The breadth of potential opportunities to get outside and active in Eryri is endless. Northern Snowdonia is well known for hill walking, mountaineering and climbing opportunities and famously, the Everest teams came here to hone their climbing skills in Snowdonia. The first recorded climbs in the UK happened in Snowdonia, by Victorian botanists in search of elusive arctic alpine flowers. 

Aside from these classic activities, Snowdonia is also well known for opportunities to get energetic and adventurous within wonderful landscapes; from mountain and road biking, fell-running and ice climbing to winter walking and bouldering as well as mine exploration. 

We are planning to help make activities in Snowdonia accessible to as many people as possible. One such initiative is the Snowdon Circular Route which, when complete, will be approximately 42km around the base of Snowdon. The walking route will be close to stations on the Welsh Highland Railway so that there is the option to use this multi-user path in one direction and use other transport to make a return journey.  The path will bring health and well-being benefits for residents providing an additional connection between rural communities.

Snowdonia has long established itself as one of the best mountain biking destinations in the UK. Coed y Brenin is famous for its world class mountain bike trails and visitor facilities. Antur Stiniog, nestled in the heart of Snowdonia is home to six downhill and free-ride trails that range from easy to extreme and best of all include an uplift service. Tucked away near Betws-y-Coed, Penmachno offers year-round natural riding in beautiful ancient woodland.

As well as hill and bike-based activities, we have abundant water sports, from surfing and sea kayaking, to coasteering and windsurfing, plus white-water rafting, gorge-walking, canoeing, paddle boarding and open water swimming. Llyn Tegid is a particularly important hub for water sports within the National Park. Other slightly more relaxed pursuits, such as fishing are equally as exciting and accessible with varied and stunning reservoirs, lakes, rivers, estuaries and shores providing a wealth of coarse, fly and sea fishing
opportunities. Some of the UK’s best golf courses also exist around the Park, not least the famous links at Harlech and Aberdyfi designed by James Braid. 

More recently around Snowdonia are man-made adrenaline fuelled activities, from the exhilarating experience of Zip-World to the incredible man-made engineering feat of Surf Snowdonia – an in-land surfing lagoon. These sites utilise the historic industrial landscape on the boundaries of the National Park.