-Coed 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 Betws-y-Coed ↗ opens Booking.com — needs signalNearby places
Make Llyn Geirionydd 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.